Chapter 34 Corporate Shadows
[Nyx]
The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of the west wing study, casting pale streaks across the hardwood floor. I sat by the window, my fingers tracing the edge of a cold coffee mug, the bitter scent still lingering in the air. My mind, though, wasn’t on the drink. It was on him—Lysander. The memory of his kiss burned on my lips, the careful way he’d avoided my scars while holding me close, the smell of blueberry pancakes sizzling in the kitchen. My chest tightened at the thought, a strange warmth spreading through me. What the hell was happening to me?
A week ago, this marriage was a cage, a suffocating trap set by my father and Isla to keep me in line. Now? I caught myself waiting for the sound of Lysander’s boots on the floor, anticipating the way his scent—earthy, like pine after a storm—filled the room before he even spoke. Worse, I’d kissed him this morning, a quick brush of my lips against his cheek, and it hadn’t felt forced. It felt… right. Dangerous. My pulse quickened just thinking about it, and I hated myself for it.
You’re falling for him, Nyx, Sylva’s voice purred in my mind, a low, teasing growl that made my skin prickle. You don’t just love him. Your body craves his mark.
“Shut up,” I snapped aloud, my cheeks burning as I slammed the mug down harder than I meant to. The sharp clink echoed in the quiet room. “There’s no way I could— Not this fast. It’s impossible.”
Your scent shifts when he’s near, Sylva pressed, relentless. Your heart races. Those are signs of wanting to be marked. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.
“Enough!” My voice was sharp, cutting through the haze of her words. I shoved away from the window, stalking to the desk to escape the thoughts clawing at me. My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the wood, the rough grain biting into my palms. “I need to focus on something I can control. Eclipse. I’ll figure out what’s wrong with Mother’s company first. Then… then I’ll deal with whatever this is.”
But even as I powered up the laptop and pulled up the company files Father had handed over, Sylva’s words lingered like a bitter aftertaste. I couldn’t trust anyone with my heart—least of all myself. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
I’d been poring over Eclipse’s financial data for days, spreadsheets blurring into a mess of numbers that refused to make sense. Losses piled up year after year, a slow bleed that didn’t match the reputation Mother had built. Something was rotten, and I was determined to find it. With Lysander gone to the training field, I decided it was time to stop guessing. Tristan had managed the company before Father dumped it on me. If anyone knew where the cracks were, it’d be him.
I dialed his number, pacing the study as the line rang. The faint smell of old books and polished wood grounded me, a stark contrast to the irritation already building in my chest.
“What? Now?” Tristan’s voice came through, clipped and annoyed, underscored by the distant thwack of a golf club striking a ball. “I’m on the course, Nyx. Can’t this wait?”
I bit down on a snarl, my grip tightening on the phone. “I’m looking at Eclipse’s financials. The losses are abnormal. You were in charge before me. Care to explain?”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” He sighed dramatically, the sound grating on my nerves. “Father gave you the company. It’s yours now. Why are you bothering me? That was my domain.”
“I’m trying to understand,” I said, forcing my tone to stay even despite the heat rising in my veins. My gray-blue eyes flickered in the nearby mirror, a flash of silver hinting at my wolf’s agitation. “I inherited a sinking ship. I need to know why it’s leaking.”
“Listen,” Tristan’s voice turned icy, a sharpness I knew too well. “I never got into the nitty-gritty. That was all Raymond’s territory. He’s the expert. I just signed off on the final decisions.”
“Raymond? The CFO?” I pressed, leaning forward as if I could smell his unease through the phone. “He had that much control?”
“Of course,” Tristan snapped, impatience dripping from every word. “Supply chain, procurement, budgets, R&D projects—he handled it all. I just voted with his recommendations at board meetings. Honestly, who cares where we sourced ginkgo extract or how much it cost? That’s technical nonsense.”
My ears pricked at the mention. “Hold on. Ginkgo extract? What’s special about it?”
“Price spiked like crazy, apparently. Raymond was always griping about it at meetings,” Tristan said, his tone turning acidic. “But that’s old news. It’s your company now, your mess. Mother’s precious pharmaceutical empire has been crumbling for years. Good luck cleaning it up.”
“You’re blaming me?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief out of my voice, my free hand curling into a fist. “Father decided to give it to me. I didn’t ask for this.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m free of the damn thing.” He let out a short, bitter laugh, almost relieved. “Got questions? Take them to Raymond. Leave me out of it. I’ve got a game to finish.”
The line went dead, the abrupt silence ringing in my ears. I stared at the phone, my mind racing. Tristan was clearly pissed about losing control of Eclipse, yet there was a lightness in his tone, like he’d dodged a bullet. More importantly, he’d let slip something useful—ginkgo extract and Raymond’s outsized role in operations. I turned back to the laptop, pulling up procurement reports with a renewed focus. My fingers flew over the keys, searching for patterns, until a name caught my eye: NorthStar Supply Co.