"I'll take care of it." I interrupted. "You'll see it in your next paycheck."
Xander's smile widened, eyes still cold. "Perfect. After all, family should look after each other." The word 'family' dripped with venom.
"Algerone values honesty."
"So do I." Xander adjusted their jacket. Attempting to regain composure despite tear-streaked makeup. "Let's agree to be honest with each other from now on. Starting with this." Their voice went flat. Hard. "I will never forgive you, you know. And every time my father looks at you with whatever twisted thing he calls love, I will remember what you did to my mother."
Xander's chin lifted slightly. It was the same angle Algerone used when closing million-dollar deals. They hadn't grown up watching him, yet somehow wore his mannerisms like inherited clothing.
"Understood," I said.
They nodded once and turned to leave. After a few steps, they paused and looked back. "And Maxime? If you ever hurt him the way you hurt her, I'll make sure your grave is right next to hers."
When they were gone, I turned back to Imogen's grave.
Blood dripped from my split lip onto the stone. I made no move to wipe it away. It was an offering more honest than flowers.
"I'll keep watching over them," I promised. "Whether they want me to or not. Whether they ever forgive me or not." I touched the polished surface one last time. "I'll protect what's yours. What's his."
I stood. Blood from my lip had dried tacky against my skin. My ribs ached with each breath, but it was worth it.
When I slid behind the wheel of the Audi and turned back on my phone, it buzzed with seventeen missed calls, all from the office.
I sighed and started the engine.
The concealer wasn't working.
I leaned closer to the mirror in my private bathroom, dabbing another layer over my left cheekbone. The purple bruising spread beneath the makeup like a stain that refused to be hidden. My split lip had swollen to twice its normal size, and no amount of product could disguise that.
Xander had inherited their father's powerful right hook.
Pain shot through my ribs with each breath. They had landed several solid blows to my side during our encounter at the cemetery.
I should have gone home after leaving Imogen's grave. Any rational person would have. But Shaw still had the prototype, the board was circling, and the Pentagon wanted answers. The crisis didn't care that I'd just been beaten bloody by my employer's child. The crisis only cared that I showed up.
So, I'd driven straight back to Spade Tower, parked in my reserved space, and taken the service elevator to avoid questions. Now I stood in my private bathroom attemptingto make myself presentable for the executives waiting in the Diamond conference room.
I looked like a boxer after a losing match, despite my best efforts. The bruising remained visible beneath the makeup, and my swollen lip couldn't be hidden at all.
I straightened my tie, adjusted my jacket, and stepped out of the bathroom into my office. Through the glass walls, I could see Callum hovering near my door, tablet in hand. Behind him, the conference room had already filled with executives.
Callum’s eyes flicked to my face as I emerged. He registered the damage and wisely asked nothing.
"Pentagon briefing materials are ready, sir. Marked confidential." He fell into step beside me. "Board members have requested an update on the Vancouver operation."
"Schedule them for four." I took the tablet without breaking stride. "Arrange for the DARPA team to join via secure video. And tell Legal I want the full contract review by noon tomorrow."
"Yes, sir." He matched my pace effortlessly. "Also, Mr. Caisse-Etremont's jet landed an hour ago. He's requested—"
"I'm aware." I cut him off mid-sentence, watching his mouth snap shut instantly. "Coffee. Black."
"Already waiting in the Diamond conference room."
I entered the conference room to find eight executives seated around the obsidian table. Their voices fell silent upon my arrival. Several pairs of eyes widened at the sight of my face, but no one dared comment. Security briefings were already displayed on the wall screens. Coffee steamed from a porcelain cup at my designated position to Algerone's right.
"Gentlemen." I planted my feet shoulder-width apart, gripping the back of my chair instead of sitting. The thought of lowering myself onto the hard seat sent phantom pain radiating through my side. "Let's begin with the threat assessment."
Captain Kane rose, positioning himself before the primary display. "Initial analysis confirms seven Shaw assets embedded within our organization. Two in Security, three in R&D, one in Executive Support, and one in—"
