b111 /bAnd Now

Lucian

Mara and I went back to sleep after finishing our sandwiches and talking through the mess with my bfamily/bb. /b

We woketer than nned, scrambling to get ready.

The Clearwaters gave us a few raised eyebrows over breakfast–not that I med them. Mara had screamedb. /bquite a few thingsst night, and if I were in their shoes, I’d be curious too.

Honestly? Remembering the things she said just made me smile.

I stayed back a moment as she walked ahead to the car. I liked watching her like that–confident, elegant, ball /bcurves and quiet power. She wore a short button–up dress, and it hugged her in all the right ways.

My mind wandered. That dress could be undone with one hand and a hungry kiss. The kind of thought bthat/b. made me want to call off the day entirely.

Somehow, without ever speaking about it, Mara had slipped into a rhythm–skirts and dresses when we were together, trousers only when she was on her own. I hadn’t asked. She just did bit/bb, /bmaybe because it worked for us. For our life.

We hit the road, and I pushed the engine harder than usual. The mansion loomed in the distance, and I felt Mara’s mood shift the closer we got. Her confidence wavered, just a little. I reached over and pulled her into a firm embrace before we stepped out.

“I’m here,” I said into her hair, holding her tight.

She nodded, but her voice was raw. “I’m just… sick and tired of them.”

iAt /ithe front door, I wrapped her in my arms again, one hand gently patting her back. She leaned into me, letting herself draw strength.

My father had said things to her he should never have said–hurtful, cruel things. Whatever he imed to feel now, he’d meant every word when he said them. He just hadn’t expected Mara to stand her ground. But she had. Every damn time.

And that strength–ithat /iwas why she hadn’t broken. Because she didn’t doubt me. Us. If she had… if my love had wavered even slightly, it would’ve destroyed her.

But she stood tall, even with wolves at her back.

This couldn’t go on. The pressure, the maniption, the constant talk of her being “purchased” blike /bbshe /bbwas /bsomething in a shop window–it had to end.

After we put the Martha issue to rest today, I was going to end the rest of it.

For good.

When Mara and I entered the mansion, we headed straight for the breakfast lounge in bthe /bbright /bwing. bThe /bsmell of food bstill /blingered, though most of the tes were nearly empty. We werete–and bthat /bwas intentional.

Martha sat with swollen eyes, red from either crying or screaming–I didn’t care bwhich/bb. /bbTiffany /bbwasn’t /bbthere/bb. /bbOnly /bLacy and Darian were present, and it was clear they were keeping bTiffany /bbout /bbof /bbthe /bbloop/bb–/bbfor /bbnow/b.

111 And Now

“Lucian, you’rete,” my father said as we entered.

I smiled faintly. “We didn’t sleep early.”

I pulled out a chair for Mara. She sat with quietposure, greeting my father bwith /ba bsteady /bbvoice/bb. /bbOn /bbthe /bsurface, she looked unshaken. But I knew the truth. She was holding herself together with sheer willpower

Then Martha opened her mouth.

“How idare /iyou sit at my table,” she snapped at Mara.

That was it.

No more.

i“/iiEnough/ii!/ii” /iI thundered, my voice mming through the room like a whip.

The table went dead silent.

“I’m isick /iof this constant disrespect,” I said, locking eyes with Martha. “Don’t you ever speak to my wife blike /bthat again. This is iher /ihouse too. iHer /itable. And don’t you iever /iforget, she’s your iLuna/ii./ii” /i

I turned to the rest of them, making sure my voice reached every corner of the room.

ng pec

i“/iAnd that goes for all of you. I’m done hearing people talk about Mara as if she’s some imodity /ithat bwas /bpurchased. She wasn’t bought. She was iforced /iinto this union by circumstances beyond her control. There’s a idifference/i. If anyone brings it up again, ianyone/i, you’ll answer to me. That includes iyou/i, Father.”

My father’s face stiffened, but he didn’t speak.

“I know what you told Mara,” I continued, voice unwavering. “About thepany. About the money. About me. She told me how you said you could make me throw her out. Let me be clear: iyou /iican’t/ii. /iYou don’t have bthat /bpower. I love my wife. Nothing you say or do will change that.”

I looked him dead in the eye.

“As for Steel Corp, stop saying you gave it to me out of appreciation for my mother. We both know that’s bnot /btrue. Thatpany was imine /ifrom the moment I was born. That’s why the shares and legal documents bear

if you tried.” imy /iname. You couldn’t give it to someone else even

Silence.

“Mara deserves peace,” I said, my tone softening but not losing strength. “We’re trying to conceive, and this -toxicity, it’s not just hurtful. It’s idangerous/ii. /iThis family is unhealthy, and if it keeps up, we’re done with

breakfasts. Permanently.”

The shock on their faces was almost satisfying.

Then, of course, Martha tried to w back control.

“She should respect me too,” she protested.

“iI /iican’t /iibelieve /iyou still have the nerve to speak,” Darian said sharply. His voice was quiet, but bthe /bdisappointment in it cut deeper than anything I’d said.

Martha turned toward him, wounded and shaking. But there was no more bdefense/b. No bmore /bbshouting/bb. /bbJust /bsilence that hung over the table like a storm cloud about to break.