190 Cracks In The Foundation
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Lucian
I rushed back to my wing to find Mara and tell her about the meeting. Martha’s silence still rattled me, her refusal to come clean was infuriating, and I could feel time slipping away from us. If she didn’t talk soon, the damage might be irreversible. Mara was seated on the couch in the sitting area, quiet, her gaze distant. She didn’t even flinch when I walked in.
“What’s the matter, darling?” I asked gently.
She looked up at me and gave a tired smile. I walked over and sat beside her. She shifted closer and leaned into me like she needed to anchor herself.
“Lucian… someone’s trying to tear this family apart,” she said softly.
It wasn’t news, but hearing it aloud made it sting. I wrapped my arm around her, rubbing it gently. But her skin was warm, too warm. My worry snapped to focus.
“Mara, why are you so warm?”
She leaned into me more. “Probably just the pregnancy,” she said. “I’ve been drinking cold water all day.”
That wasn’t enough. I helped her up, undressed her carefully, then scooped her into my arms and carried her to the bathroom. I didn’t like cold showers, but her body needed it. The hospital would come after the meeting. For now, this was urgent.
I stripped and stepped in with her. The cold water hit us in waves, and I held her close, feeling her tremble as she rested her head against my chest.
All of this, Chase, Martha, the audit, the pressure, was weighing on her. And now her body was starting to show the toll.
“You need to stay calm, Mara,” I whispered, wrapping my arms tightly around her. “We’ll get through this. You, me, and our baby. But I need you to stop carrying all of it alone.”
She wrapped her arms around me, her voice barely audible through the sound of the water.
“I’m sorry, Lucian. I tried… but what Mrs. McBride said was terrifying. We’ve just taken over the company, and I’m supposed to lead. If it falls apart now…”
“It won’t,” I cut in gently. “No one will believe you’re stealing. Even if the audit suggests it, we’ll know the truth. This is a setup, Mara. You’re not alone.”
She squeezed tighter, and for a moment, I wished we could stay like this, let the water wash away everything. I wanted more. I wanted to lose myself in her.
But Alice McBride was on her way. And there was no time to get lost.
We stepped out of the shower and dried off in silence. Mara’s skin had cooled, but I could still feel the weight she carried. We crawled into bed, and I wrapped my arms around her. It didn’t take long, she was asleep within minutes.
The doctor had said pregnancy would exhaust her, and he was right. Still, I watched her for a moment, brushing a damp strand of hair from her cheek. She looked peaceful for once. Vulnerable.
I pulled the blanket over her and kissed her forehead before slipping out of bed. I dressed quietly, wishing she could be by my side for the meeting, but knowing she needed the rest more than I needed her presence.
My father was already in his office when I arrived. He looked tired, older somehow. His expression was flat, but behind his
190 Cracks in The Foundation
eyes, I could see it: the ache of someone standing in the middle of something breaking.
“Father, are you alright?” I asked gently.
He looked up at me and smiled, but the smile was empty. A performance, not a feeling.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked, settling into the chair opposite him. “You two are bonded.”
He shook his head slowly. “I never really felt the bond, Lucian. But I did love her.”
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That caught me off guard. How could he not feel the bond? Mara and I were so connected, it was as if our souls breathed
in sync. Maybe it was different for them. Maybe time dulls even the strongest threads.
“Still, Father… she’s miserable. Just like you.”
He sighed, long and heavy. “If she truly loved me, she would love all of me, including my children. She wouldn’t hide
things. She wouldn’t lie. Love doesn’t twist like that.”
I couldn’t argue. He was right. But it wasn’t that simple.
“Lucian,” he continued, eyes now focused, “you’re lucky to have a mate like Mara. And your brother, Tiffany’s a gem. I’ve watched those women closely. They love with their whole hearts, honestly. Martha… her love was always conditional. She’s broken in ways I couldn’t fix.”
I didn’t know if she was broken or just angry, wounded too many times to know how to love without hurting back. But I
didn’t push it.
“Still,” I said carefully, “you never really made space for her. I’ve seen your room, Father. Mother’s pictures are everywhere. Not a single one of Martha. She said you still call Mother’s name… even when you’re with her.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. Slowly.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I made her feel like a ghost was still sharing our bed.”
“I’m not saying she didn’t make her choices, but you played a part in how she unraveled,” I said. “You never truly treated her like a wife. You shut her out, and she lashed out the only way she knew how. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment.
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He looked at me, then away, somewhere to the corner of the room, where the past still hung on the walls like shadows.
“That doesn’t excuse her lies about Alaric Moongrove,” my father said, his voice hardening.
“I looked into him. He was a pimp, Lucian. A so-called Alpha of Goldenpeak, unrecognized and filthy. He ran girls in and out of that city like a damn business. There’s a real chance Martha was one of them. So why didn’t she tell me?”
I sat there, stunned. I hadn’t expected that.
“Did your sources find his last known location?” I asked.
He shook his head.
“He vanished after I attacked Neev. Everyone assumed he died in that war. But clearly, he’s still out there, somewhere.”
Then he looked at me with a mix of suspicion and pain.
“What if she never stopped seeing him, Lucian? What if I wasn’t her husband, I was just a customer? What if she’s still funneling money to him?”
I shook my head immediately.
“Father, no. Martha’s a liar and manipulative as hell, but she’s never cheated. She’s always with you, every hour. Unless she’s figured out how to cheat over the phone, she’s not playing you like that.”
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He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
“I’m done”
The words were final, cold. And I didn’t argue.
I took my seat and waited.
