BONDS UNBROKEN

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Chapter Forty-One

The next morning, Nivida’s headquarters was alive with movement. Meetings shuffled, calls buzzed, and the rhythm of corporate life pulsed steadily through the building. But beneath the surface, tension lingered like a storm cloud.

Briella stepped into her office, dressed in a cream blazer and silk blouse, her hair swept neatly back. Clara followed with her tablet, already scrolling through the day’s lineup.

“Your first meeting is with the development team in ten minutes,” Clara reported. “Afterward, Mr. Cedric has requested a joint session regarding the Nivida–Cedric Tech contract drafts.”

Briella glanced across the hall through the glass, where Marcellus stood at his desk, buttoning his jacket. He met her eyes briefly, and though it was only a moment, Clara noticed.

“Thank you, Clara,” Briella said, turning back with composure. “Stay close today. I want you in the development session with me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As they moved into the boardroom, Grace lingered nearby with a stack of files. Her steps slowed deliberately as Briella passed, her lips pressing into a tight smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

“Good morning, Ms. Tristan,” Grace said, voice deceptively polite. “I hope your schedule isn’t too overwhelming. You’ve been… rather busy lately.”

Clara’s head snapped toward her, sensing the subtle bite behind the words. Briella, however, didn’t break stride. She paused just long enough to let her sharp gaze sweep over Grace.

“Busy women build empires, Grace,” she replied coolly. “Something I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”

Clara’s lips twitched with quiet satisfaction as Briella walked on. Grace’s eyes darkened, her nails digging into the folder she clutched, though she quickly masked it with a professional smile when Marcellus emerged from his office.

Inside the boardroom, the development team presented updates. Clara stood beside Briella, passing her notes discreetly, their synergy fluid and precise. Briella noticed how staff leaned toward Clara, how her calm presence seemed to steady the room.

Halfway through, Marcellus joined them, sliding smoothly into the seat beside Briella. His presence commanded the room instantly. Together, the two cut through proposals with sharp efficiency, complementing each other’s strengths like two halves of a perfectly tuned engine.

Clara observed quietly, jotting down details, her eyes darting every now and then toward Grace, who hovered near the door, scribbling in her pad with a bit too much intensity.

When the meeting ended, Briella gathered her notes. As she rose, Grace moved forward with a falsely sweet tone.

“Mr. Cedric, I’ve prepared the revised contracts for your review later today. I can have them ready by this evening if you’d like me to stay late.”

Marcellus nodded absently, already looking toward Briella. “Thank you, Grace. That will be fine.”

Grace’s jaw tightened when she noticed where his attention lay.

Later, in Briella’s office, Clara closed the door behind them. “Ms. Tristan,” she said carefully, “if I may… I think Grace has been trying to undermine you.”

Briella’s brows lifted slightly, though her voice was calm. “Explain.”

Clara hesitated only a moment before continuing. “Her tone. The way she looks at you. And she always lingers when you’re around Mr. Cedric. I can’t prove anything yet, but… I don’t trust her.”

Briella leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly against the desk. “Good instincts, Clara. Keep your eyes open. But don’t engage her directly unless I tell you to. I’ll handle Grace myself, when the time is right.”

Clara nodded, determination in her eyes. “Understood.”

That evening, long after most of the staff had left, Briella gathered her things. Clara had already gone home at her insistence. As she stepped into the hall, she noticed Grace still at her desk.

“Working late?” Briella asked, her tone deceptively light.

Grace didn’t look up. “I don’t mind. Some of us are… dedicated.”

Briella’s lips curved faintly, though her eyes were sharp as glass. She leaned in just slightly. “Dedication is admirable, Grace. But obsession? That’s a weakness.”

For the first time, Grace’s composure slipped. Her eyes flickered, and something unguarded flashed across her face. But before Briella could press further, Marcellus appeared at his doorway, jacket over his arm.

“Briella,” he said, his voice warm but casual, “need a ride?”

Briella straightened, glancing briefly at Grace before turning back to him. “That won’t be necessary, Marcellus. But thank you.”

As she walked away, the tension left hanging between her and Grace was palpable, like a silent war line drawn in the carpeted hall.

Grace sat back slowly, her fingers curling into fists beneath her desk. When her phone buzzed again, she glanced at the message:

“She suspects. Proceed carefully. Watch Clara too.”

Her lips curved into a dangerous smile.

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✨ End of Chapter Forty-One ✨