Chapter 46 The Boardroom Test

Chapter 46 The Boardroom Test
The next day started with a knot in my stomach, thick and heavy. Yesterday, Lucian had promised to look into my parents, into that whole mess with Sterling Corp and Hale Enterprises. 

“Zara, get down here. We have a meeting.” Alistair’s voice, cut through the quiet of the house.

I smoothed down the simple, dress, trying to ignore the way my hands shook. My reflection in the hallway mirror looked more like Zara than ever, but the eyes staring back were undeniably mine, wide with a fear I couldn’t shake. And then there was the other thing. The clock.

I walked into the breakfast room, Alistair already seated, a thin, almost translucent man this morning. He looked frail still, but his eyes, sharp and assessing, missed nothing. Across from him, Lucian sat, his jaw tight, his gaze flicking towards me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. He hadn’t said anything more about what he’d found out last night, and that silence was louder than any words.

“Sit,” Alistair gestured to the chair beside him. I did, acutely aware of the space between me and Lucian.

“We have… matters to discuss,” Alistair said, picking at a piece of toast. “Important matters concerning the Hale Foundation. And you, Zara, will be presenting some new initiatives.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. A presentation? To him? And the board? This wasn’t part of the plan. This was… a test. A big one.

“Initiatives?” I managed to squeak out, my voice barely a whisper.

Alistair gave a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Yes. Your ideas for the foundation. We’ve been discussing your… potential. And I’ve decided it’s time you showed what you can do. The board will be here next week. You will present your proposals.”

Next week? My head spun. I’d barely managed to grasp the basics of this life, and now I had to come up with innovative, groundbreaking proposals for a foundation I barely understood?

Lucian cleared his throat, his voice low and steady. “Father, perhaps a bit soon. Zara is still… settling in.”

“Settling in?” Alistair scoffed. “She’s been here months. She’s my wife, not a guest. She needs to prove her worth.” He turned his sharp gaze back to me. “This is your chance, Zara. Don’t disappoint me.”

His words hung in the air, a veiled threat and a challenge all rolled into one. Disappoint him. He had no idea how much I already was, how much I could never be the Zara he expected.

I looked at Lucian, searching his face for any sign, any hint that he understood. He met my gaze for a fraction of a second, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, before looking away. He knew. He knew I wasn’t Zara. He knew my parents had done this, and he knew his father was probably behind it all. But he wasn’t saying anything. Not yet.

“I understand,” I said, my voice gaining strength. It wasn't just about proving myself to Alistair. It was about proving to myself that I could survive this, that I was more than just a pawn in their games.

After breakfast, Alistair retired to his study, claiming fatigue. Lucian and I were left in the grand, empty dining room. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words.

“You’re not going to do this, are you?” Lucian finally said, his voice a low rumble.

“Do what?” I asked, feigning ignorance, my heart pounding.

“Present to the board. Come up with these ridiculous initiatives. You don’t have to.” He stood up, walking towards the tall windows, his back to me. “My father is… he’s playing games. And I don’t want you caught in the middle.”

“But he asked me to,” I said, my voice small. “And you said you’d protect me.”

He turned, his expression a mixture of frustration and something else… concern? “Protecting you means keeping you out of his reach, Zara, not throwing you into the lion’s den.” He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “I’ve been looking into your parents. And Sterling Corp.”

My breath caught again. He had? He was really doing it.

“It’s… complicated,” he continued, his gaze intense. “There’s more to this than just your parents wanting you married off. My father… he’s very powerful. He destroyed your father’s company.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. My father’s company. Sterling Corp. Crushed by Hale Enterprises. It was the missing piece, the connection I’d been too scared to find.

“He… he did?” I whispered, the truth settling in my gut.

Lucian nodded, his jaw clenched. “He saw Sterling Corp as a threat. And he dealt with it. Ruthlessly.” He looked away, his voice hardening. “I don’t know why he agreed to this marriage, Zara. But it wasn’t just about a business deal or money. Not entirely.”

He hadn’t told me everything. I could feel it. He was holding back, shielding me from something, just like he promised. But the fear was already there, a cold dread seeping into my bones. Alistair had orchestrated my parents’ downfall, and now he was orchestrating my life.

“So, what now?” I asked, my voice trembling a little.

He looked at me then, his emerald eyes, so like Zara’s, locking onto mine. “Now,” he said, his voice firm, “we figure out how to get you out of this. And how to expose my father.”

Later that afternoon, Alistair asked me to prepare the boardroom for a small meeting. He was feeling better, he’d said, and wanted to review some documents. As I entered the large, imposing room, my eyes scanned the familiar polished surfaces, the long table, the plush chairs. And then I saw it.

In the corner, bathed in the afternoon light, stood an antique clock. Ornate, grandfather clock, with an intricate face and heavy pendulum. It was the same clock. The one Lucian’s mother, his late wife, had tried so desperately to protect. I remembered Lucian telling me fragments of stories, hushed whispers about his mother’s precious clock.

Alistair had placed it there. Deliberately. It wasn’t just a piece of furniture... it was a statement. A test. Was he testing me? Testing my values? Or was he testing my connection to Lucian, seeing if I understood the significance.

I stood before the empty boardroom, the weight of Alistair’s expectations pressing down, but a flicker of defiance, small but fierce, stirred within me. This wasn't just about surviving anymore. It was about fighting back.