Fated reborn - Chapter 256: Chapter 256
You are reading Fated reborn, Chapter 256: Chapter 256. Read more chapters of Fated reborn.
Luciano's pov.
The sun was slanting bright through the office windows, spilling gold over the dark wood of the desk and the soft carpet underfoot. The morning was quiet, only the soft hum of the AC and the shuffle of papers filling the room. I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the armrest, and Victor was sprawled lazy in the chair opposite, feet propped up on the edge of the desk like he owned the damn place.
Clara was the one who broke the silence, stepping in with her heels clicking light and a stack of papers clutched to her chest. Her lipstick was bright red, hair pulled back neat, and she cleared her throat soft, eyes flicking between us.
“So,” she started, setting the papers down with a dull thud, “we have a meeting today.”
I huffed, fingers stilling, and Victor snorted, tipping his head back against the chair with a groan. “No kidding,” he muttered, eyes rolling. “Who is it this time?”
Clara’s lips twitched a bit, but she shook her head, rifling through the papers. “Some investors from a neighboring pack,” she said, voice smooth and business-like. “Their beta reached out last week, but I couldn’t get much info. They were—” She hesitated, nose scrunching a bit. “Vague.”
Victor’s eyebrows shot up, smirk widening slow and sharp. “Vague, huh?” he drawled, eyes glinting. “That’s not suspicious at all.”
Clara shot him a flat look, but her mouth was twitching. “You think everything’s suspicious,” she snorted.
“Because it usually is,” he shot back, smirk lazy, and I rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Do we at least have a name?” I muttered, eyebrows drawing in. “Or are we just flying blind here?”
Clara grimaced, shoulders hitching a bit. “That’s the thing,” she admitted, biting the inside of her cheek. “They didn’t say. Just mentioned it’d be different from what we’re used to.”
Victor snorted, loud and disbelieving, eyebrows shooting up. “Well, that’s comforting,” he muttered, slinging an arm over the back of the chair. “What are we supposed to do? Guess?”
I huffed, jaw tightening a bit, but the corner of my mouth twitched despite myself. “You’re a pain,” I muttered, but he just grinned wider, all teeth.
Clara sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. “Can you two not?” she grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just—try to keep it together for one meeting, alright?”
Victor snorted, smirk still playing at his mouth, but he threw up his hands in mock surrender, eyes glinting. “No promises,” he drawled, and Clara looked about ready to chuck her stack of papers at his head.
The rest of the morning went by slow, emails and paperwork piling up thick, and by the time noon rolled around, my shoulders were aching, tension coiled tight in my neck. The sun was high and bright outside, light slanting through the windows in hot streaks, and I exhaled slow, dragging a hand down my face.
Victor was already draped half-asleep across the chair, head tipped back and eyes closed, smirk lazy even in sleep. I rolled my eyes, chuckling under my breath, and Clara huffed, smacking a file down on his knee.
He yelped, eyes snapping open wide, and she just snorted, lips twitching. “Wake up, idiot,” she grumbled, eyes glinting. “Your nap time’s over.”
He glared, rubbing his knee with a pout, but I just chuckled, pushing up from my chair with a huff. “Come on,” I muttered, grabbing my jacket. “Let’s get this over with.”
The conference room was bright and sleek, all glass walls and dark wood, and the AC was cool against my skin, chasing off the sticky summer heat. Victor flopped into one of the chairs with a groan, all long limbs and lazy smirk, and I rolled my eyes, dropping into the seat beside him.
Clara was already setting out files, movements quick and efficient, and I drummed my fingers slow against the table, eyes flicking to the door. The clock on the wall ticked slow, every second stretching long, and I huffed, jaw clenching a bit.
And then the door swung open, soft and slow, and two men stepped through, all broad shoulders and dark suits, eyes sharp and steady. My breath stuttered, heart lurching hard against my ribs, and Victor’s mouth fell open, eyes going wide.
“Dorian?” he choked, eyebrows shooting up near his hairline.
