Tristan's POV
Elona was combing her hair in front of the mirror as I sat on the edge of the bed, shirt halfway buttoned, staring at my own reflection in the mirror. My eyes were ringed with fatigue, the weight of the past few days carved into every line on my face. The anxiety clung to my chest like smoke I couldn’t clear. Today was the board meeting, the one where I would have to explain the pending investigation. The one where I would be stared at like a liability.
“Tristan,” her voice broke through. I turned to look at her. She was standing by the bedroom door now, her eyes scanning me. I didn't realize that she had walked away from the mirror. “Are you okay?”
I nodded slowly. “As okay as I can be.” I stood up, tucking my shirt into my slacks, forcing my body to move even if my brain wasn’t ready. “You always look stunning,” even when she was in her VFS uniform, the leggings and cropped top. She held her gym bag in one hand, waiting for me as I now pulled on my jacket.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes completely. She was worried and I didn’t blame her. By the time we reached the lounge near the front door, she paused and turned around to look at me. “Hey...” she said, I looked at her.
She stepped closer, biting her bottom lip. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve said last night. The way I reacted… how I doubted you, and the fact that I listened to Camille's advice to move out, it was wrong.”
“Elona...”
She held up a hand. “Let me finish. I know this is hurting you more than you show. I see it in how you breathe. You’re barely sleeping. You don’t have to go through this alone.” Her voice softened. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying... I won't be moving out.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at her. Then I reached for her, and pulled her in. She came willingly, wrapping her arms around my neck. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling that soft vanilla scent and it calmed me. I pulled away and pressed my lips against hers, kissing her slowly and deeply, something that felt like the first real breath I had taken in days. She was still on her period and that always made me concerned about her Endo. And then came the sound of a throat clearing. We both turned, breaking our kiss.
Camille stood in the hallway, wearing black leggings tucked in boots that didn't have high heels that clicked on the floor, and she had on a long-sleeved black top. Her smile was too sweet, and too wide. “Well, don’t you two look domestic,” she purred. “Enjoy your day at work.” She sauntered off to the kitchen, with the coffee mug in her hand that she carried up to her bedroom last night. I sighed, my jaw clenched tight.
Elona touched my arm gently. “Let her play her little games. She doesn’t win.”
I nodded as she got my attention again. “Let’s get going,” I said.
***
Dropping Elona at VFS was harder than I thought it would be. I didn’t want to let her go. She kissed my cheek before stepping out, whispering again, “You’ve got this.” I wasn’t sure I believed her, but I needed to pretend I did.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot of Crane Industries, the pressure in my chest had returned. I moved slowly through the lobby, acknowledging staff with stiff nods, but barely hearing their greetings. The hallway to the boardroom felt twice as long, the walls were pressing in. I needed to be the first one there. I needed control.
The boardroom was dimly lit when I entered. I flicked on the lights and moved to the head of the table. The city skyline shimmered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, but my eyes were on the glowing screen of my laptop. I pulled up the prepared file.
Harassment Case – Internal Statement.
Grace / Lucenti PR / External Press Risks
I ran a hand through my hair. My fingers were trembling again. You can do this, I told myself. But the voice in my head wasn’t convincing.
After a while, the board members arrived one by one.
Donovan, my personal assistant.
Lucien Hartman, CFO.
Maria DeWitt, Head of Legal.
Gregory Styles from Marketing.
Jared Walters, one of the Project Managers leading our tech department.
Four others in tailored suits, each carrying a laptop or tablet, each with that same careful look of polite suspicion.
I stood as they entered, offering a curt nod. “Thank you for coming early.”
Lucien gave me a look. “You sounded urgent.”
“It is,” I replied.
Once everyone was seated, I remained standing. “There is something you need to know,” I began, forcing my voice to stay even. "Crane Industries is likely to be named in a legal investigation linked to a harassment case. The claims being made are false, but the girl in question, who goes by the name of Grace, is pursuing legal action. The media will be involved. It’s going to get loud.”
The room went still.
Maria leaned forward. “Harassment? Against you personally?”
