58 Tension
Mara
I sat on the couch in Lucian’s office, surrounded by the chaos of his father’s files. Most of it made little sense at first glance-an incoherent tangle of failed transactions, bombings, attempted poisonings, illnesses, kidnappings, and written confessions from strangers whose names meant nothing to me.
But one thing was crystal clear: the Nighthorns had endured far too many “incidents” for this to be random.
The patterns weren’t patterns yet, but the frequency alone told the story. Alpha Vander was right-someone had been systematically targeting his bloodline. And this wasn’t about petty revenge or internal family politics.
Only another Alpha would benefit from this. Only someone with the ability to absorb the Mooncrest Key Mark from a legitimate bloodline heir.
This wasn’t sabotage.
This was a slow, patient attempt at conquest.
Suddenly, Tina, Martha, and Lacy felt like noise. Distractions. They weren’t the real threat. Not even close.
And yet… why had Alpha Vander kept all of this hidden until now?
I thought back to the border attack, near our old arsenal. It had been empty for years, but whoever orchestrated that
ambush clearly believed we still had weapons stored there.
That attack wasn’t random. It was calculated. Strategic.
Informed.
This wasn’t coming from inside Mooncrest. This was an external strike.
And if we were right, there wasn’t much Lucian and I could do with this information just yet-but one thing was clear: we needed to stay alert. Watch everyone. Trust no one outside our bond.
Time slipped by as I continued studying the files. When I looked up again, it was already two in the afternoon. Three
hours to go.
The door opened. A man stepped into the office.
He glanced at me briefly, offered a nod, then turned to Lucian.
“Daniel Northwood,” Lucian greeted him evenly. “Apologies for missing our last meeting. My wife was in the hospital-l
needed to be with her.”
Northwood. That’s when I placed him.
Tiffany’s father.
His gaze flicked back to me. “I hope you’re feeling better now, Luna Mara,” he said, emphasizing the title with an edge l didn’t miss.
“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Northwood, I’m fine,” I replied, cool and steady.
There was something in his expression that lingered-calculated, displeased. He hadn’t expected this outcome. His daughter had once been the presumed Luna. That door was closed now, and he knew it.
Then he looked at Lucian again.
1/3
50 Tension
Does she have to be here?” he asked flatly, referring to me.
Lucian leaned forward, folding his hands across the desk. His face hardened-expressionless, unreadable. That rare stillness of his that meant he was about to draw a line in stone.
“Matter of fact, yes,” he said, voice low but direct. “She has to be. She’ll be taking over Steel Corp once I assume my role as Alpha.”
Northwood blinked. “I thought Darian would be helping you manage the company?”
Lucian chuckled dryly. “By now, Mr. Northwood, you should’ve learned not to trust your sources.”
He straightened, his tone even sharper now.
“Why would I hand my company to Darian when my wife is more than capable? If this company falters, it hurts both of us. Mara and I share the same stake-she’ll treat every decision like it’s life or death. I trust her judgment. I trust her ambition. She is the future of Steel Corp.”
He paused, letting the words land.
“Darian is capable. But I choose my wife.”
My heart surged at his words.
Lucian didn’t just defend me-he anchored me in power, in presence, in permanence. There was no room for debate. No space for questioning my place beside him.
Daniel Northwood gave a shallow nod and sighed, accepting what he couldn’t change.
And I smiled-because this was just the beginning.
“So Darian gets nothing then?” Northwood asked, his tone laced with something more than curiosity-something entitled.
I saw Lucian’s posture shift slightly, his expression hardening.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself, Mr. Northwood?” Lucian replied, voice clipped. “After all, he’s going to be your son-in-law.
The temperature in the room dropped.
“I’ll be honest-these questions are making me uncomfortable. And bringing them up during a business meeting is highly
unprofessional.”
The man cleared his throat and offered a half-hearted apology.
Lucian straightened. “Let’s get to it, then.”
Northwood leaned forward, clearly rattled. “Steel Corp rejected our last shipment. I want to know why. In the board
meeting, we were told it would be approved. Then I find out not only is payment denied, but the contract is also being
revoked.”
Lucian leaned back, calm as ever. “Up until now, all approval documents went through my father-not the proper channels.
That’s how your goods were getting through-off the strength of your friendship with him and his mate.”
Lucian tapped on his keyboard, pulling up a document. “The shipment in question arrived the same day I took over. For the first time, the order went through proper inspection.”
He turned the screen slightly, showing the man the flagged report.
“There were multiple red flags. The quantity delivered didn’t match the invoice. You billed us for more than you supplied.
That alone is a breach.”
2/3
€58 Tension
Northwood shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.
“And the quality was below our standards,” Lucian added. “The materials weren’t what we requested. Worse-their origin is suspicious. We can’t pay premium rates for knockoff goods. The board made a unanimous decision to cancel the
contract.”
Lucian’s tone stayed neutral, but his words hit like a hammer.
“I may own seventy percent of this company, but I respect the board’s vote. You should, too.”
Northwood’s temper flared. “It’s not my fault! I put a lot of money into those shipments. What am I supposed to do now?”
Lucian didn’t blink. “You meet the terms of the purchase order, and I’ll consider doing business with you again-onlybecau se of our families’ past relationship.”
Northwood scoffed. “And how can I do that when your mother demands a ridiculous cut every time?”
Lucian’s gaze sharpened. “My mother is dead, Daniel. And Martha-Darian’s mother-has no stake in Steel Corp. If you’re paying her, that’s your poor judgment. Don’t drag this company into it.”
Then Lucian’s voice dropped a note lower-quiet, but lethal.
“Watch your tone with me. Disrespect me like that again, and I’ll make sure it costs you more than a canceled contract.”
Northwood paled. His hands shook slightly. He looked like he’d age ten years in that chair.
Lucian tilted his head. “Is that all?”
The man was speechless.
It was clear now-he’d been trying to strong-arm Lucian with his history, his ties to Martha, and his assumption that Lucian was still the same man people thought he was.
He’d miscalculated.
“Mr. Northwood,” I said gently, “you can still sell that shipment elsewhere. Just because it didn’t meet our standards doesn’t mean it won’t fit another company’s needs. You may not recover everything-but you won’t lose it all.”
He turned to me, sneering. “What do you know about business, little girl?”
The sympathy I had for him vanished in an instant.
Lucian’s voice snapped across the space like a whip. “Apologize to my wife, Daniel. Or I’ll have you reprimanded.”
The Alpha command in his tone was unmistakable.
Northwood flinched. “I-I apologize, Luna Mara,” he stammered.
Lucian stared at him in silence.
“Now leave,” he added.
Northwood stood, defeated and pale, and left without another word.
3
Comments
Get Bonus (Ad) >
Vote
573
39 Tension 2
