Page 65 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

The settlement money wasn’t enough to destroy the Carringtons, but it was going to hurt them badly, and I was glad for that. The less money they had, the less they could afford to spend on lawyers to go against Ivy. I wanted them destitute, if I was being completely honest.

And every single cent that we got from them would go toward making sure Ivy never had to suffer again. I wanted her to have an even better lab, all the resources she needed, and anything else she could ask for. I wanted her never to have to worry about her boutique or lawsuits ever again.

I didn’t even have time to tell Ivy about the settlement that evening, because she had something more important to announce.

“I want you to court me,” she said, after spending another evening being pampered by our pack.

I felt the shock, and then jubilation resonated through our bonds. We'd been spending more time together lately, although always on Ivy's terms. Sometimes all three of us came over to her place, and sometimes she invited only one or two of us. Occasionally she didn't want to see anyone at all, and we respected that too. Tonight she'd invited everyone, and she'd also decided to give me the best news I’d had all year.

Ronan leaned forward, his eyes widening. “Wait, I thought we were already courting you,” he said.

Ivy rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Excuse our himbo over here,” Elias said, giving Ronan a gentle shove, though even Elias was struggling not to shake with happiness.

She looked nervous now, glancing around as she tried to explain. “I mean properly, and exclusively. I liked the botanical garden, and the tea, and I've liked spending time with all of you lately.” Ronan looked like someone had just told him he'd won the lottery, and Ivy noticed because she held up one hand. “Don't get too excited.”

“Definitely we’ll be proper and exclusive,” Ronan said. There was no one else for us besides Ivy - ever.

Ivy smiled, then her expression grew serious again. “I'm still hesitant. I need you to understand that. But I really like courting, and I want to continue.”

“You can have whatever you want. Always.” I added.

She looked around at us, then relaxed. “Okay,” she finally said. “Then I want to try.”

I was overwhelmed by what she was actually giving us. Ivy wanted us to court her officially. That meant more to me than any test result ever could. And it meant I’d need to be around more. That’s why I decided to make one of the biggest changes in my career.

The following Monday, I made my decision public. I’d been thinking about it for a while, and now that Ivy was on board with our pack courting her, I needed more free time. I also wanted to clear the air about what happened with our initial match to Arabella, and make sure that the public had an idea as well.

The board didn’t fight me on it. Some members tried, but others understood. Vale Laboratories had grown beyond anything I'd imagined. We employed hundreds of people and had become one of the most recognized names in compatibility research. But I could no longer pretend that I hadn’t been part of the problem that led to our courtship with Arabella and the fallout with Ivy.

I stood behind the podium in our main conference hall while cameras flashed around me. “Effective immediately, I will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of Vale Laboratories. I will remain with the company in a research and advisory capacity, but I believe Vale Labs has reached a point where a different leadership style is necessary.”

The press started asking questions, but I raised my hand for them to settle. “Months ago, there was a security flaw within the Vale Labs Bond Profile system that allowed compatibility files to be accessed and misrepresented. That flaw has been corrected and did not affect any of our customers. We have since strengthened our security protocols and changed how we store and verify profile information. As the founder, I should have noticed this flaw sooner, as if it affected me, personally.”

The cameras flashed, and I continued. “For a long time, my drive to build this company turned it into a success. But when you are too close to be objective, it can become a liability. Vale Laboratories deserves leadership without my personal attachment to the systems I created, and our new CEO will have that independence.”

I waited for everyone to understand the implications. “And right now, there are more important things in my life that deserve my attention.”

Ivy was the most important thing.

My phone blew up with messages from my colleagues and friends, but I didn’t respond yet. I got only one furious message from the Carringtons, in which Clara accused me of ruining Arabella’s reputation. I ignored it.

I didn’t see Ivy until dinner later that night. She had invited us over to her apartment, and Elias had brought groceries. She wanted to cook for us, despite our offers to get takeout.

I walked in, and her little ball of fluff ran over to nuzzle my leg before scurrying back to the kitchen to beg. My pack looked up at me unsurprised, having learned of my plans last week. Ivy stepped out of her kitchen when she heard me arrive, and looked at me wide-eyed.

“Hunter! You stepped down!” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “That’s huge! Why?”

“There were a lot of reasons,” I said, taking off my suit jacket and hanging it up before joining them.

Ivy narrowed her eyes at me. “Like what? The whole company was your dream.”

I took a breath, let it out, then told her everything. “I was too involved. The company was my life’s mission, yes, but I stopped seeing its vulnerabilities because I believed in it too much.” I said, and Ivy slowly nodded.

“The company needs someone who can look at it objectively. Plus, I figured it was time that the public knew that the bond match for our pack was tampered with. That way Arabella doesn’t control the narrative. She’s already deleted some of her videos regarding our breakup.” I explained.

Ivy seemed to understand, but her eyes were still wide with surprise. “What will you do now?” She asked.