Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 174: Life Goes On

Chapter 174: Life Goes On

TERESA’S P.O.V.

The drive to Lucian’s company was... tense. Lucian gripped the steering wheel like it had personally insulted him, his jaw ticking with suppressed rage. His dark eyes glinted dangerously, and his aura screamed, "Someone’s about to regret their life choices."

"Lucian, you need to calm down," I said firmly, placing my hand over his. "You can’t just go in there like an enraged bull."

He scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "Teresa, they’ve practically handed me a bat and painted a target on their backs. They deserve everything that’s coming to them."

I sighed, trying to suppress the small smile tugging at my lips. Lucian was infuriating, but damn if he wasn’t entertaining. "I get it, Alpha Big Bad Wolf, but maybe try not to burn the entire boardroom down?"

Lucian’s eyes flicked to me, softening ever so slightly. "No promises."

When we arrived at the company, Kenneth and his usual entourage were waiting at the entrance, their faces a mix of nervousness and relief.

"Sir, Ma’am," Kenneth greeted, bowing slightly. His eyes darted nervously between us. "The board meeting has already started. They don’t know you’re coming."

Lucian’s smirk widened. "Perfect."

As we walked toward the boardroom, Kenneth trotted alongside us, whispering updates about the shareholders and their plans. Lucian barely acknowledged him, his focus razor-sharp. Meanwhile, I trailed slightly behind, mentally preparing myself for the chaos that was about to unfold. So much for keeping my emotions in check like Elizabeth had ordered.

Lucian didn’t bother knocking when we reached the boardroom. He threw the doors open with a resounding bang, the force so strong that one of the hinges creaked ominously.

The room fell silent. Every single director froze, their smug expressions morphing into ones of pure terror.

"Well, look what we have here," Lucian drawled, his voice dangerously calm. "Don’t let me interrupt. I’d love to hear what you think about my company."

One brave—or foolish—man cleared his throat. "Chairman Blackwood, we were merely—"

"Plotting to stab me in the back?" Lucian interrupted, his tone dripping with mockery. "Please, don’t stop on my account. I’ve always loved a good betrayal drama."

"Lucian," I said softly, placing a hand on his arm. He glanced at me briefly, his expression softening, before turning back to his prey.

"You all seem to have forgotten," Lucian continued, his voice now a low growl, "that I built this empire. I’ve sacrificed blood, sweat, and sanity for this company. And you think you can vote me out because of a few rumors about my temper and vision?"

The directors exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared to speak.

"For the record," Lucian said, his voice like ice, "I’m not blind. But I am short-tempered. And today, you’ll see exactly what that means."

I stood by his side, arms crossed, giving a firm nod to let them know I fully supported whatever he was about to unleash. Lucian turned his icy gaze to Kenneth, who stood nervously by the door.

"Lock the door," Lucian ordered.

Kenneth obeyed without hesitation, and I noticed some of the directors exchange worried glances.

"Let’s start with you, Mr. Harrington," Lucian said, focusing on the man sitting two seats down. "You spearheaded this little coup, didn’t you?"

Harrington cleared his throat, his bravado crumbling. "It was a... group decision, Chairman Blackwood. We only had the company’s best interest—"

"Spare me your lies," Lucian interrupted, his voice a low growl. "The only interest you have is your wallet. Effective immediately, you’re stripped of all your shares. Kenneth, escort him out."

Harrington shot out of his seat. "You can’t do that! I’ve been a shareholder for over a decade—"

"You should’ve thought about that before trying to steal what I built with my sweat and blood," Lucian snapped, his eyes blazing with authority.

Kenneth gestured for security, who entered the room and unceremoniously dragged Harrington out. The rest of the directors sat frozen, their faces pale.

Lucian turned to the others, his smirk cold and calculated. "And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the rest of you. Mr. Patel, you’ll be demoted to a junior consultant. Mrs. Greene, your office will now be a cubicle on the third floor, right next to the restroom. And Mr. Clark, you’ll retain your position—but only because I need someone to clean up this mess."

One of the directors, Mrs. Greene, dared to speak up. "This is outrageous! You’re acting like a tyrant!"

Lucian tilted his head, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. "Outrageous? Tyrant? If I were truly either of those things, you wouldn’t still be sitting here."

I stepped forward, unable to hold back. "And for the record, my husband’s not acting. He’s always been this way. You just had the bad sense to test him."

The room fell silent, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of their stunned faces.

Lucian walked slowly around the table, his gaze locking onto each director. "If any of you think of pulling something like this again, I will destroy not only your careers but your reputations. You’ll be so irrelevant, people won’t even remember your names."

"Now," he continued, his voice dropping an octave, "get out of my sight before I change my mind about being lenient."

The directors scrambled to leave, muttering apologies as they hurried out the door. I crossed my arms and leaned against the table, watching them flee like scared rabbits.

"You handled that beautifully," I told Lucian, my voice laced with sarcasm.

