The private elevator to the top floor of the Blackwood Tower was a silent, suffocating ascent. Kaelen watched the numbers climb, her reflection a cool, impassive stranger in the polished black marble. She had her armor on, but her heart was a frantic drum against her ribs. She was walking into the lion's den, and she knew the lions were hungry.
The doors opened directly into the vast, intimidating expanse of her father's office. It was less a room and more a declaration of power, all dark wood, black leather, and a single, panoramic window that looked down on the city as if it were a personal snow globe. Magnus Blackwood stood before it, a monolithic silhouette. Lounging on a leather sofa with a predatory smirk was her brother, Cassian. And standing near the bar, her expression carefully neutral, was her sister, Lilith. The whole family was here. This wasn't a meeting; it was a tribunal.
"Kaelen," Magnus said, his voice a low, cold rumble that held no warmth. He turned from the window, his eyes like chips of granite. "You have been busy."
He began to list her transgressions, his tone precise and utterly devoid of emotion. He spoke of her public appearance at the gala, a "grotesque pantomime of domesticity" with the Vesper Omega. He spoke of the unauthorized acquisition of Vesper stock, a direct interference with a sanctioned corporate project. He spoke of her defiance.
"I stabilized a volatile asset and acquired a controlling interest for a fraction of its potential worth," Kaelen countered, her voice steady. She would not be the timid, recessive child in this room. "It was a sound business decision."
Cassian let out a derisive snort from the sofa. "Listen to her, father. Playing CEO. She thinks a few nights in the Omega's bed makes her a corporate strategist. Tell us, little sister, did she teach you those tricks before or after you ruined her family?"
"That's enough, Cassian," Lilith interjected, her voice sharp. She turned to their father. "His methods are crude, but the point is valid. Kaelen's actions, however unorthodox, have merit. Phoenix Holdings has prevented a total collapse of the Vesper stock. From a purely financial standpoint "
"This is not about finances!" Magnus roared, his cold control finally shattering. The sudden explosion of fury silenced the room. He crossed the office in three long strides, his powerful Alpha presence a physical, suffocating force. "This is about loyalty! It's about a daughter who spits on her mother's memory by parading around with the spawn of the family responsible for her death!"
Before Kaelen could react, his hand shot out, a vicious backhand that sent her stumbling back. The slap was so sudden, so violent, that stars exploded behind her eyes. The taste of blood filled her mouth.
Cassian laughed. Lilith flinched, taking a step forward. "Father, that's enough!"
Magnus ignored her. He grabbed Kaelen by the chin, forcing her to look at him. His other hand went to her arm, his grip like iron. "You seem to have forgotten what this name means. What this blood means." He squeezed, his thumb pressing down hard on the back of her hand, forcing her knuckles against the sharp, cruel edge of his Blackwood signet ring. He twisted his thumb, and a sharp, searing pain shot up her arm as the metal edge sliced into her skin.
"This is a reminder of your inheritance," he hissed, his face inches from hers. "And the pain that comes with disgracing it."
He released her, and she staggered back, clutching her bleeding hand. She was bruised, bleeding, but her eyes held his, filled not with fear, but with a cold, defiant hatred.
Seeing that the physical punishment hadn't broken her, a slow, cruel smile spread across Magnus's face. He had one final, perfect torture in mind.
"You are so invested in the Vesper legacy? Then you shall have it," he declared, his voice returning to its calm, chilling tone. He walked back to his desk. "As of this moment, Blackwood Corporation is divesting all interest in the BioSynth project. Vesper Pharmaceuticals and all its assets, its debts, its failures, are now your sole responsibility."
He looked at her, his eyes gleaming with victory. "It is your inheritance now, Kaelen. You will run it. You will make it prosper. And should you fail, you will have no one to blame but yourself when you and the last of the Vespers are crushed under the weight of it. Now, get out of my sight."
The dismissal was absolute. Numb with shock, Kaelen turned and walked out of the office.
"Good luck, little sister," Cassian called after her, his voice dripping with malice. "Try not to cry on the balance sheets."
In the hallway, Lilith caught up to her, pressing a silk handkerchief into her hand. Her face was pale. "He's gone too far," she whispered, her eyes darting back towards their father's office. "Be careful, Kaelen. This isn't a gift. It's a cage."
Kaelen simply nodded, pressing the silk to the cut on her hand. She looked down at the blood soaking the fabric, the faint bruise already darkening on her cheek. She had won. She had Vesper Pharmaceuticals. And she had the sickening, terrifying feeling that she had just walked directly into her father's perfect, inescapable trap.