Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Olive Branch
By afternoon, my private security team had successfully relocated Carolina, Gabriel, and me to my secondary residence—a secure, private penthouse in TriBeCa with a subterranean garage, biometric elevators, and bulletproof glass.
Carolina hated the luxury. She stood in the center of the massive, minimalist living room, surrounded by marble floors and modern art, looking like an exile.
"This feels like a gilded cage, Lucian," she said, gently patting Gabriel's back as he burped. "This is your world. It isn't mine."
"It's safe," I said gently. "The press can't get past the perimeter gates. Nobody enters this building without my direct biometric clearance."
"And how long do we live in hiding?" she asked, her dark eyes piercing mine. "Until your board meeting tomorrow? Until the Vance family decides to forgive you?"
"I don't want their forgiveness," I said.
My phone rang. It was the private lobby security desk.
"Mr. Hayes, there is a Ms. Clarissa Vance in the lobby. She insists on speaking with you. She says she has documents from her father regarding the transition of board seats."
I glanced at Carolina. Her posture went rigid at the mention of Clarissa's name.
"Tell her I'm unavailable," I ordered.
"Wait," Carolina said, her voice quiet but sharp. "Let her up."
"Carolina, no. You don't need to endure this."
"Let her up, Lucian," Carolina repeated, meeting my gaze with unwavering resolve. "If this woman was chosen to be your replacement wife, I want to look her in the eye. I'm tired of running from your shadow life."
Ten minutes later, the private elevator doors opened directly into the foyer.
Clarissa Vance stepped into the penthouse. She was twenty-nine years old, dazzlingly beautiful in a tailored camelhair coat, carrying a Kelly bag, her blonde hair falling in perfect, salon-styled waves. She looked like old money, power, and ruthless social poise.
Her eyes scanned the grand living room, taking in the baby bottles drying on the marble island, the diaper bag slung over the designer sofa, and finally, Carolina standing in her simple linen dress holding Gabriel.
"Lucian," Clarissa said smoothly, ignoring Carolina entirely at first. "You've caused quite an uproar on Wall Street. My father is furious. Three board members have already called an emergency vote of no confidence for tomorrow morning."
"If you came here to deliver corporate threats, Clarissa, you wasted a cab ride," I said coldly, stepping between her and Carolina.
Clarissa offered a thin, pitying smile. She looked past my shoulder, fixing her gaze directly on Carolina.
"I didn't come to threaten Lucian. I came out of pity for you, Carolina."
Carolina didn't shrink. She stepped forward, standing level with me, her chin raised. "I don't need your pity, Ms. Vance."
"Don't you?" Clarissa's voice dripped with condescending sweetness. "Look at him, Carolina. Look at Lucian. Do you really believe this sudden burst of domestic devotion is about you? Or even about that baby?"
"Clarissa, get out," I growled, taking a threatening step forward.
"He is doing this because my father insulted his pride!" Clarissa declared, raising her voice, her eyes locked onto Carolina's vulnerable face. "Lucian Hayes cannot stand to be told what to do. My father told him that a scandal would weaken his leverage, so Lucian is burning down the house just to prove he's the king of the ashes! He doesn't love you, Carolina. If he loved you, he wouldn't have spent five years ignoring you in that penthouse while you cried yourself to sleep. He is using that baby as a weapon against his mother and my father. And once the dust settles, once he secures his voting rights and defeats the board... you will go right back to being the inconvenient woman he outgrew."
Every word Clarissa spoke was laced with poison—poison specifically engineered to target Carolina's deepest, most agonizing insecurities.
I saw the devastating impact hit Carolina's face. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes widening with a sudden, suffocating return of her old trauma. The memories of four lonely anniversaries, of empty beds, of promises broken for corporate mergers came rushing back like a tidal wave.
"That's enough," I snarled. I crossed the distance in two strides, grabbed Clarissa by the upper arm, and marched her directly back into the open elevator.
"You're making a mistake, Lucian!" Clarissa spat, struggling against my grip as I forced her into the cab. "Tomorrow morning, the board will strip you of Hayes Capital! You will have nothing!"
"I already have everything that matters," I snarled, and hit the ground-floor button.
The doors slid shut, cutting off her voice.
I turned back toward the living room, my heart aching.
May you like
Carolina was standing by the glass window, Gabriel clutched tightly against her collarbone. Her back was turned to me, and her shoulders were shaking violently with silent, agonizing sobs.
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