He turned to me, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Did I overdo it?"

I smirked. "Not at all. In fact, I think you went easy on them."

Lucian laughed—a deep, genuine sound that filled the now-empty boardroom. "Come on, sweetheart. We’ve got a press release to handle."

The press conference was held in the company’s grand hall, cameras flashed as Lucian and I stepped onto the stage. His hand rested lightly on my lower back, a gesture that was both possessive and reassuring.

"Good afternoon," he began, his deep voice resonating through the hall. "I’m here to address the rumors that have been circulating about me."

He glanced at me, and I gave him an encouraging nod.

"First and foremost, as you all can see, I am not blind," he said, his tone firm. "I may have my flaws, but physical vision isn’t one of them. However, I do have a temper, and if anyone doubts that, I invite them to ask my board of directors about today’s meeting."

The room chuckled nervously.

"And one more thing," Lucian added, his smirk returning. "I’d like to introduce my wife, Teresa Blackwood. She’s not just my partner in business anymore, but also in life."

The crowd erupted into whispers and applause as Lucian extended a hand toward me. I stepped onto the stage, smiling warmly at the cameras.

"Now that we’ve cleared that up," Lucian said, his tone dismissive, "we’ll take no further questions."

********

By the time we got home, I was exhausted. Lucian opened the door, and we were greeted by the sight of Adrian, Juliette, and Elizabeth in the living room. Mai and Eldur stood in front of them, looking guilty, while Ollie sat quietly in Elizabeth’s lap, his eyes wide with fear.

"What’s going on here?" I asked, stepping into the room.

Adrian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Eldur and Mai decided it would be ’fun’ to corner another child at the playground today and set his hair on fire."

"What?" Lucian and I said in unison.

"Mai Blackwood, what were you thinking?" I exclaimed, staring at my daughter, who looked thoroughly unrepentant.

"She said it would be fun!" Eldur, piped up, pointing at Mai.

Mai crossed her arms. "Well, it was fun. Until his hair caught fire."

Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can’t keep doing this, Teresa. She’s going to give me gray hair before I turn thirty-five."

Adrian, ever the calm presence, folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at Eldur. "And you thought this was a good idea because...?"

Eldur shrugged, his white hair glowing softly in the dim light. "She said so."

Juliette groaned. "Adrian, we need to leave before they burn down an entire neighborhood."

Lucian turned to me, exasperated. "Your daughter is terrifying."

I raised an eyebrow. "My daughter? She gets it from you, Mr. Hothead."

Lucian sighed, kneeling in front of Mai. "You’re grounded, young lady. No sweets, no toys, and no going out of this house for two weeks."

Mai’s silver eyes widened in horror. "But Daddy—"

"No buts," Lucian said firmly.

Adrian mirrored Lucian’s actions, crouching to Eldur’s level. "You’re grounded too. And you’re going to apologize to that boy tomorrow."

Eldur pouted but didn’t argue.

Later that evening, after the kids were tucked away, the adults gathered in Lucian’s office.

"We’re leaving tomorrow," Adrian announced, his voice tinged with regret. "It’s clear Eldur and Mai need to be separated for now."

Lucian nodded, though I could see the flicker of sadness in his eyes. "I’ll have Rylan get the boy’s name and his parents’ contact information. They deserve an apology too."

Rylan snorted. "Honestly, I don’t know who’s scarier—Mai or Eldur. If they’re like this at four, what’s puberty going to look like?"

Elizabeth, ever the voice of reason, chimed in. "I’ll be staying here. The Moon Goddess has made it clear that Mai’s training can’t wait."

Lucian and I exchanged a glance, both of us silently acknowledging the weight of her words.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," I said sincerely.

As the meeting ended, Adrian lingered behind. "Teresa, may I speak with you alone?"

Lucian kissed my temple. "I’ll be upstairs."

Once we were alone, Adrian sighed, looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. "I’ve never truly apologized for what I did to you, Teresa. Keeping you locked in my castle... it wasn’t protection. It was obsession. I was selfish, and I’m deeply sorry."

His words stunned me, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. "Adrian... that time hurt me deeply, but I forgave you a long time ago. Thank you for apologizing. It means more than you know."

Adrian smiled softly, his old-soul charm shining through. "Thank you, truly. And know this, I’ll always be here for you, Teresa. Always." I nodded and thanked him as well.

The next day, we bid Adrian, Juliette, and Eldur goodbye. The house felt quieter without them, but life went on.

That night, Lucian and I lay tangled in each other’s arms. The day’s stress melted away as he stroked my hair, his voice a low murmur.

"Thank you for loving me, even when I didn’t deserve it," he whispered.

Tears pricked my eyes as I kissed his chest. "And thank you for showing me what it means to be truly loved. I’ll love you forever, Lucian."

As we drifted off to sleep, content in each other’s arms, I knew this was just the beginning of our story.

End of Book One

To be continued in Book Two...

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