The Glass Fortress
933 Words
Noah’s POV
The smell of blood was finally gone, replaced by the sterile, expensive aroma of Italian leather and filtered oxygen. I sat behind the mahogany desk on the 64th floor of Vaelor Holdings, staring at a digital spreadsheet that held the livelihoods of ten thousand employees.
I hadn't slept. I hadn't even showered properly until an hour ago, scrubbed raw to get Julian’s filth off my skin. My jaw still ached from the tension of the previous night, and the hurt in Aria's eyes. The way she pulled back from my touch on the porch was a persistent ache in my chest.
I couldn't be in that house. Not with Cassian drinking himself into a stupor, not with Elena’s silent, irritating presence, and certainly not with Aria, whose eyes now looked at me like I was just another monster in a suit.
Focus.
I needed the business. The business made sense.
A sharp knock at the heavy glass door broke my spiraling thoughts. My assistant, Marcus, a Beta who knew better than to comment on the dark circles under my eyes, stepped in with a tablet.
"The board is restless, Noah," Marcus said, his voice clipped. "The rumors of the breach at the estate have already hit the private sectors. Our stock in the Silver-Tech merger dropped two points this morning. They want a statement."
"The statement is that the threat was neutralized," I snapped, my voice sounding more like a growl than I intended. "We don't explain Vaelor security to men who can't even manage their own portfolios. What’s next?"
"A representative from the Southside Syndicate is in the lobby," Marcus hesitated. "They’re claiming the shipment of raw silver we intercepted last month was misplaced and they want a seat at the table to discuss reparations."
I leaned back, my fingers drumming against the desk. "The Southside Syndicate doesn't get a seat. They get a reminder of why we own the docks. Tell them if they aren't out of the building in five minutes, I’ll have security toss them from the roof."
"Understood." Marcus paused, checking a notification. "And... your mother called. Three times. She wants to know if the situation with the Omega has been finalized."
"Finalized," I repeated, the word tasting like copper. I stood up, walking to the floor-to-ceiling window. From here, the city looked like a circuit board, something I could control. But back at the estate, everything was slipping through my fingers.
My phone buzzed on the desk. A text from Cassian.
Something's happening Noah. You need to get back here.
I ignored it. If I went back, I’d have to face the truth. I’d have to look at Aria and explain why I was ready to kill her for a law I didn't even believe in anymore.
The office door swung open again, but this time it wasn't Marcus. It was Julian’s younger brother, Silas. He was the illegitimate side of that family, but the eyes were the same, cold and hungry. He walked in like he owned the air, two bodyguards flanking him on both sides.
"Noah Vaelor," Silas said, his voice as smooth as silk and twice as dangerous. "I heard my brother had a bit of an accident at your place last night. Such a shame. We were so looking forward to his return."
I didn't turn around. I watched his reflection in the glass. "Your brother was a rabid dog, Silas. He was put down. If you're here to collect the body, call the morgue."
"I'm not here for the body," Silas stepped closer, his reflection looming over mine. "I'm here for the debt. Julian didn't act alone. He had investors. People who were promised a return on the assets held inside your estate. Specifically, the girl with the Mark."
I turned then, my Alpha presence flaring. The air in the office grew heavy, the temperature dropping as my wolf pushed to the surface. Silas’s bodyguards reached for their jackets, but he held up a hand.
"Careful, Noah," Silas smirked. "This isn't the forest. This is the city. If you lose your temper here, the Council won't just send a letter. They'll freeze every asset you have."
"Is that a threat?" I stepped into his space, my voice turning into a low vibration that rattled the pens on my desk.
"It's an invoice," Silas said, dropping a manila envelope on my desk. "Julian made a deal. He sold the rights to the girl’s first-born heir to our associates in the North. If you kill her, or if you keep her, you're stealing from some very powerful people."
My heart hammered against my ribs. The first-born heir.
"Get out," I whispered.
"Read the contract, Noah. It has the Grand Luna’s signature on the witness line," Silas said, turning toward the door. "You have forty-eight hours to figure out how you're going to pay us back for a Marked female you've already ruined."
The door clicked shut behind them.
I picked up the envelope, my hands shaking. I didn't open it. I didn't need to.
Now the conflict wasn't just coming from inside the house anymore, it was closing in from every side.
I grabbed my keys and my jacket. The distraction was over.
I had to get back to the estate. I had to find Aria before the rest of the world realized what she was truly worth.
What has my mother done?
- Writer
