Chapter 4: The Boardroom Intruder

​Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Blackwood Manor dining hall. A long table of polished mahogany was set with fine porcelain, crystal glasses, and a lavish spread of breakfast delicacies.

​Evelyn sat near the head of the table in a soft lavender dress, her expression serene and unbothered as she delicately buttered a piece of toast. She kept her glazed, unfocused gaze fixed slightly toward the centerpiece.

​Across the room, three senior board members of the Blackwood Corporation sat with tense shoulders and lowered voices, waiting for Lucian to arrive.

​"Did you hear?" Director Thomas whispered, leaning toward his colleague. "Julian Vance disappeared from the international terminal last night. Left his luggage right in the lounge. His mother Eleanor is running around like a headless chicken trying to file a missing persons report."

​"Serves him right," Director Vance—no relation—replied in a quiet hiss. "The boy was an arrogant gambler. But what worries me is Lucian's move. He married this girl yesterday, and now her stepbrother vanishes into thin air? It’s a message to all of us."

​Evelyn took a small sip of her orange juice, her hyper-acute ears catching every single syllable despite the clinking of silver cutlery.

​A message received loud and clear, Evelyn thought with a dark, inner satisfaction. Eleanor must be losing her mind. Good. Panic makes people make sloppy mistakes.

​Heavy, measured footsteps echoed outside the dining room doors. The air in the room instantly grew cold and heavy as Lucian entered. He wore a flawless dark grey tailored suit, his hair neatly styled, his face an impenetrable mask of absolute power.

​"Gentlemen," Lucian’s deep voice cut through the hushed murmurs. "I trust you find the accommodations suitable."

​The three directors stood up immediately, bowing their heads with practiced deference. "Good morning, CEO Blackwood."

​Lucian pulled out the chair directly beside Evelyn, taking his seat with effortless authority. He glanced at her plate, his dark eyes softening for a split second as he noticed she had barely touched her food.

​"Is the breakfast not to your liking, Evelyn?" Lucian asked, his voice dropping into a smooth, attentive tone that startled the board members.

​"It is wonderful, Mr. Blackwood," Evelyn replied softly, offering a timid, beautiful smile. "I'm just... still adjusting to the size of the house. Everything sounds so quiet here."

​"You will get used to it," Lucian murmured, reaching out to gently adjust the glass of water closer to her hand.

​Before Director Thomas could open his mouth to start the corporate briefing, the heavy double doors of the dining hall were suddenly slammed open with a loud BANG!

​"Lucian! You monster! What did you do to my son?!"

​Eleanor Vance stormed into the room, her hair disheveled, her expensive makeup smudged, and her eyes wild with frantic rage. Two security guards trailed behind her, looking hesitant to physically haul off the stepmother of the newly minted CEO's wife.

​The board members gasped, leaning back in shock.

​Lucian didn't even flinch. He picked up his cloth napkin, slowly wiping his fingers, his pulse remaining completely steady—a flatline of dangerous composure.

​"Remove her," Lucian ordered the guards in a flat, terrifying tone.

​"No! Don't you dare touch me!" Eleanor shrieked, breaking past the guards and lunging toward the table. She pointed a trembling, manicured finger straight at Lucian. "Julian went to meet your agents last night at the airport and never boarded his flight! His phone is turned off! His accounts are frozen! You kidnapped him!"

​Evelyn shrank back into her chair, bringing her hands up to her chest in a picture-perfect display of terrified vulnerability.

​"M-Stepmother?" Evelyn gasped, her voice trembling dramatically. "What are you talking about? Julian is missing?"

​Eleanor turned her fiery glare onto Evelyn, her face twisting with pure venom. "Shut up, you ungrateful little brat! You planned this with him, didn't you?! You used your pathetic blind act to make Lucian pity you, and now you're helping him destroy our family!"

​Eleanor rushed forward, raising her handbag as if to strike Evelyn across the face.

​To the directors and the guards, it looked like an unpredictable, violent outburst. But to Evelyn, every move was telegraphed in crisp, high-definition sound: the sharp scuff of Eleanor’s heels against the rug, the frantic rustle of her leather bag, and the ragged, desperate sound of her breathing.

​Evelyn didn't need to duck. Because she knew exactly what Lucian would do.

​Before Eleanor’s bag could come anywhere near Evelyn, Lucian stood up. In one swift, terrifyingly powerful motion, he grabbed Eleanor by the wrist, locking her in place with a grip of solid steel.

​Snap!

​Eleanor let out a sharp cry of pain as Lucian squeezed her wrist, forcing her hand down. His dark eyes burned with a lethal, suffocating aura that made the entire room hold its breath.

​"You raise a hand against my wife in my house again," Lucian whispered, his voice so low and cold it felt like a blade pressing against her throat, "and you won't just lose your son. You will lose everything down to the shoes on your feet."

​Eleanor shook violently, the raw terror in Lucian's eyes finally breaking through her manic rage. "L-Lucian... please... he's my only son..."

​"Julian is currently answering for his crimes against the Vance estate's accounts," Lucian said coldly, tossing her arm away like garbage. "As for you, Eleanor... your access to the Vance family trust was revoked an hour ago. You are broke."

​Eleanor went deathly pale. Her knees buckled, and the two security guards caught her by the arms, dragging her out of the dining hall as she sobbed hysterically.

​The doors clicked shut. Silence returned to the room, thick and heavy.

​Lucian turned back to the table, adjusting his suit jacket as if nothing had happened. He looked down at Evelyn, who was still trembling softly in her seat, her pale eyes wide with artificial fear.

​Lucian sat back down, taking her cold, delicate hand into his broad, warm palm.

​"It's over, Evelyn," Lucian said softly, his thumb rubbing comforting circles against her skin. "She will never scream at you again."

​Evelyn looked toward the sound of his voice, letting a single, perfect tear slip down her cheek before leaning her head slightly against his arm.

​"Thank you, Lucian," she whispered into his suit sleeve.

​One down, Evelyn thought, her heart swelling with cold, brilliant triumph beneath her fragile act. Eleanor is ruined, Julian is in a cage, and my husband thinks he’s my hero. Phase one complete.