Dark Lord Seduction System: Taming Wives, Daughters, Aunts, and CEOs novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Charlotte Thompson

Charlotte Thompson sat at the head of the massive mahogany conference table, her perfectly manicured hands trembling so badly she had to press them flat against the wood to hide it. At twenty-four, she was absolutely stunning—the kind of effortless beauty that came from exceptional genetics and unlimited access to the world’s best cosmetic treatments.

But right now, she felt like she was going to throw up all over her fifteen-thousand-dollar Armani suit.

’Oh god oh god what if they ask me something I can’t answer again? Fuck, I should have studied those reports. Why didn’t I study the fucking reports?’

Her blonde hair was styled in perfect waves that had taken three hours this morning because she’d been too nervous to sit still, her makeup was flawlessly applied to hide the dark circles from not sleeping for three days straight, and her designer business suit fit her like it was painted on.

But underneath all that expensive perfection, her heart was hammering so hard she was sure everyone could hear it.

Too bad beautiful doesn’t translate to competent.

"Miss Thompson," the CFO said, and Charlotte’s stomach dropped like she was on a roller coaster. Oh shit, here we go. "Could you please explain the quarterly projections for our cloud infrastructure division?"

Charlotte’s blue eyes—contacts that cost five hundred bucks because even her eye color was fake—darted around the room like a trapped animal. Twelve pairs of eyes stared back at her, most belonging to men who’d been running companies since before she was born, and every single one of them looked like they were waiting for her to fail.

’Fuck fuck fuck. Cloud infrastructure. I know this. I should know this. Think, Charlotte, think!’

"Well," she began, her voice coming out higher than usual, that breathy, privileged tone that screamed ’daddy’s money’ even when she was trying to sound professional. "The cloud... um... infrastructure... is really, really important for our... you know... digital... stuff."

The moment the words left her mouth; she wanted to crawl under the table and die. Did she just say "stuff" in a board meeting? Jesus fucking Christ, she sounded like a kindergartener trying to explain rocket science.

A few board members exchanged glances that could have cut glass. Someone at the far end of the table actually snorted, and Charlotte felt her face start burning with embarrassment so intense it was like being set on fire.

’I’m such a fucking fraud and everyone in this room knows it.’

"Could you be more specific?" the chief head of technology pressed, inside he was snickering, his voice dripping with the kind of condescension usually reserved for particularly slow children, and Charlotte felt something die inside her chest.

The heat was spreading from her face down her neck now, and she could feel sweat starting to form under her arms despite the air conditioning. "Um, well, the cloud stuff—I mean, the cloud infrastructure—it helps our computers do... like... computer things... better? And faster? Which is, you know, good for... business and stuff?"

’Did I just say "stuff" again? Kill me. Someone please just kill me right now.’

The silence that followed was so thick she could practically feel it pressing down on her like a weight.

One board member actually put his head in his hands like he was in physical pain. Another was clearly trying not to laugh, his shoulders shaking with the effort. The CFO looked like he was calculating how quickly he could update his résumé and get the hell out of this sinking ship.

’They think I’m an idiot. They all think I’m a complete fucking idiot, and they’re right.’

"Perhaps," the head of R&D suggested with forced diplomacy that made Charlotte want to disappear into the floor, "we could table this discussion until you’ve had more time to review the technical reports."

Translation: Until you stop embarrassing yourself and everyone in this room.

Charlotte nodded so eagerly her neck hurt, grateful for any excuse to stop this nightmare before she started crying in front of everyone. "Yes! Yes, that’s... that’s a really great idea. I’ll definitely review all the... the technical... reports. Tonight. Right away."

’I’m rambling. Shut up, Charlotte. Just shut up.’

As the meeting mercifully ended and people started filing out, she caught the whispered conversations that followed her like daggers to the heart:

"Jesus Christ, we’re so fucked."

"Because daddy loved his little princess more than he loved this company, and now everyone’s going to pay for it.

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