Alora could hardly breathe. As she scuffled through her desk for her phone, her mind was in a mess. She wasn't sure of anything except that she needed to save him. Now. 

But why did she feel this way? Up until a few seconds ago she loathed her husband. There was only one goal for marrying him and that is to get revenge against him. 

"Let me help you take your revenge on everyone that hurt you. Myself included."

This was the plan all along. Revenge against the most ruthless billionaire in the country. 

She searched her drawer, her eyes scrutinizing every part of her room, annoyed when she couldn't find the small device that was always with her. Now that she needed it urgently, it was nowhere to be found.

She called for her housekeeper who informed her that she'd last seen it with her.

"Look for it God damn it. Now."

Alora yelled at the forty three year old woman for the first time. If she wasn't in a desperate situation, she would have reflected on her actions. 

Not right now.

Right now only one person's feelings mattered to her. Christian Gulf. 

The board had gathered. They were about to take a vote on whether he would remain CEO of The Gulf enterprise or not. 

Alora Cursed under her breath, but it was loud enough Elizabeth heard her. She looked over her shoulder, wondering why her boss who'd always been so calm and so collected was panicking so much. She'd never seen Alora so out of state. And although they had a cordial relationship, she knew now was not the time to ask questions.

Fuck this. 

Alora ran out of her room, down the stairs of the huge Gulf mansion. 

"Give me your phone, Mark." 

She wasn't even in the living room yet when she barked her orders at the mole she'd planted in her husband's company. 

The twenty five year old accountant blinked, not understanding what was happening but did as he was told immediately.

"Pick up. Please pick up. Oh God!"

With every second that passed Alora's heart beat faster. She was afraid that she might be too late.

"How long since they started?" She looked at Mark.

"About ten minutes ago."

Fuck! 

Ten minutes. The board couldn't have casted their votes already? Christian could have lost everything. Was she too late?

She was furious at herself. Why had she failed to keep a better eye on things? Why was she unreachable when Mark tried to get through to her? And where was her damn phone?

"Mark…"

"Gabriel, it's Alora. Please tell me it's not over yet?" She held her breath, waiting, praying that she could still save him. She needed to save him. She just had to. She would make sense of everything she was feeling later, but now, every cell in her body compelled her to save him.

"We're just about to start. Don't worry, I know what to do."

The confidence in Gabriel's voice, and the disdain that was once something they bonded over, now made Alora's stomach churn. 

"Vote against his dismissal."

Gabriel was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to say this. They were finally about to achieve their goal. The goal they'd had the last one year. The reason they were friends.

Bringing Christian Gulf to his knees.

This was the first step, taking his company away from him. And now that they could, she was having second thoughts?

"Are you having second thoughts?"

He wanted to understand her reasoning. 

"No. No. No. of course not." Alora took deep breaths, regaining her composure. She knew she was acting weird. And explaining to anyone how she felt, and why she was doing this was almost impossible since she was yet to understand it herself. 

She knew one thing though. She had to convince Gabriel without reasonable doubt that they were still partners and they still wanted the same thing.

"I just think it's too soon."

"Too soon? Taking away his company is only step one. And if we're being honest, it wouldn't do much to affect him. He still has other businesses. If we want to crush him, we need to take as many things as we can from him, whenever we can."

Alora knew he was right. Christian would still be every bit the man he is even without his empire. And yet, she didn't want him to lose it. Not after she'd seen all the nights, all the blood and sweat he'd put into it. 

"I just… I just can't let them take it." Her hand flew to her hair, ruffling it as she tried to explain in a way Gabriel would be convinced to do as she wanted.

"I hate the Gulfs too. Not just Christian, you know that. I don't want them to have control over the company. They would have more power if they did. So I just think, for now… Christian still having control over it would be best."

"Alora. You're not making sense. Tell me, honestly, do you still hate him?"

A year ago, she'd have answered this question without hesitation. And she believed it too. But now, with the way she was acting, she needed to think before she answered. Be honest with herself.

"C'mon Gabriel. You know what he did to me. You know who my enemies are. I could never forget how they hurt me."

And this was true. She had never forgotten even for one day how much she'd suffered in the hands of her family. And worse, how much Christian Gulf had hurt her. She didn't forget. 

But maybe she was beginning to forgive…?

"Fine. I'll call our people and have them vote against his dismissal."

Alora sighed in relief. "Okay." 

She handed the phone back to Mark, and her henchman left. 

"Not today. We'll have her revenge on him another day."