My jaw went slack, fingers curling tight around the armrest, and Dorian grinned, all teeth and lazy charm, eyes glinting. “Surprise,” he drawled, voice smooth and warm, and Marcus chuckled, low and rumbling beside him, arms crossed over his chest.
“What the hell—” Victor started, voice cracking a bit, but Dorian snorted, waving a hand.
“Business,” he cut in, grin going crooked. “Thought we’d come pay a visit.”
I stared, mouth working soundless for a moment, and Clara’s eyes were flicking wide between us, papers clutched tight to her chest. “Business?” I managed, voice flat. “You’re kidding.”
Marcus huffed, lips twitching, and he dipped his head slow, eyes glinting. “We wanted to draw a business line,” he said, voice steady and smooth. “Support your investments—maybe even pitch a few.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed, suspicion sharp, but Dorian just chuckled, waving a hand. “Relax,” he drawled, smirk lazy. “No strings attached.”
“Bull,” Victor shot back, eyes slitting. “There’s always strings.”
Dorian snorted, eyes glinting. “Cynic,” he muttered, but his smirk softened, mouth twitching. “Look, we’re just—extending a hand, alright? No catches. No tricks.”
I huffed, shoulders easing a bit, and Victor’s mouth twisted, but he leaned back slow, eyes flicking between us. “I don’t buy it,” he grumbled, arms crossing.
Marcus chuckled, voice warm and rumbling. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, eyes glinting. “We’re in, whether you buy it or not.”
I stared, mind still reeling, and Dorian smirked, eyes softening a bit. “Trini says hi,” he added, voice low, and my heart stumbled, breath catching sharp.
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, words tangling and twisting, and by the time they left, the sun was already dipping low, slanting gold and red through the windows. My head was still spinning, pulse thrumming hard, and Victor was muttering curses under his breath, eyes narrowed sharp.
“Well,” he grumbled, raking a hand through his hair. “That was a goddamn ambush.”
I huffed, chuckling low, and the tension eased slow, warmth blooming soft in my chest.
The sun was slanting bright through the office windows, spilling gold over the dark wood of the desk and the soft carpet underfoot. The morning was quiet, only the soft hum of the AC and the shuffle of papers filling the room. I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the armrest, and Victor was sprawled lazy in the chair opposite, feet propped up on the edge of the desk like he owned the damn place.
Clara was the one who broke the silence, stepping in with her heels clicking light and a stack of papers clutched to her chest. Her lipstick was bright red, hair pulled back neat, and she cleared her throat soft, eyes flicking between us.
“So,” she started, setting the papers down with a dull thud, “we have a meeting today.”
I huffed, fingers stilling, and Victor snorted, tipping his head back against the chair with a groan. “No kidding,” he muttered, eyes rolling. “Who is it this time?”
Clara’s lips twitched a bit, but she shook her head, rifling through the papers. “Some investors from a neighboring pack,” she said, voice smooth and business-like. “Their beta reached out last week, but I couldn’t get much info. They were—” She hesitated, nose scrunching a bit. “Vague.”
Victor’s eyebrows shot up, smirk widening slow and sharp. “Vague, huh?” he drawled, eyes glinting. “That’s not suspicious at all.”
Clara shot him a flat look, but her mouth was twitching. “You think everything’s suspicious,” she snorted.
“Because it usually is,” he shot back, smirk lazy, and I rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Do we at least have a name?” I muttered, eyebrows drawing in. “Or are we just flying blind here?”
Clara grimaced, shoulders hitching a bit. “That’s the thing,” she admitted, biting the inside of her cheek. “They didn’t say. Just mentioned it’d be different from what we’re used to.”
Victor snorted, loud and disbelieving, eyebrows shooting up. “Well, that’s comforting,” he muttered, slinging an arm over the back of the chair. “What are we supposed to do? Guess?”
I huffed, jaw tightening a bit, but the corner of my mouth twitched despite myself. “You’re a pain,” I muttered, but he just grinned wider, all teeth.
