Chapter 29

I stepped inside slowly, not because I lacked confidence, but because the high heels Freya insisted I wear still felt awkward and unfamiliar. She’d been absolutely thrilled about choosing my outfit for my first day at work. A simple black dress, fitted and short-sleeved, paired with strikingly red heels. Her instructions were clear: I had to make an impression, dress to kill. Judging by the sharp, curious glances I received as I entered, she’d been right. The hostility in the air was palpable from the moment I crossed the threshold.

I made my way to the reception desk, realizing that today, for the first time, I’d probably have to introduce myself using the name I’d despised all my life. I clenched my teeth and met the receptionist’s gaze. “Good morning. My name is Thalassa…”

“Ms. Thalassa! How wonderful to finally meet you!” A man’s voice interrupted from behind me.

The receptionist’s face went pale at the sound of his voice, and before I knew it, she bowed deeply, as though she was pleading for her life. A nervous lump formed in my throat, but I turned slowly to face the man who’d spoken.

He was tall, handsome, with sharp grey eyes, black hair, and an almost ghostly pale complexion. I hesitated before speaking. “Good morning…”

“Good morning!” he said, his grin wide and confident.

“I’m Lucian Grimsby. I’m the CFO here at Monteforte Investment Bank. The Lord Protector informed me that you’ll be joining our little family today. Allow me to show you to your office.” With that, he draped a hand around my shoulder and began guiding me toward the elevators.

I smiled nervously, unsure whether I should resist his touch or go along with it until I figured out who I was dealing with. His fingers brushed lightly over my arm, his skin unnervingly cold. That was my first clue: he was a vampire. But the real question lingered—was he genuinely friendly, or was it all part of some well-crafted act?

We reached the elevator, where we stood at the end of the line. Lucian cleared his throat, and in an instant, the crowd parted, bowing their heads as they stepped aside. He grinned wickedly and ushered me forward, pulling me into the front of the line. It made my skin crawl. When the elevator finally arrived, he removed his hand from my shoulder with an exaggerated gesture, inviting me to step inside first.

I stole a glance at the people behind us. Their eyes burned with disdain. I couldn’t help but smirk. In less than a minute, Lucian had managed to make sure everyone hated me. I ground my teeth together and stepped into the elevator, Lucian following close behind. As expected, no one else dared to share the ride with us.

Once the door closed, Lucian leaned in closer, almost as if inspecting me. “How boring. You’re not even nervous,” he observed, his tongue clicking in mock disappointment.

I shot him a suspicious glance, trying to understand the motives behind his actions. “Should I be nervous?” I asked cautiously.

“Your scent gets stronger when your heart races,” he teased with a sigh.

“Why would you want to smell me?” I asked, forcing a smile as I took a small step back.

He smirked, his gaze locking onto mine. “Let’s just say your scent is quite... seductive to vampires.”

A shiver ran through me. I’d heard whispers that something in my blood drew vampires, but hearing it from Lucian, and seeing the way he looked at me, sent a cold thrill down my spine. I was also taken aback by how casually he admitted to being a vampire. Did he know I was already aware of their existence? Or was it just common knowledge around here?

“Are there... many vampires working here?” I asked, my voice shaky despite my attempt to stay calm.

“Oh, plenty,” he replied with a chuckle.

“And the humans?” I pressed. “Do they know?”

“Not everyone is aware, but they’ve all signed special confidentiality agreements,” he said, a malicious grin spreading across his face. “It doesn’t matter if they find out.”

“So, you knew that I knew...” I murmured.

“Of course,” he interrupted, laughing. “It’s kind of obvious when you live in a castle full of vampires, don’t you think? And the daughter of Cassius Marwood? You must be familiar with inhumans.”

I bit back the bitter smile threatening to appear, my teeth clenching. The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor. Lucian stepped out first and motioned for me to follow, once again drawing attention to us with his exaggerated gestures. He led me down a corridor to a row of three offices. One door, however, had no nameplate. Lucian opened it and gestured inside.