“Yes,” I said tightly. “She's an intern at Lucenti PR, so she keeps things clean with VFS. She attended the same high school, Stern Academy, as my daughter and her friend. I was on camp with them, and she told lies, that I was inappropriate with her, but I was dating my daughter's friend and still am. My girlfriend lost our baby. Grace pushed her during volleyball. She already has a condition. Grace became... jealous because she had a crush on me. I turned her down when I confronted her in public outside Lucenti PR. She didn’t take it well. And then I was slapped with the harassment lawsuit.”
“And now she’s accusing you?” Lucien asked, his brow creasing.
I nodded. “She’s claiming inappropriate contact. There’s a photo circulating. One that was taken during the confrontation outside Lucenti PR. It looks bad out of context.”
Maria’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And this woman… Grace… does she have any actual evidence that was inappropriate from your side? Such as you coming onto her in a s^xual way?”
“Nothing besides that photo,” I said. “Just manipulation. Revenge. She’s trying to get between me and my girlfriend, Elona. Grace also has a restraining order against me.”
At the mention of Elona, a few exchanged glances. Maria cleared her throat. “Tristan, you must understand... this is about more than personal relationships. This is about reputation. Investors. Stockholders. We have to anticipate the public fallout.”
“I understand,” I said. “That’s why I’m telling you now.”
Gregory spoke up next, his voice was sharp. “What was your relationship with this intern?”
“There was none,” I snapped. “She has a crush on me, like I said. She’s unstable. This is extortion disguised as victimhood.”
Lucien frowned. “What about documentation? Has Rowan handled any pre-trial motions yet?”
My chest tightened further. “Rowan…” I glanced toward the door. Rowan Patel, my attorney, was supposed to be here. He had said he would be.
“Where is Rowan?” Maria asked, brows rising.
I didn’t answer right away. The air was getting thinner. “Tristan,” Lucien said, his voice hardening, “do you understand what this could do to the company if mishandled? Stern Academy is involved in this matter, and we are about to do business with Mark Stern, the same man who owns Stern Academy and that's his name being dragged into this. Do you think he will be happy with this and even do business with us after this?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words dissolved. The sound around me began to warp. Like the boardroom had been submerged underwater. The ceiling pulsed. Their voices blurred, overlapping, and growing louder. Noise. Just noise. The pressure in my chest snapped tight like a vice. My throat seized and I swayed.
“Mr. Crane?” Donovan’s voice cut through the static. His hand was at my elbow. I had grabbed the edge of the table without realizing.
“I...” I tried to speak, but the dizziness pulled at me. I reached for the glass of water Donovan held out to me, barely lifting it to my lips.
Maria stood halfway. “Tristan, are you alright?”
Lucien nodded grimly. “We will reschedule the meeting. But I think it’s clear, once court proceedings begin, you will need to take a formal leave of absence.”
“No,” I choked out. “I can still...”
Lucien raised a hand. “It’s not a punishment. It’s to protect you and the company.”
I looked at Donovan, who gave me a subtle nod. “We will handle things here. Take care of what you need to.”
I swallowed hard and nodded, wiping my face with a sleeve. “Fine. A leave of absence.”
"Tristan, since Rowan didn't show up, I don't know if there is any valid reason for him not being here, but I don't want this to happen when you're in court...send me whatever documents you have on the case, and we can look for a better lawyer for this case. Also, you might need to put a public statement out, but I will be in contact with you about it. Just send me whatever you have...anything might help, and take care of yourself and eat something," Maria said, and I nodded in agreement.
The board members stood and filed out quietly. The moment the door closed, I collapsed back into the chair. Donovan sat beside me, hand firm on my arm. “You’re not losing everything,” he said. “We will fight this and you will win.”
I exhaled, shaky and dry. “My lawyer was supposed to be here. Maria is right, what if he doesn't show up in court?”
“He flaked,” Donovan said. “I always found him to be someone who doesn't like taking on massive cases, but once Maria gets someone else, you will be fine.”
“I will deal with him personally,” I muttered. “He was a long-term lawyer.” I just can't believe Rowan would do this to me now.
Donovan handed me a bottle of water. “Sometimes people fail, but we don’t. I’ve got your back, Tristan. So does Elona and everyone else here.”
I sat there, still trembling. But one thought remained sharp through the fog. This wasn’t just damage control. This was war. And then I remembered I will be meeting up with Cris later today, and I'm eager to see her. I just need my daughter too. My only child.