<48 (Lucian’s POV) Together
48 (Lucian’s POV) Together
Lucian
I woke to the soft rustle of pages.
1
Mara was sitting beside me, her legs tucked under her, reading like the world outside didn’t exist. She looked so calm, so completely at home.
A
I sat up slowly, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Then I saw it-the mark on her neck. My mark. It wasn’t a
dream.
A quiet smile pulled at my lips.
“Good afternoon, Lucian,” she said, her voice warm as she lowered the book and met my gaze.
I looked around. The light had shifted. I’d clearly slept longer than I meant to.
“You slept through the night… and into the afternoon,” she said gently. “Your father linked me a few times. I told him I’d let him know when you were awake.”
I frowned. “Did he say why?”
She shook her head.
I reached for her, pulling her close, pressing a kiss to her lips, then another to the fresh mark on her neck.
“Mine,” I murmured.
She giggled and kissed the mark on my neck. “Mine too.”
I kissed her again, deeper this time. I didn’t want to leave her side-but I had to. My father was waiting, and I had questions of my own.
After a quick shower and getting dressed, I headed toward the right wing. On the way, I froze.
Lacy was in my wing.
Worse-she wasn’t dressed modestly. The sight of her alone made my skin crawl. She looked too much like Martha-same manipulative sweetness, same calculating eyes. Just younger, and maybe bolder.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone sharp.
She smiled like we were friends. “I offered Mary to brief you on the Winston’s Corp meetings this morning.”
I narrowed my eyes. Bold, but stupid.
“The next time you step beyond your job description, Lacy, you’re fired,” I said coldly. “Let me make something veryclear. Aside from the right wing and the breakfast table, I don’t want to see you. If you see me, you turn the other way. You hide. Are we clear?”
She stiffened. Tears welled in her eyes.
“… 1-”
“Get the f**k out of my wing,” I cut her off. “This is your last warning. Whatever you and your aunt are plotting -it won’t work. I’ll never like you. I’ll never trust you. So keep your distance.”
I didn’t wait for a response. I walked away, already linking Austin.
Keep Lacy out of my wing. Permanently.
As I walked, I placed a call to Mary. She picked up on the second ring. I was already annoyed, but I kept my tone controlled-cold, not explosive.
“Mary,” I said flatly.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Nighthorn,” she replied, overly polite.
“Did you send Lacy Edward to me?”
Silence.
“Listen carefully,” I said, voice low and deliberate. “She has no business being on my floor. Or near anything that concerns my work. The next time she lays a hand on any of my files, you’re fired too.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Nighthorn,” she stammered. “She said you’d be okay with it…”
“Well, now you know the truth,” I said and hung up before she could say more.
I quickened my pace to the right wing and stepped into my father’s office-only to find Martha already there, seated like she owned the place.
I rolled my eyes. Of course.
“Lucian, darling,” she said, all sugar. “You must be tired. How is your wife?”
“Awake and well. Thank you,” I said politely, but my tone didn’t invite more conversation.
I turned to my father. “You said you wanted to see me?”
He nodded, just about to speak when I linked him privately.
“With all due respect, Father, if this is important-and if it concerns me-I’d prefer we speak alone. Otherwise, I’ll return another time.”
His eyes flicked toward me, faltered for a moment, then turned to Martha, who had already made herself comfortable on the couch like she planned to stay all day.
“Darling,” he said aloud, “please excuse us.”
She blinked at him. “Vander, I am Luna,” she said pointedly, reminding him of her title like it was a key she could flash to every locked door.
“I need to speak to my son,” he said, this time with steel in his voice.
Her expression turned cold. “He is my son too,” she said, crossing her legs like she was settling in.
I didn’t flinch. I just stared at her, silent, letting the weight of my presence-and her irrelevance-speak for me.
“He never was,” my father said quietly, but firmly. “And we both know that. Now, excuse us-or we’ll excuse you.”
Martha didn’t move. Of course she didn’t. She wasn’t used to being told no. Not by him.
I stepped forward and faced her.
“Excuse us, Luna Martha,” I commanded, letting my authority wrap around every word like a blade.
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48 (Lucian’s POV) Together
Her eyes widened. She shook slightly, trying to fight it-but couldn’t. Not this time.
She stood, stiff and seething, and walked out without another word.
