BOUGHT BY THE BEAST

ELARA POV “Morning, Elara,” my father called from the dining room. His voice sounded warm and strong like always. I fixed my silk blouse and sat down at the long table. Maria, our housekeeper, put a plate of avocado toast and poached eggs in front of me. She smiled kindly. “Another article?” I asked, looking at the folded newspaper next to his coffee. The big headline said Hart Industries: Empire on Shaky Ground? Dad picked it up and chuckled softly. He folded the paper once, then twice. “Those journalists need something to write about, sweetheart. It’s a slow news day, that’s all.” His blue eyes looked at me and crinkled at the corners, the way they did when he wanted to make me feel safe. I wanted to believe him. I always did. Being a Hart meant flying on private jets to Paris for my birthday, sailing on the sea in summer, and almost never hearing the word “no.” Our company was not just a business. It was our family legacy. “Still,” I said softly while sipping my coffee, “the stock price went down again yesterday. Investors are canceling meetings. I saw it on my tablet.” He reached across the table and held my hand. His palm felt warm. “Everything is under control, Elara. Markets go up and down. We have been through worse. Remember the big crash in 2008? I made us stronger after that.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “You just focus on the foundation gala next month. The Harts don’t get scared. We rise above it.” I smiled back and tried to ignore the small worried feeling in my stomach. I finished breakfast and went to the company. The Hart Tower stood tall and shiny like a silver blade. It had glass and steel walls, and our gold logo shone at the top like a beacon. Inside the marble lobby, employees nodded politely. “Morning, Miss Hart.” “Good to see you, Elara.” I waved and went straight up to the executive floor. On that floor, I heard whispers right away. A group of analysts near the coffee station went quiet when I walked past. They looked away fast. Sarah looked up from her desk. Her usual warm smile looked a bit worried. There were tired lines around her eyes. “Your father is in a meeting with the finance team,” she said, giving me a tablet with the latest reports. “He wants you to join the afternoon meeting if you can. Coffee is fresh.” “Thank you,” I said. I sat in my glass office overlooking the river and scrolled through the numbers. Red arrows were everywhere on the charts. The stock had fallen eight percent in the last month. Two big investors canceled their meetings. Bad headlines kept popping into my mind. This was bad. Really bad. I spent the morning looking at plans for our new green shipping project. Mr. Delgado came by with a box of my favorite lemon cookies. He had brought them for me since I was a little kid following him around the factories. “For my favorite Hart,” he said with a big wink and a smile. “Don’t let the worriers get you down. We have strong people here. This company runs on loyalty, not newspaper stories.” His words made me feel better. These workers had built the company with hard work and pride. They believed in us. I believed in us too. Dad joined me for lunch in the big dining room. “They question us because we are at the top,” he said while cutting his steak. “Let them talk. We will show them with good results, just like always.” I laughed at one of his old stories about beating a rival years ago. The worry from breakfast started to fade. By evening, the tower became quiet. Most people had gone home. I stayed late to finish notes for the gala. I wanted everything perfect. Dad’s office was down the hall. The door was a little open and light came out onto the floor. I walked over to say goodnight. My heels made soft sounds. I had a small smile ready. Then I heard a sharp crash. Glass shattered against the wall. Then another heavy thud, like something big was thrown. Dad’s voice came low and angry, a kind of fury I had never heard before. “God damn it… not now. Not after everything.” I froze right outside the door. My heart pounded hard. My strong, calm father,the man who never raised his voice even in big fights or bad times, was already losing control for the first time. I covered my mouth with my hand. The safe world I knew suddenly felt like it was tilting and falling. What was happening? What secrets was he hiding behind all those calm smiles? I turned around quickly with shaky hands. Now was definitely not the time to say goodnight. I knew better.