Chapter 77 Two Days Later
Two days had passed since the basement incident, yet Deborah still felt as if a part of her was trapped in that cold, metallic darkness, standing between fear and survival. The world outside moved on with a shocking swiftness, news anchors delivered polished reports with practiced smiles, as though the chaos of that night could be neatly summarized into a tidy three-minute bulletin
\[The Valmere heirs are confirmed safe, with no serious injuries.\]
\[The Devereaux family extends a formal apology and has initiated a full investigation.\]
\[Samuel Renard has been detained alongside multiple accomplices and family members.\]
People heard those headlines and assumed everything had returned to normal. They believed the danger had ended the moment the police took Samuel away.
But Deborah’s mind refused to settle.
Every moment she tried to focus on documents, emails, or the never-ending calls from business partners, she found her thoughts slipping back into the same haunting loop.... Luther emerging from the shadows, his suit torn, his knuckles bloodied, eyes sharp and burning as they locked onto her across the destruction. It was an image she couldn’t erase, no matter how hard she tried. It clung to her like smoke that wouldn’t wash off her skin.
She had told herself repeatedly to stop thinking about him. To push him out of her head.
Her temples throbbed. She pressed her fingers against them, trying to ground herself back into the present, when a sharp, commanding voice snapped her attention away.
“Deborah. Meeting now.”
She lifted her eyes to see Caelum standing at her doorway, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His expression alone told her that whatever was happening behind those boardroom doors was nothing simple, nothing gentle, nothing she could slip out of with excuses.
With a heavy inhale, she followed him down the long hallway toward the family’s main conference room. The moment they stepped inside, her brothers were already seated.
Knight sat with his usual calm rigidity, shoulders squared and posture unwavering like he was bracing for another explosion. Lucio flipped a pen between his fingers, the rapid movement betraying the stress he refused to voice. Casper tapped his foot restlessly under the table, unable to sit still even for a second.
And Lysander....bandaged, exhausted, but alive, watched her with soft concern in his eyes, an expression that nearly cracked her already fragile composure. And Aston? Still abroad for some things to finish.
Fundano and Rionessi stood at the head of the long table. Fundano usually composed and authoritative face bore lines of worry deeper than usual, as if the events of that night had aged him overnight.
“There you all are,” Fundano exhaled, relief mixing with tension. “Sit, please. We have a great deal to discuss.”
Deborah took her seat between Knight and Lysander, feeling the weight of their protective presence settle around her like an invisible barrier.
Fundano shuffled the papers in front of him not because he needed to, but because it seemed to steady his nerves. “I want to hear directly from all of you… what exactly happened that night? I’ve reviewed the official reports, the surveillance tapes, and every written statement, but none of those documents tell me the part that matters.” His gaze softened, sweeping across all of them. “How are you? Truly. Physically? Mentally?”
Knight answered first, though his eyes flickered briefly toward Deborah. “We’re fine. Bruised, shaken… but alive.”
Lysander forced a faint smile. “Alive, yes. Exhausted beyond reason, but alive.”
Fundano’s eyes narrowed with a mixture of concern and frustration. “It’s normal to still feel unsettled. But please....do not downplay anything. Your safety is not something we can afford to ignore.”
Deborah swallowed hard, her fingers curling tightly around the edge of the table, not in defiance, but in an attempt to keep herself from unraveling. She wanted to speak. Wanted to tell Fundano the truth about the fear, the nightmares, the overwhelming thoughts she couldn’t escape. But every time her lips parted, another image struck her, Luther lowering his head as he stepped into the light, Luther dropping the severed fuse line at Samuel’s feet, Luther looking at her as if he had crossed an entire battlefield just to make sure she was still standing.
Her silence didn’t go unnoticed.
“Deborah,” Fundano said, voice softening even further. “Are you alright?”
Her answer came too quickly. “I’m fine.”
Every Valmere brother turned toward her. None of them believed her. Fundano didn’t either.
He sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You experienced something traumatic. All of you did. Feeling shaken is not a sign of weakness.”
But before he could continue, a sharp vibration rattled across the table.
Deborah’s phone. Screen glowing.
Caller ID: Luna — Secretary
Her pulse spiked instantly, a jolt of cold running through her veins. Every set of eyes in the room followed her hand as she reached for the phone.
She answered immediately. “Luna? What’s wrong?”
Luna’s voice came through the speaker in hurried, uneven breaths. “Ma’am....thank God you answered. You need to come to the office immediately. There are urgent matters with the Board, and they’re asking for you specifically. They said it’s extremely time sensitive and cannot be postponed.”
Deborah straightened in her seat, instinct and responsibility snapping her into focus. “Is it serious?”
“It is,” Luna said without hesitation. “Very serious. I already arranged a car. They want you here within the hour.”
Deborah felt her brothers’ stares sharpen around her, like they instantly formed a protective circle.
“Alright,” she murmured. “I’m on my way.”
She ended the call.
Silence swept the room once again, heavier than before.
Knight was the first to break it. “You’re going?”
“I have to,” Deborah said quietly, though her heart beat unevenly.
Lucio leaned back, eyes narrowing as he studied her face. “You sure you’re fit for a meeting right now? You haven’t even rested.”
“I said I’m fine,” she answered, more firmly this time, though the doubt in her voice lingered beneath the surface.
Caelum stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a muted scrape. “I’m coming with you.”
“No,” Deborah said immediately. “It’s an internal Company Board matter. I need to face this alone.”
Caelum’s jaw clenched. “Deborah—”
“I can handle it,” she repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The tension simmered for a moment until Lysander quietly stepped in, voice gentle but steady. “Just… be careful. Please.”
Deborah nodded, gathering her phone, her composure, and whatever strands of strength she could piece together. She stood from her seat, feeling the room’s watchful silence follow her with every step.
As she reached the door, Fundano called after her, voice low and sincere:
“If anything feels off… call us. Immediately. Don’t hesitate.”
She didn’t turn back. But a small part of her wished she did.
Because as she stepped into the hallway, her mind was no longer focused on the Board, or the urgent matter waiting for her at the office.
No.....the only thought echoing through her chest was far more dangerous
Why did it feel like this sudden and urgent summons… had something to do with Luther Cain?