“Meaning she plans to have the board vote to limit my authority.”
“Almost certainly. She has enough supporters to push through measures that would effectively reduce you to a figurehead while she maintains operational control.”
He moved from his position by the window, drawn by the distress he could sense radiating from her despite her calm exterior. He didn’t sit beside her—that felt wrong somehow, too casual for the gravity of the moment—but he positioned himself close enough that she could reach him if she needed to.
Her eyes flickered to him briefly, and some of the tension in her shoulders eased.
“I need to prepare for that meeting,” she said. “But first, there’s something else we need to address.” She turned to look at him directly. “Security.”
He nodded, grateful to be discussing something concrete—something he could actually affect. “Your security is inadequate. The perimeter at the landing field, the convoy arrangements,the coverage in the underground levels—all of it has significant vulnerabilities. Anyone with proper training could exploit them.”
“I suspected as much.” She rose from the sofa and crossed to a small writing desk near the windows. She opened a drawer and withdrew a small object—a seal of dark metal engraved with the Duvain crest. “This was my father’s personal authority seal. It grants unrestricted access to all company facilities and the power to issue binding orders in my name.”
She held it out to him.
“I want you to take over security operations. Effective immediately. Do whatever you think is necessary to protect this household and this company.”
He stared at the seal in her outstretched hand. It was a small thing, easily concealed in his palm, but he understood its significance. She was giving him power—real power, the kind that could reshape the landscape of her world if he chose to use it.
She was trusting him completely.
“Are you certain?” he asked, his voice rough.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything.” Her grey eyes met his without hesitation. “You saved my life. You protected me when I had no one else. And you know what we’re facing better than anyone. I trust you with my safety, Rykan. I trust you with everything.”
He took the seal. The metal was warm from her hand, smooth against his palm. He closed his fingers around it, feeling theweight of responsibility settle onto his shoulders like a familiar cloak.
“I’ll need to dismiss the current security chief,” he said. “And probably several of his key personnel.”
“Do what you need to do.”
He looked at Tomas. “Will you come with me?”
The old man’s eyebrows rose slightly, but he nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “Of course. I will also have your biometric information added to the security access.”
He turned back to Ember. She stood silhouetted against the window, the fading afternoon light gilding her pale hair. She looked tired but determined—a warrior preparing for battle, even if her weapons were words and contracts rather than claws and fangs.
His beast wanted to stay. Wanted to curl around her and guard her from every threat, visible and invisible.
But he could protect her better by ensuring her enemies couldn’t reach her in the first place.
“I’ll return soon,” he said.
“I know.” She smiled at him—a small smile, but genuine. “Be careful.”
He left her there in the fading light, Tomas falling into step beside him as they moved through the penthouse towards the elevator.
They rode down in silence for several floors before the old man spoke.
“You care for her.”
It wasn’t a question. He saw no point in denying it.
“Yes.”
“More than care, I think.” Tomas’s voice was thoughtful, weighing. “I’ve served the Duvain family for forty years. I watched Miss Ember grow from a sickly infant into the woman she is today. I held her when she cried at her father’s funeral. I have… certain feelings about her welfare.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
