13: Kneel and Apologize

MAEVE

It’s been three days since that conversation with Theo, and I’ve done everything I can to avoid him. It’s either I leave for work earlier or later than usual so that we won’t run into each other. I also stick with eating lunch in my office. I missed the ease of our friendship, but I also didn’t know what to do with his blatant obsession with Lucien when it seemed like the only reason he even befriended me was because of Lucien. 

He had texted and called multiple times, and each time I managed to give him one stiff reason or the other. I hoped he’d just give up, but he persisted, and right now, I was sitting across from Lucien as we were driven to the restaurant, where he was meeting a prospective investor, when a message came in from Theo. It was an apology message for coming on too strong about Lucien. He opened up to me that he was a closeted gay man, and he has had a crush on Lucien for years, but has never been in proximity with him. I was the only close contact to Lucien that he knows and that was the reason he couldn’t shut up about him. 

I instantly felt bad for him, and it made sense then that he notices and knows the most insignificant things about Lucien. I told him it was okay and that I was sorry too. 

‘So that’s all it takes for you to forgive me? I should have opened up sooner. Can I treat you to dinner? To celebrate our friendship getting rekindled.”

His easiness made me chuckle, and I was about to type a reply to him when I felt Lucien’s cold gaze on me. I looked up, and I was right. He was looking at me. 

“Wipe that goofy smile off your face.” his voice was as cold as his eyes. “We’re here for a business meeting.”

I resisted the urge to scowl at him when his door opened from outside, and he stepped out. I was so busy with replying to Theo that I didn’t notice that we had arrived. We were led to the private corner on the top floor where the businessman, a short balding man, was waiting for us. I didn’t initially notice the lewd look he assessed me with, not until he took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of my palm in greeting. My body tensed up in an entirely bad way. 

“My personal assistant,” Lucien introduced us, “Maeve Winters.”

“Good choice of an assistant, Lucien. I’d be eager to go to work every day if I had an assistant like her.” 

“She’s also my stepsister.”

“Makes it even better. You get access to her both at work and at home. Ain’t you a lucky man, Lucien Thorne?”

Lucien didn’t reply. He only stared at him coolly as we all took our seats, and because there were just three chairs arranged around a circular table, I had no option but to sit beside Mr. Anderson, too. 

The meeting was a blur of words and deals I didn’t understand, but I had to take notes. That wasn’t the uncomfortable part. The uncomfortable part was how Mr. Anderson’s hand was occasionally touching my pants-clad thighs. He’d grab and squeeze before letting go, only to return. If Lucien noticed, he didn’t say anything. What was I even expecting? He probably thought I wanted this. Mr. Anderson continued until it became so uncomfortable that I had to excuse myself to go to the bathroom.

Mr. Anderson didn’t waste any time continuing when I returned, and this time, I was so uncomfortable and angry that I grabbed his palm and twisted his fingers with all my might. He yelped, drawing the attention of the people nearby. 

“What the hell is your problem, bitch?” He stood to his feet, face contorted in anger.

“Your hand kept moving to places it has no business being in,” I told him shakily, the reality of what I just did dawning on me. This was a prospective, significant investor, and it seems I just ruined that for Lucien.

“The hell?” he raised his other hand to smack me, and Lucien, who had been observing everything with calm disinterest, was suddenly on his feet and holding his hand back. 

“You don’t want to make a scene, Mr. Anderson,” he told him quietly, and Mr. Anderson looked around to take in the faces of the people who were now looking at us. 

“Yeah, but I demand an apology from your bitch, and if you want me to still put my investment in, I’d like you to send her to my hotel room. She needs to learn a lesson or two on how to treat wealthy men.”

I recoiled in shame and anger at being reduced to nothing but an object for their sole entertainment. Lucien turned to look at me, and ice sliced through my heart at his words.

“Do you want to go with him?”

“Of course not.”

He turned back to Anderson, ‘She doesn’t want to go with you.”

“Well, this isn’t about what she wants, does it?” he was fuming now and glaring daggers at me, “it’s about business. It’s about that multi-million dollar investment. Do you really think I’d go ahead with this investment if you don’t address this disrespect?”

Lucien only chuckled, a dark, unamused sound, while I started panicking. I didn’t want him to lose that kind of investment just because I made a scene, so I opened my mouth to talk, but he beat me to it.

“Apologize, Anderson.”

“What?” The man turned to him, confused, but I was even more confused.

“Apologize to her. You violated and touched her without her permission. You should apologise and pray she accepts it if you don’t want to get locked up for assault.”

“What?” the man was fuming now, “you think this is funny? You think you can order me around because you’re some baby alpha prince?”

“Kneel and apologize,” Lucien commanded because that was what it was. A command that carries enough alpha energy to force Anderson to his knees against his will and despite his restraint against it. He couldn’t fight it. His body only tightened, and his face drained of all color the more he tried to fight it. 

“I’m sorry,” his voice sounded subdued, even though his face was still twisted into anger, “I was wrong.”

“Do you accept his apology?”

“What?” I was shocked at everything that had happened. I couldn’t believe Lucien actually got his potential investor to apologize to me on his knees. I looked around, and people weren't only looking at us; they were also recording this humiliating ritual. 

“Yes,” I replied, just desperate to get out of this situation.

“Good! Let’s go then.” I grabbed my bag and laptop, and Lucien didn’t release him from the bound. Not until were we inside the elevator. It was only when the elevator door was closing that I had the man roar that he’d make Lucien pay for embarrassing him because of a wench.