Hey, you okay?" Luna asked, worry etched all over her face as she observed her dear friend
Elysia blinked, torn from the strange trance that had held her. The Cafe's chatter and clinking of cups barely reached her ears. The men were gone, yet the memory of their presence lingered, sharp and unsettling.
"I'm fine, Luna," she said softly, though her voice wavered slightly.
"Do you… do you know who those men were?" Luna pressed, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
Elysia hesitated. She didn't know why she wanted to ask, but she had to. Especially about him the man whose silver eyes haunted her thoughts.
"I wish I knew," Luna said with a playful tilt of her head. "But just like you, it's my first time seeing them. Honestly… I wouldn't be surprised if every woman here was thinking about them."
Elysia felt a flush creep up her cheeks.
"And… tell me the truth," Luna continued, smirking, "did your heart skip a beat when you saw them? Which one of them caught your attention?"
"Luna! Stop asking nonsense. I'm married, remember?"
Her blush deepened. Luna's eyes sparkled, clearly enjoying Elysia's discomfort.
"Who cares? It's not a sin. Maybe your husband's out there with women warming his bed. Who knows?"
"Get back to work, Luna! I can't handle you right now," Elysia snapped, half-laughing despite herself.
A laugh escaped Luna's lips, musical and teasing.
"Don't act so shy! I saw it!"
"You… saw what?" Elysia asked, bewildered.
"The way he looked at you. That man the one with silver eyes."
Elysia's chest tightened. "It's not...."
"No, don't worry," Luna said, waving her off lightly. "Any woman would react the same way. You're fine, dear. It's… understandable."
Elysia exhaled slowly, trying to calm the sudden fluttering of her heart. She couldn't shake the memory of his gaze intense, sharp, and impossibly alive.
----------xxxxxx -----------
The boardroom was filled with tension as the meeting dragged on.
Mr. Reign , the chairman old but sharp as ever sat at the head of the table, his calm gaze surveying the room. This was his kingdom: a billion dollar corporation he had built from the ground up.
The door burst open. His assistant entered swiftly, whispering something meant only for him.
"WHAT?!"
The chairman's shocked expression drew every eye.
Before anyone could react further, the doors slammed open again. Three men stepped in. Time seemed to slow, and every person froze in their seat.
At the forefront stood Malric.
Fresh out of prison.
He looked dangerously handsome dark suit immaculate, hair perfectly cut, and silver eyes glinting like ice under the fluorescent lights.
Few in the room truly knew him: the vanished grandson, believed to be a criminal, imprisoned for a crime no one ever had the chance to know,even his own family.
The chairman's grip tightened on his cane.
"Malric, you…"
"I'm back," Malric interrupted smoothly, smirking. "To claim what you've always wanted me to, Mr. Chairman."
The assistant hesitated, glancing nervously at the chairman. The old man finally nodded.
He had tried for years to free Malric, but every attempt failed and now… here he was, walking in like a shadow that belonged. Pride and relief surged within the chairman, though his expression remained stoic.
With authority, he announced, "My grandson, Malric, will be joining the board today."
The room erupted in murmurs.
"This is madness! He'll ruin the company!" one man shouted.
"He's a convict!" another barked.
Malric's cold laugh silenced the room instantly. His silver eyes scanned the board members, icy and precise.
"You've got some nerve," he said, voice calm but lethal. "Gerald,his sharp gaze locked on the man cold enough to freeze him.
you're the finance manager, yet you've been siphoning millions into a private foreign account.
Stolen funds from our research division. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Gasps echoed. Gerald's face drained of color.
"Lies! That's not true!" he shouted, trembling his face grew pale "Don't think you can frame me. I'm a major shareholder you can't touch me!"
"Oh, really?" Malric's smirk widened. "Then by all means, be my guest."
Turning his gaze to another man, he said, "And you, Mr. Stance… Selling trade secrets for personal gain. Pathetic."
The room grew suffocatingly silent. Malric's aura radiated authority, freezing hearts and minds alike.he came prepared
"We won't drag this out,
I still need to make a good impression for other members how a good leader I am.Both of you are done. Fired."
Security guards moved in instantly, dragging the stunned men out despite their protests. Silence fell, punctuated only by shallow breaths and racing hearts.
Malric dusted his hands, as if wiping away imaginary dust, then glanced around the room.
"I never like empty seats," he said
Both zarek and Nick were quietly observing the show unfold before them ,and Nick never felt the urge to hide the amusement on his face
Three new men entered.
"Felix Cruz technology and data. Marcus security and logistics. Harvey Santos finance, replacing Gerald."
Malric walked slowly to the seat beside the chairman the CEO's seat and sat like he owned the world.
"So… where were we?" he asked casually, and yet no one dared move.
Everyone was terrified and shocked at the same time.the man before them was no the same man they heard of.
he came more than prepared and everyone tried their level best not to be noticed by him even at once because speaking of the devil he was sitting right Infront of them like a calm volcano that would explode at any instant, despite the casual expression he was showing them.
No one was stupid there, they made an important notice never to appear on the bad side of the crazy CEO seated before them.
At the head of the table, Mr reign leaned back, disbelief and pride flickering in his eyes, as he had witnessed the scene unfold before him.
For decades, he had ruled this company with an iron hand.
But in that moment he realized....
The true leader had arrived.