Chapter 006: The Launch

Lucien’s POV

The boardroom at Ashbourne HQ was silent, exactly how I built it. There was no warmth, no sentiment, only a focus on productivity.

I sat in the lead position at the table, fingers steeples as I observed twelve members presenting their reports with military precision. 

They throw updates and projections, and the data flooded in… quarterly forecasts, market analyses, and competitive insights. I noted the ones that were crucial and discarded the ones that were immaterial with surgical precision.

Benedict sat at the far end of the table, silent.

He used to be the loudest voice in the room, questioning my authority at every opportunity. Now, with his hair greying and his hands too shaky to hold a pen steadily, he was a remnant. A phantom. A man swallowed by the empire he once tried to control.

 He wasn't worth looking at. He hadn't said a word since the meeting, which suited me just fine.

“Revenue in Europe exceeded projections by eight percent,” Harrison announced. “However, we’re encountering increased competition in several key markets.”

I interrupted him with a raised hand. “Define ‘increased.’"

“Well, sir, there’s been some aggressive expansion from—” he hesitated.

“Names. Numbers. Facts.” My voice was low yet sliced through his hesitance. “I don't pay you to skirt around the facts.”

Harrison sat up straighter, sweat forming on his brow. “Aether Consortium is launching in the U.S. market, with their Manhattan headquarters opening this quarter.”

Now I am extremely interested. I leaned back in my chair, calm and unfazed, while I analysed the expressions of the board members. Most appeared anxious… they always did in the face of new competition. But I felt nothing but a familiar hunger.

“Continue.”

A younger board member, Peterson, squirmed. “Sir, they're not just competition. They've been aggressive, already poaching two mid-level executives from Enspire and Valcor. Rumour has it they're targeting our talent next.”

I nearly smiled… almost. Instead, I let the silence linger while Peterson twirled his pen nervously.

“Let them try,” I finally said. “This is my city.”

Benedict remained unmoved in his corner. Once, he would have eagerly seized on a situation like this, scheming and whispering in boardroom ears. Now he sat there like a broken marionette, and a satisfied smirk crept across my face.

~~~

As the meeting moved forward with productive talks, my thoughts wandered to six years ago.

Just a month after Selene vanished.

Benedict had attended a board meeting back then, confident and sharp, holding a legal document that sent a chill through me. I felt a real fear for the first time in years. I thought she had handed it all over—my company. I remembered thinking, so that was why she left with no trace.

“I have power of attorney,” he proclaimed, sliding the papers across the table. “Signed by Selene Ashbourne on behalf of her husband during his incapacitation.”

The signature looked flawless, and the legal seal appeared authentic. The contract was real. For a terrifying moment, I thought I was finished.

But when the document was displayed on the screen for the full board to review…something unexpected happened.

The terms protected my majority shares, blocked any power transfers, and nullified Benedict’s clearly planned backdoor movements.

I looked at Benedict, and he was shocked, and his face turned pale as he read the same text I just went through. He held the table with his trembling hands, sweating profusely. 

“No, no, this... this isn’t...” he stammered with his words. The board witnessed how confused he was and how he panicked. But the damage had already been done; now he had shattered their trustworthiness for him, and his authenticity crumbled before their eyes.

Six years later, it's still hard to comprehend that scenario. Who changed it? Why would Selene shield me? If she hated me enough to vanish, why help my company? If she collaborated with Benedict… given their history… why sabotage him so completely?

It was an enigma that haunted my quiet moments, a question without a satisfactory resolution.

“Sir? Do you need anything else?”

I jolted back to reality when I heard a voice. The boardroom was almost empty, as I remembered the meeting was adjourned with a wave of my hands after the conclusions were made.

“Nothing for now,” I said to the secretary as I made my way back to my private office.

I met Margret on the way, my personal assistant.

“Miss Cassia is waiting in your office, sir,” she informed me.

I sighed, tension forming in my jaw. Cassia, same obsession, same speech rehearsed in different tones.

~~~

When I got to my office, I found Cassia sitting. Her legs crossed while she scrolled through her phone, she looked like she belonged in a glossy magazine, then she looked up, all lips and calculation.

“Lucien,” She stood up, touching my face, and then continued, “We need to talk.”

I removed her hand from my face, then took a seat on my chair. “About?”

Her eyes narrowed with irritation. “About what you know. It's time to let go. She left you, Lucien. She’s not coming back.”

I stared at her. "Even if I wanted to, how the hell would I get her to sign the papers? She disappeared, Cassia. No contact. I’m left holding a name, not a woman."

Cassia's expression hardened, her lips thin. She disliked that answer. She always did. I could see the possessive glint in her eyes, wanting to assert her claim and progress our relationship.

“Hire investigators. Offer a reward. There are options. You have the resources to find that bitch!”

I didn't reply; only if she knew how much I tried. 

 I have spent six years wondering what really happened. 

And I have looked.

Private investigators. Digital tracers. I have gone as far as placing quiet feelers in Copenhagen, Zurich, even smaller cities like Aarhus, it was all dead ends.

She didn’t just leave. She vanished. Like she planned it.

I couldn't stop thinking. What if she only meant good. What if I had mistaken everything.

She has left me with so many what if…

Seeing I didn't want to give her any more attention, Cassia switched her tactics. "You had plans for the weekend? There's a tech gala; we should go. As a couple."

 Before I could reply, Margaret reappeared, her face pale, holding onto a document.

 "Sir, you need to see this immediately." She presented the document with shaky hands.

I scanned the header of the document: "Aether Consortium to Launch U.S. Division in Manhattan. Grand Gala Event This Friday. The Ashbourne Grand Ballroom Friday – 7PM"

Standard corporate announcements. 

My ballroom!

 My property!

I reread the venue line again.

I was stunned. The audacity was astounding. They weren’t merely entering my market; they were utilising my property to declare their arrival. 

"You're launching your empire in my house?" I laughed.

I stood slowly, looked out the window. The empty skyscraper across from me… that was them. Aether. Right across the street. 

 "Get me an invitation to the launch."

"Sir, that might be challenging to obtain."

"I don't care if you have to buy one, steal one, or fo

rge one. I want to be there Friday night."

You came into my city. You brought your fight to my doorstep.

“But I promise you…”

“I'll make you nonexistent by the end of this quarter; you will be erased."