Chapter 35 Dangerous Test
Briar's POV
Dinner at Reginald's manor felt like navigating a minefield while pretending to enjoy the scenery. The dining room was all dark wood and crystal chandeliers, the kind of old money elegance that made me hyperaware of every fork I picked up.
"Your grandfather Robert was a good man," Reginald said suddenly, his knife pausing mid-cut. "Helped me sort out a land dispute back in the eighties. Didn't ask for anything in return, just did it because it was the right thing to do."
Pride flared in my chest before shame followed immediately. "Heart too soft, though. Look what happened to his son. Taught the boy to be too kind, and Marcus turned out weak as water. Gambled away everything Robert built." He looked at me directly. "No offense meant, Miss Vance, but the business world doesn't forgive weakness. Your grandfather should have known that."
I gripped my wine glass harder, forcing myself to swallow the defensive words rising in my throat. Reginald wasn't wrong, and that made it worse.
"Speaking of your father, what's the current shareholding structure at Vance Industries? I assume Marcus still holds majority control?"
I set down my fork carefully. "My father holds twenty percent. I inherited five percent from my grandfather's estate."
Reginald's eyebrows rose. "Only five percent? Have you had your legal team review the estate documents? Sometimes there are discrepancies in these situations, especially if the deceased was not in full control of his faculties toward the end."
The implication hung in the air. He was suggesting my father might have manipulated the will, and the worst part was that it wasn't impossible.
"The largest shareholder is Sterling Pharmaceuticals," I said, watching his reaction. "They hold forty percent."
Something flickered across Reginald's face. "Sterling Pharmaceuticals. And who controls Sterling's voting rights? Alpha Dominic himself?"
I said, watching Reginald's reaction. "No, the actual controller is Julian Sterling, not Alpha Dominic."
Reginald's fork paused mid-air, something flickering across his face too quick to identify. He set down his fork slowly, leaning back in his chair. "Is Julian insane? Why would he buy into a struggling company and then not leverage his position? What's his endgame?"
The room felt like it had dropped ten degrees. Julian controlled forty percent of Vance Industries and had never mentioned it, never used it as leverage, just let me struggle while holding all the cards.
"Julian wanted to meet with me two days ago, actually," Reginald continued. "Quite insistent about it. I told him I was busy with the manor renovations. The roads should be repaired by tomorrow afternoon. I expect he'll show up then."
My blood turned to ice water. Tomorrow afternoon. I had until then to get out of here before Julian arrived.
"How old are you, Briar?" Reginald asked suddenly.
"Twenty-two," I said.
"Twenty-two." He nodded thoughtfully. "Have you met your mate yet?"
"No, not yet," I managed, unsure where this was going.
"Well, that won't do at all. A woman in your position needs a strong alliance, someone who can help stabilize your company and your social standing." He set down his fork with an air of finality. "Have you given any thought to marriage? Specifically, do you find yourself more drawn to Julian or Lucian ?"
I choked on my wine. Actually choked, coughing and sputtering while my eyes watered. Lucian was out of his seat instantly, his hand warm between my shoulder blades as he rubbed slow circles.
"I think that question might be a bit premature," Lucian said mildly.
I mumbled something about being tired and excused myself before Reginald could continue.
The cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside, and I slipped off my heels immediately. The pebbled path led to a small wooden bridge, and I paused there, looking back at the manor. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of what must be Lucian's study, I could see his silhouette in front of a massive screen, half displaying financial reports while the other half showed a video conference with executives.
I continued to my room and pulled out my phone before I'd even closed the door.
Lily answered on the second ring. "Ms. Vance? What's wrong?"
"How did you know Reginald would be at his manor this weekend?" I asked without preamble.
There was a pause. "I asked Julian's assistant and he told me."
"You're getting information from Julian's assistant. What else has he told you?"
"Nothing important. Just scheduling things. Ms. Vance, what's this about?"
"Cut off all information exchange with anyone connected to Julian Sterling, effective immediately. No more friendly chats with his assistant, no more casual updates about my location or schedule. Do you understand?"
"Of course, I'm sorry. Ms. Vance, there's something else you should know. Julian was in the town at the base of the mountain last night. He's been staying at the hotel there, waiting for the roads to be repaired."
The air left my lungs. Julian had been less than five miles away this entire time. The image of myself wrapped around Lucian last night flashed through my mind, and I actually gasped out loud.
Thank god for Reginald's reckless grandson and that damaged road.
"Listen carefully. I need you to monitor Julian's movements. If he leaves that hotel, if he starts heading up the mountain, you call me immediately. Don't text, call. Understand?"
"Understood. Ms. Vance, are you safe?"
"I'm fine. Just do what I asked." I ended the call and walked out onto the small balcony.
The night air was cold enough to make me shiver. I gripped the railing, my mind working through possibilities. Julian was too quiet, too patient. When he was truly angry, he went silent, calculated, planned his revenge with surgical precision. The fact that he'd been sitting in that hotel for over twenty-four hours without making contact meant he was planning something, and whatever it was wouldn't be pleasant.
But there was a more immediate problem. I needed to know why Lucian had really brought me here, why he'd been helping me, what he actually wanted. Because if I'd misread his intentions, if there was some ulterior motive I hadn't seen, I might be jumping from Julian's cage straight into something worse.
Across the courtyard, I could see Lucian's window, his silhouette still moving in front of that screen. I watched as the light finally went dark, then waited another fifteen minutes to be sure. My heart hammered against my ribs as I walked back inside and pulled open my overnight bag, finding the black silk nightgown I'd packed.
It was simple, elegant, with thin straps and a hemline that hit mid-thigh. I changed quickly, ran my fingers through my hair once, and stepped back out into the hallway before I could talk myself out of what I was about to do.
Success or failure would be decided tonight. I gripped the thought like a lifeline as I crossed the cold stone floor.
The stone was cold under my bare feet as I crossed to Lucian's door. I raised my hand and knocked softly, three gentle taps that sounded too loud in the silent hallway.
The door opened after a moment, and whatever words I'd been planning died in my throat. Lucian had clearly just showered, his hair wet, water still dripping down his neck, and he wore only a bathrobe that hung loose and open enough to show his chest. His hand gripped the doorframe, and I watched his throat work as he swallowed, his eyes moving from my face down to where moonlight caught the thin silk straps on my shoulders.
The black fabric stood out starkly against my pale skin, and I was suddenly hyperaware of how little I was wearing, how thin the silk was, how his knuckles had gone white where he gripped the doorframe.
He looked away deliberately, his jaw tight. "What do you need?"