“Please send them to my personal queue, Director Allendale. I look forward to reading them.”
Harkan shifted in his seat, clearly preparing to speak again, but Ember raised a hand.
“I think we’ve covered enough ground for today. Director Montgomery, I’d like a full report on personnel changes in the logistics division over the past eighteen months—who was transferred, who was terminated, and the stated reasons for each action. Director Allendale, please compile a summary of all proposals that were rejected or delayed during the same period, along with the recorded objections. Director Harkan…”
She paused, her gaze settling on the man with deliberate weight.
“I’d like a complete breakdown of all investments made through shell companies or subsidiary arrangements since my father’s passing. Including ownership documentation for each entity involved.”
Harkan’s jaw clenched. “That will take considerable time to compile?—”
“You have seventy-two hours.” Her tone left no room for argument. “If that proves insufficient, I’m sure Director Montgomery can recommend some capable staff to assist you.”
She rose, and the board members rose with her—some eagerly, some reluctantly, all acknowledging her authority whether they liked it or not.
“Thank you all for your time. I’ll expect those reports on my desk by the end of business Thursday.” Her gaze swept the room one final time, then settled on Marina. “Aunt Marina, if you wouldn’t mind joining me in my office? I believe we have some private matters to discuss.”
The emphasis on my was subtle but unmistakable. Marina’s office—the one she’d occupied since taking control during Ember’s absence—was being reclaimed.
“Of course, darling.” Marina’s voice was honey-smooth, but Rykan caught the venom beneath. “I’d be happy to help you settle in.”
The board members filed out, conversations starting in hushed tones before they’d even cleared the doorway. He remained at her side as she watched them go, her expression thoughtful.
“Director Harkan is definitely compromised,” she murmured, pitching her voice for his ears alone. “But I’m not sure if he’s working with Marina or pursuing his own agenda.”
“Both, possibly.” He kept his own voice low. “The thin one with the augmented eye—Director Marsh—he stayed quiet, but he was watching Marina for cues. And the woman in green near the end of the table—she smiled at all the right moments, but her hands were clenched under the table whenever you scored a point.”
Ember glanced at him, a flicker of warmth breaking through her composed mask. “You noticed that?”
“I notice everything about threats to you.”
Her lips curved slightly. “And allies?”
“Montgomery and Allendale seem genuine. The older man with the scarred hands—Director Okonkwo—he didn’t speak, but his body language suggested approval. The others…” He shrugged. “Time will tell.”
Marina appeared in his peripheral vision, approaching with measured steps. Her smile was firmly in place, but her eyes had gone cold—the calculated gaze of a predator reassessing its prey.
“Shall we?” Ember gestured towards the door, as gracious as if she were inviting her aunt for tea rather than a confrontation.
They walked through the corridors of power together—Ember in the lead, Marina at her side, Rykan a silent shadow at their backs. Staff members they passed straightened and stared, whispers following in their wake. He caught fragments of conversation:…back from the dead… showed Lady Marina… what does it mean…
It means,he thought with fierce pride,that she’s finally claiming what’s hers.
The CEO’s office occupied a corner of the executive floor, its walls made of smart glass that could shift from transparent to opaque at a touch. Currently, they displayed a stunning view of the city—towers of steel and crystal stretching towards a sky the color of burnished copper.
Ember walked to the desk—her father’s desk, now hers—and turned to face her aunt. The office was still decorated in Marina’s style: cool blues and silvers, angular furniture, abstract art thatsuggested sophistication without warmth. That would change, Rykan suspected. Everything would change.
“Please, sit.” She gestured to the chairs arranged before the desk. “We have much to discuss.”
CHAPTER 26
Marina settled elegantly into the chair, crossing her ankles and arranging her silver skirts as if she were attending a garden party rather than being summoned by her niece. The afternoon light caught the diamonds at her throat, scattering fractured rainbows across the desk’s polished surface.
Ember remained standing a moment longer, clearly signaling her control over the situation. Behind her, Rykan had taken position near the door, close enough to intervene but far enough to signal that this conversation belonged to her.
“Well, well.” Marina’s smile was indulgent, the expression of a patient adult humoring a child’s tantrum. “That was quite a performance in there, darling. I had no idea you’d developed such a flair for the dramatic.”
“It wasn’t a performance.”
