Page 61 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"Settling in nicely, I see."

Serenity looked up to find a woman in her forties, impeccably dressed in a navy suit, her silver-streaked dark hair pulled back in a severe bun. Alpha, from her stance and the quiet authority in her voice.

"Victoria Chen," the woman introduced herself. "Head of Legal."

"Serenity Vale," she replied, rising to shake the woman's hand. "Though I suspect you already knew that."

Victoria's smile held no warmth. "Everyone knows who you are, Ms. Vale. The mysterious financial consultant Darius personally recruited. Marcus Vale's daughter."

The pointed reference to her father wasn't subtle. Neither was the challenge in Victoria's eyes.

"I wasn't aware my parentage was common knowledge in Castellano Holdings," Serenity replied carefully.

"It isn't," Victoria conceded. "But those of us who matter know exactly who you are. And what."

The emphasis on the last word made Serenity's spine stiffen. "Then you should also know that I'm here to do a job, Ms. Chen. Nothing more."

The older woman studied her for a long moment. "We all have our roles to play, don't we? Some just require more... flexibility than others." She glanced meaningfully at the door connecting to Darius's office. "Eleven o'clock. Don't be late."

After Victoria left, Serenity returned to the acquisition file, but her focus had been fractured. The exchange had been clearly designed to unsettle her, to remind her of her status as an outsider—and more specifically, as an Omega in an Alpha-dominated empire.

The corporate world was just another battlefield. Different weapons, same war.

By eleven, she had compiled her initial assessment, identifying five critical weaknesses in the acquisition target and three potential leverage points. She gathered her notes and crossed to the connecting door, knocking once before entering.

Darius's office was twice the size of hers, dominated by a massive desk and floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the skyline. He was standing with his back to her, phone pressed to his ear, his posture rigid.

"I don't care what assurances they've given," he was saying, voice low and dangerous. "The shipment arrives tonight or the partnership is terminated. Permanently."

He ended the call and turned, his expression shifting almost imperceptibly when he saw her. For a heartbeat, somethingunguarded flashed in his eyes—hunger, frustration, a complexity of emotions at odds with his controlled facade.

"Vale," he acknowledged, gesturing to the chairs positioned before his desk. "Show me what you've found."

The meeting progressed with unexpected intensity. Darius listened as she outlined her analysis, his questions sharp and probing, testing the depth of her understanding. There was no warmth in his demeanor, no hint of the heat that had flared between them in their previous encounters. This was purely professional—and exhilarating in its challenge.

"The offshore accounts," he prompted, leaning forward. "Explain."

"They're routing profits through three separate shell companies," Serenity replied, sliding a document across his desk. "Here, here, and here. It's reducing their apparent value while creating a cushion of liquid assets they haven't disclosed."

His eyes narrowed as he studied her notes. "This would reduce our offering price by at least twelve percent."

"Fifteen," she corrected. "And it raises questions about what else they're hiding."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Impressive. Most of our analysts missed this entirely."

The praise, reluctant as it was, sent an unexpected thrill through her. She had to remind herself that impressing Darius Castellano wasn't her objective. Gathering intelligence was.

The door opened, interrupting their exchange. Lucian Blackthorn entered with the fluid grace of a predator, his amber eyes taking in the scene with calculating interest.

"Darius," he greeted smoothly. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Lucian." Darius's tone cooled noticeably. "I wasn't expecting you until the board meeting tomorrow."

"Plans change," Lucian replied, his gaze shifting to Serenity. "I see you've acquired new talent."

The way he said "acquired" made it sound like Darius had purchased her rather than hired her. The subtext wasn't lost on anyone in the room.

"Ms. Vale," Lucian continued, extending his hand. "A pleasure to meet you officially. I've heard impressive things."

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