CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
516 Words
Chapter Twenty-nine
The office buzzed as usual, but Briella felt something was off. A few glances lingered too long when she passed, conversations hushed abruptly when she entered the room. Even during the morning briefing, she noticed a few board members exchanging subtle, skeptical looks—looks that hadn’t been there before.
She ignored it at first, burying herself in numbers and projections. But the unease persisted. An unexpected client withdrawal. A misfiled report that no one would admit responsibility for. A small but deliberate pattern, like invisible fingers tugging at the edges of her authority.
They’re testing me again, she thought grimly. Or worse, someone’s pulling strings.
Her jaw tightened, but outwardly she remained composed, her voice sharp and professional as she gave directives. “We’ll address the discrepancy by noon. I don’t want excuses, I want results.”
Marcellus sat in silence for most of the meeting, his eyes never leaving her. He saw the tension in her shoulders, the flicker of irritation she tried so hard to mask. To everyone else, she looked unshaken. To him, she looked like a fortress with cracks only he could see.
When the meeting ended, Briella gathered her files quickly, eager to escape the weight of the stares. But before she could slip away, Marcellus’s voice stopped her.
“Brielle.”
The softness in his tone made her freeze. It wasn’t the cold, clipped “CEO” voice he used in front of others. It wasn’t the distant “professional” mask he sometimes wore. It was Marci—warm, familiar, and disarming.
She turned slowly, her expression carefully neutral. “Yes, Chairman Cedric?”
A flicker of frustration passed over his face at her formality. He lowered his voice as he stepped closer. “Don’t do that. Not with me.”
Her heart stuttered, but she kept her chin high. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He studied her for a long moment, then leaned in just enough that only she could hear. “You can fool them. But not me. Something’s wrong. Talk to me.”
For a moment, her walls trembled. The memory of the night before—the promises, the almost-confessions—rushed back, threatening to undo her composure. But she forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Everything is under control.”
Marcellus’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t press. Instead, he straightened, his tone dropping into something firmer, protective. “If they’re coming for you, they’ll have to go through me first. Don’t forget that.”
Briella blinked, startled by the intensity in his voice. She opened her mouth to reply, but he was already walking away, his broad shoulders cutting through the room like a silent warning.
She exhaled shakily, her hands curling into fists. The Tristan family’s games had begun, and she knew Marcellus was right—this was only the start.
But as much as she tried to push him away, one truth remained. With Marci at her side, she didn’t feel as alone as she once had.
---
✨ End of Chapter Twenty-nine ✨
- Writer
