Lucy zipped up her sharp black suit jacket, grimacing slightly as she pulled it over the healing cut on her side.
She had chosen a rich ash-black fabric deliberately — if any of her wounds decided to bleed through, she wouldn’t risk ruining lighter clothes.
She stood in front of the mirror, smoothing her lapels down, adjusting the chain around her neck. Today was about making things right, and one person in particular was about to experience what comes with ‘Making it right’.
Rufus.
Just the thought of him had her jaw tightening.
"Soon," she thought grimly. "Soon you'll see what real consequences feel like."
Like clockwork, Davina’s sleek black company car pulled up outside the estate gates.
Lucy smiled as she spotted her — bright, efficient, a tiny light in the storm that had become her life.
When the car door opened, Davina practically bounced out, holding a tray with Lucy’s favorite:
Iced chai latte and a cinnamon bun.
Lucy’s stomach rumbled appreciatively.
"What a way to start the day," she hummed to herself, sliding into the backseat.
She scooted across the leather bench seat, getting comfortable as Davina immediately launched into her daily rundown.
"Okay, Miss Morgan," Davina chirped, tapping her tablet. "You’ve got three internal meetings today — finance, logistics, and HR — plus a lunch booked with the head of PR, and thensome desk time to go through the files you requested from Deza."
Lucy nodded, half-listening as she sipped her drink and savored the cinnamon bun.
Just as Davina was listing the finer points of the HR restructure, the opposite door opened, and Byron slid into the seat next to Lucy.
Davina stuttered mid-sentence, her eyes wide.
"E-Erm...hello," she said, blinking up at him.
Byron gave her a slow nod, his mouth tugging into what might have been a polite smile...or just a baring of teeth.
"Hello, Davina," he rumbled.
Lucy smirked at the interaction.
"This is Byron," she said lightly, reaching over to pat his knee — because of course Lucy would test fate like that. "He’s my personal security."
Byron leaned in slightly, "I’m a little more than that, Davina. But we move."
Davina flushed scarlet, snapping her eyes back to her tablet in pure panic.
Lucy bit back a laugh.
Without missing a beat, Byron reached up and tapped the roof of the car, signaling to the driver it was time to go.
The SUV purred to life, rolling smoothly down the driveway.
Lucy shifted, her mind snapping back into business mode.
"Davina, when we get to the office, I want you to clear all my non-priority meetings. Then arrange private meetings with all female staff members affected by Rufus."
Davina’s stylus froze mid-tap.