Chapter 38

FREYA'S POV

It had started out as just another board meeting. I was seated beside Brandon, fingers loosely interlaced in my lap, trying to keep my focus sharp. The air was sterile with the usual mix of coffee, crisp papers, and stiff colognes. Around the long table, executives murmured to one another as they reviewed notes and scrolled through presentations on their tablets. Brandon was calm, focused, and unreadable, as always. But suddenly—something shifted.

It was subtle at first. A buzz. A few heads turned toward the door, murmurs growing quieter. Phones lit up with notifications. Kyle, sitting diagonally across from us, straightened in his chair, his posture rigid like he’d just been called to attention. My gaze flicked to Brandon, who was reading a text on his phone with narrowed eyes.

That’s when it happened—almost like a wave of anxiety crashing over the room. People were adjusting their jackets, brushing invisible dust off their sleeves, closing folders, and sitting upright. One executive even knocked over a water bottle in his scramble to fix his tie. The noise level spiked—not in excitement, but in tension. Controlled panic.

“What’s going on?” I whispered, glancing around, alarmed.

Brandon leaned in slightly and whispered back, “My father’s on his way.”

I blinked. “Gerald Lefevre?”

He gave a slow nod, his expression tight. “They’re all reacting like this because when he walks in, no one wants to be caught slouching or fumbling.”

Almost on cue, the double doors at the end of the boardroom opened.

Silence swept over the room like a spell.

In walked Gerald Lefevre.

He was just as intimidating as the stories made him out to be. Silver-haired but tall and solid, his presence demanded the air around him. He walked with the sort of confidence that didn’t need to be performed—people simply got out of his way. His suit, though not flashy, was cut perfectly. His cane clicked against the floor as he walked, though it was clear he didn’t need it. It was part of the aesthetic. A king entering his court.

Behind him were two members of his private escort—security or staff, I couldn’t tell. They remained silent, posted by the door as Gerald took a seat at the head of the table, not even bothering to look around. He didn’t need to. The room was already at attention.

“I see you’re all on time,” he said coolly, glancing at his watch. “That’s... encouraging.”

No one dared to speak. Even Alexander, Brandon’s older brother and Bryan’s father—who usually strutted around like the heir apparent—looked visibly rattled. His jaw was clenched, his hand gripping a pen so hard it might snap in half. He gave Brandon a sidelong glance, but Brandon remained stoic.

“I’ll be around more frequently moving forward,” Gerald announced, his voice sharp and deliberate. “There have been complaints. Repeated complaints about the performance of this company’s upper management. The way I see it, if the people at the top are slacking, it sets a tone of mediocrity. And I didn’t build this empire for it to fall into the hands of soft men.”

Ouch.

He didn’t even raise his voice, but his words echoed through the boardroom like a whip. A few of the executives shifted uncomfortably. One guy—Anthony, I think—cleared his throat, only to quickly stop when Gerald looked directly at him.

“My intention is not to micromanage,” he went on, “but to observe. Closely. Everyone’s job will be under review. If you're confident in the value you bring to this company, you have nothing to worry about.”

I felt my spine straighten against the leather of the chair, trying not to look as intimidated as I felt. But it wasn’t just fear that struck me. It was clarity. This man—the patriarch, the original Lefevre—was not someone to cross. No wonder Brandon had inherited such poise under pressure. He had grown up under this looming shadow.

Gerald’s eyes briefly scanned the room. And then they landed on me.

He paused.

It was only for a moment, but I felt it. His gaze assessed everything—my posture, my clothing, my presence. I didn’t shrink back, though. I met his stare with quiet confidence. I had every right to be here. I was Brandon’s wife. And now, a part of this company. I refused to let his scrutiny shake me.

He gave nothing away and continued, “Let’s begin.”

The meeting resumed, but the tone was different now. Every report was more carefully worded. Every slide, every answer to his probing questions was rehearsed in real-time with fear stitched between syllables. I’d never seen people this accomplished look so anxious.

Brandon remained calm, answering Gerald’s rare but pointed questions with clarity. Not arrogance—just facts. He never tried to prove anything. He simply stated what he knew, and it was enough. Gerald didn’t challenge him like he did with others.

But Alexander, on the other hand… he wasn’t spared.

At one point, Gerald cut into his update with a scathing, “Is that your final proposal, or should I give you five more minutes to think of a better one?”

The air turned ice-cold.

Alexander muttered a bitter, “No, sir,” and pressed his lips into a tight line.

By the time the meeting finally ended, my neck and shoulders ached from how tense I had been the entire time. People began packing their things in a hurry, glancing nervously at Gerald as they filed out.

As Brandon and I stood, I leaned in to whisper, “So this is what it feels like to be under a microscope?”

Brandon smirked, a faint glimmer of amusement in his otherwise serious face. “That wasn’t a microscope. That was a laser-guided missile.”

I almost laughed, but I caught myself.

“He’s going to be around more often?” I asked quietly as we exited the boardroom.

Brandon nodded once. “For now. Which means everything changes. People will work harder, pretend harder. Secrets will shrink or explode. And we’ll have to be twice as careful.”

I swallowed hard, walking a little closer to him as the weight of it all sank in.

“But we’ll be okay, right?” I asked, glancing up at him.

His hand gently brushed mine. “We will.”

Despite the tension, despite the storm Gerald’s arrival had stirred, I felt reassured. Brandon wasn’t afraid of the old man. And as long as I stood beside him, neither was I.