“This will be your office, Ms. Marwood,” he said, his tone marking the name with an unsettling emphasis.

I gritted my teeth. “You seem to know quite a lot about me, Mr. Grimsby. Too bad no one informed you that I was never publicly recognized by my biological father. So, I don’t use that name, nor do I acknowledge any connection to him.”

Lucian let out a burst of laughter, then leaned casually against my new desk, eyeing me with a smirk. “You’re quite the character, just like cousin said…” he snickered.

“Cousin?” I asked, intrigued despite myself.

“The Lord Protector of Kessler is my cousin,” he replied with a beaming smile. “I’m actually Warden Lucian Grimsby.”

I raised an eyebrow, muttering under my breath, “I should have known. The resemblance is unmistakable.”

"Why, thank you, Thalassa," Lucian replied smoothly, his tone laced with mock sincerity, as though entirely oblivious to my sarcasm.

"That... wasn’t a compliment," I said flatly, my voice devoid of pretense.

His lips curved into a wicked smirk. "You’re quite bold, aren’t you?" he remarked, his tone carrying an air of amusement. "I have to admit, that only makes you more intriguing. Tell me, aren’t you even the slightest bit afraid of me?"

Lucian took a step closer, leaning in with deliberate intent. The proximity sent a spike of unease down my spine, but I steeled myself, clinging to the belief that Hadrian’s protection extended even to moments like this. Surely, not even someone like Lucian would dare cross that line.

"Warden Grimsby," I began, forcing a calm I wasn’t entirely sure I felt, "how long do you plan to keep testing me? I’d rather focus on the reason I’m here. I was hired to do a job, not to serve as your entertainment." My voice wavered slightly, and I silently chastised myself for the betrayal.

He lingered only inches away, his piercing gaze locking onto mine, as if daring me to flinch. I refused to back down, willing myself to stay composed. Oddly enough, the effort paid off. After a moment that felt like an eternity, he smirked again, stepping back just enough to give me room to breathe.

"Fine," he said with a mock sigh, though his mischievous grin remained. "We’ll focus on work... for now." He chuckled darkly, his amusement palpable. "I’ll be the one reviewing your reports first. Any issues you uncover, you come directly to me. Understand? The Lord Protector of Kessler may act as CEO, but he rarely steps foot in this building. He prefers to run things from the castle, especially with the royal faction breathing down his neck. He’s got to prove himself if he wants to claim the throne one day. That leaves the majority of the company’s burdens squarely on my shoulders."

"Now it makes sense why everyone looked so unnerved when you came down to meet me," I remarked, my jaw tightening. "But that still doesn’t explain why you acted the way you did."

Lucian laughed—a rich, unapologetic sound that echoed in the room. "Oh, you should thank me," he said, his voice brimming with self-satisfaction. "Now the entire company knows I respect you, and by extension, they should, too."

"Respect?" I repeated, staring at him in disbelief. "You’re kidding, right?" My voice rose as frustration bubbled over. "If anything, you’ve made my job harder! I’m here to audit over ten years’ worth of work. They already had every reason to resent me. And now, thanks to you, they’re going to think I got this position because I slept with you—or worse, with both you and the Lord Protector!"

For a fleeting moment, he appeared genuinely concerned, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. Then the expression vanished, replaced by his usual devil-may-care grin. "Well, I suppose you have a point," he admitted with a shrug. "I didn’t quite think of it that way. But you won’t let something like that discourage you, will you?"

"Seriously?" I muttered under my breath, mentally picturing myself punching that smug smile right off his face.

He patted my shoulder as if we were old friends. "You’ll do just fine," he said breezily, ignoring the daggers I was glaring at him.

My hands balled into fists at my sides as I imagined smashing them into his perfectly arrogant face. Lucian, completely unfazed, strolled toward the door.

"Have a fantastic first day, Thalassa!" he called over his shoulder before disappearing into the corridor.

I exhaled heavily, gritting my teeth as I muttered to myself, "Oh, yes… I’m sure this day will be absolutely fantastic."