Clara sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. “Can you two not?” she grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just—try to keep it together for one meeting, alright?”
Victor snorted, smirk still playing at his mouth, but he threw up his hands in mock surrender, eyes glinting. “No promises,” he drawled, and Clara looked about ready to chuck her stack of papers at his head.
The rest of the morning went by slow, emails and paperwork piling up thick, and by the time noon rolled around, my shoulders were aching, tension coiled tight in my neck. The sun was high and bright outside, light slanting through the windows in hot streaks, and I exhaled slow, dragging a hand down my face.
Victor was already draped half-asleep across the chair, head tipped back and eyes closed, smirk lazy even in sleep. I rolled my eyes, chuckling under my breath, and Clara huffed, smacking a file down on his knee.
He yelped, eyes snapping open wide, and she just snorted, lips twitching. “Wake up, idiot,” she grumbled, eyes glinting. “Your nap time’s over.”
He glared, rubbing his knee with a pout, but I just chuckled, pushing up from my chair with a huff. “Come on,” I muttered, grabbing my jacket. “Let’s get this over with.”
The conference room was bright and sleek, all glass walls and dark wood, and the AC was cool against my skin, chasing off the sticky summer heat. Victor flopped into one of the chairs with a groan, all long limbs and lazy smirk, and I rolled my eyes, dropping into the seat beside him.
Clara was already setting out files, movements quick and efficient, and I drummed my fingers slow against the table, eyes flicking to the door. The clock on the wall ticked slow, every second stretching long, and I huffed, jaw clenching a bit.
And then the door swung open, soft and slow, and two men stepped through, all broad shoulders and dark suits, eyes sharp and steady. My breath stuttered, heart lurching hard against my ribs, and Victor’s mouth fell open, eyes going wide.
“Dorian?” he choked, eyebrows shooting up near his hairline.
My jaw went slack, fingers curling tight around the armrest, and Dorian grinned, all teeth and lazy charm, eyes glinting. “Surprise,” he drawled, voice smooth and warm, and Marcus chuckled, low and rumbling beside him, arms crossed over his chest.
“What the hell—” Victor started, voice cracking a bit, but Dorian snorted, waving a hand.
“Business,” he cut in, grin going crooked. “Thought we’d come pay a visit.”
I stared, mouth working soundless for a moment, and Clara’s eyes were flicking wide between us, papers clutched tight to her chest. “Business?” I managed, voice flat. “You’re kidding.”
Marcus huffed, lips twitching, and he dipped his head slow, eyes glinting. “We wanted to draw a business line,” he said, voice steady and smooth. “Support your investments—maybe even pitch a few.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed, suspicion sharp, but Dorian just chuckled, waving a hand. “Relax,” he drawled, smirk lazy. “No strings attached.”
“Bull,” Victor shot back, eyes slitting. “There’s always strings.”
Dorian snorted, eyes glinting. “Cynic,” he muttered, but his smirk softened, mouth twitching. “Look, we’re just—extending a hand, alright? No catches. No tricks.”
I huffed, shoulders easing a bit, and Victor’s mouth twisted, but he leaned back slow, eyes flicking between us. “I don’t buy it,” he grumbled, arms crossing.
Marcus chuckled, voice warm and rumbling. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, eyes glinting. “We’re in, whether you buy it or not.”
I stared, mind still reeling, and Dorian smirked, eyes softening a bit. “Trini says hi,” he added, voice low, and my heart stumbled, breath catching sharp.
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, words tangling and twisting, and by the time they left, the sun was already dipping low, slanting gold and red through the windows. My head was still spinning, pulse thrumming hard, and Victor was muttering curses under his breath, eyes narrowed sharp.
“Well,” he grumbled, raking a hand through his hair. “That was a goddamn ambush.”
I huffed, chuckling low, and the tension eased slow, warmth blooming soft in my chest.
End of Fated reborn Chapter 256. Continue reading Chapter 257 or return to Fated reborn book page.