Chapter 194: Quiet Threat

Raphael’s POV

I shoved out of the boardroom before Ronan’s last word even faded, the door swinging hard behind me. The meeting had dispersed and Dad was busy talking to a shareholder. Someone approached me to have a word but I wasn’t in the mood.

Applause still echoed in my ears, they fucking applaused for them. Perfect partners my ass. I could’ve punched the wall. Lucien looked smug at the compliment and all she could do was smile.

The elevator was right there, but I couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped in that metal box, staring at my reflection like some pathetic loser. I hit the stairs instead, taking them two at a time down until I was a floor below still stuck in the stairwell, where no one would bother me. No one uses the stairs on a regular day.

The emergency door of the floor was slammed behind me, I leaned against the concrete wall, pulled out my pack, and lit one with shaking hands. Lately I have been smoking a lot, the pressure was building up and at times I wondered how did I end up like this

The first drag burned, but it was better than the fire in my chest. What the hell was happening?

Braelyn was laughing at his whispers, blushing like a schoolgirl, letting him touch her hair, drinking from her glass. In front of everyone. In front of me. We agreed on a fucking open marriage but she should know when to draw the line.

We had to keep up our appearance at least before the shareholders. God my head was throbbing with a dull ache. My head fell back, I messaged my temples with my free hand.

A smile curled up my lips. Lucien… that smug bastard knew exactly what he was doing. Every look my way was a challenge. Like he was saying, ’ She’s mine now. Watch me take her.’ I scoffed at the thought.

I exhaled smoke, watching it curl up into the shadows. I couldn’t lose it. Not now. Not after everything I’d sacrificed to get here, the deals, the lies, the nights with Amelia..

It was all for her. For Braelyn. The power, the position, the shares, it kept her tied to me, safe in this world. She didn’t see it, but I was protecting what was mine. The company, the name, her at least I thought I was protecting her but ended up doing the complete opposite.

Everything I’d built was to make sure no one could take her away and not throw her directly into hell. I fucked up big time.

She was completely left in ignorant bliss unaware of the bargaining power she had. The same power Lucien was after.

he was circling and buzzing around her like a fly, he wanted it all. The shares she held, the influence through her. Men like him didn’t chase women for love, they chased power and Braelyn had plenty now, tied to the Volkov name through me.

She was too stubborn to see it. Running straight to the one man who’d wreck her for a bigger piece of the pie.

I took another drag, the nicotine barely touching the rage. I couldn’t flip now. Too much on the line. I stayed there drowning in the moment until my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the screen and saw my secretary’s number. I answered with a bark. “What?”

“Sir, there’s someone waiting in your office. Said it’s urgent.” His voice came out curtly. My head throbbed again.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Fine. On my way.”

I stubbed the cigarette out hard against the wall, ash crumbling under my shoe. Took the stairs back up slowly. My floor was a few levels ahead. Each step was a reminder to get my shit together. A few flights to calm the burn.

By the time I reached my floor and pushed into my office, the mask was back on. Most of it..

Ronan was already there, standing by the window, his back to me. Stern as ever with his arms crossed. He didn’t turn when I entered.

“What took you so long?”

I shut the door harder than necessary. “I took the stairs to blow off some steam, Dad.”

He faced me then his eyes turned sharp and assessing. “You weren’t in that meeting, Raphael. Not really, I noticed your wandering thoughts…” he stated his kind observation.

I dropped into my chair and avoided his gaze. “I had a lot on my mind, It’s no biggie I am fully aware of our situation. .” I muttered.

He sighed heavily then softened his demeanour by a fraction. “The Sinclair partnership was a mistake. Amelia’s shortcomings… they’re reflecting on you now. The board’s whispering, Raphael.”

I leaned back, jaw tight. “I know.” It wasn’t that Amelia was incompetent she was deliberately sabotaged by new horizon and the board needed someone to blame. They chose me despite not being fully involved in the deal.

“Damages are piling up. New Horizon’s eating us alive.” He paused for a second. “We gave Lucien the Genesis deal thinking it’d bury him. It was a difficult client with tight margins. There was no way someone like him with no experience could meet up. It was the perfect way to force him off the board when it collapsed.”

I arched a brow at him. I have suspected the same thing. Dad was aware new horizon was after that deal but still sent Lucien to handle it.

Ronan met my eyes, he has always been a calm calculative man. “But he didn’t fail. He managed to close it clean, even cornering New Horizon to split the project, taking half the revenue for us. ” he said then added in a serious tone. “He won the board over with that success. ”

I felt the blood drain from my face. A bad feeling started to build in my stomach.

“There’s movement,” he continued in a conspiratorial low voice, “Quiet, but it’s growing. Shareholders are impressed with the boy. A fraction’s talking replacement, for the seat. Yours.”

The words hit like a brick. They are thinking of replacing me with Lucien of all people. I smiled at the thought, it was ridiculous but Lucien was already making his moves. I wouldn’t say I didn’t see this coming. The moment he had his eyes on braelyn his intentions were obvious.

Late Mr Alderheim was a good friend of Gregor. At a point he merged his company with Volkov Apex knowing he was marrying his daughter to the Volkov group. That of course left Braelyn with a substantial amount of deciding shares

“They want to make him vice chairman. ” I muttered and dad nodded.

Ronan stepped closer, his hazel eyes held mine. “Be careful, son. He’s playing a longer game than we thought.”

He left without another word, the door clicking soft behind him. I sat there, staring at nothing. The room spun a little.

Lucien wasn’t just taking her. He was coming for everything.

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