Stark Madness (Book Two In The Heart Of A Stark) Series

*1*

The boardroom was severely underwhelming despite its location atop the Manhattan shore building. She had expected more than eggshell white walls and yellowing carpet. They hadn't even sprung for a fake plant or some stock photo canvas. It was dull on dull and the near-constant droning of the two dozen men that had filled the room was starting to grate on her last nerve. 

YN was under no illusion that Ross had scheduled this meeting for today purposefully. He wanted her distracted, and distraught, and he knew she had something much more important to worry about today. She could see how this tactic might have worked on her father and why he thought it would give him the same advantage over her. He was wrong, of course. She wasn't distracted, she was bored. She could understand every word of the debate being held by the men in the room and still, she was bored. They were speaking in circles without really saying anything at all. 

She hadn't realized she had been impatiently tapping her pen until a hand fell over hers to still it. Looking up at the owner she was met with an eyebrow of disappointment before he gestured to the man in front of them.

"Are we keeping you from something, Stark?" Thadeus Ross huffed theatrically, crossing his arms across his chest. YN wondered if she was the only one who could see the smug look in his eye.

"Not yet," she shrugged, ignoring Steve when he nudged her under the table while making a show of checking her watch, "but I wouldn't mind speeding this up a touch."

Steve groaned beside her while T'Challa chuckled on her other side at Ross' horrified expression. 

"Maybe if you contributed something helpful we would be able to reach an agreement and we could all go home," Ross tried to stay calm and commanding but the redness rising over his neck gave away his true feelings. 

She probably could have stifled her laughter but she honestly didn't care anymore. "You think we are going to reach an agreement?"

"YN, don't," Steve cautioned, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. He sighed as he watched her back stiffen with the challenge.

"It needs to be a unanimous agreement to terms, not majority rule, correct?" She asked rhetorically, continuing when Ross started to answer, "The only terms l will agree to is the Sokovia Accords being repealed in their entirety."

"Why we would do that?" Ross barked indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest as he glance at his fellow suits for support. 

"Well, I could go on and on about how we are smarter than you, more powerful than you, and how this whole thing is a sad and pathetic attempt to assert your dominance but," she smirked hearing the uncomfortable murmurs spread through the room, "The simplest answer is you need us. You need me. If I disappear so does Stark Industries and all its contributions to many of your beautiful countries."

The dramatic gasp through the room accompanied by Steve dropping his head into his hands in defeat had her snickering.

"You wouldn't pull funding from the people..." Ross shook his head in disbelief before the coldness in her voice ran over him like ice water.

"Try me."

The silence that followed those two small words was comical. None of these people knew her except the two men flanking her yet they all looked at her with shock and fear and dare she say a tinge of respect. At that moment she understood Tony just a bit better. The power of knowing you are the smartest in the room felt good but the power behind the name Stark was on a whole new level. She could see how easy it would be to get caught up in it and how she would need to be careful.