Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Ambush
The flashbulbs were blinding.
The grand ballroom of the Voss Plaza Hotel in downtown was packed to the gills with journalists, television cameras, and high-society reporters. The moment the heavy oak doors swung open, the deafening roar of shouting reporters filled the hall like a wave breaking against a cliff.
""Mr. Voss! Is it true?""
""Is the boy legitimate?""
""Who is the mother?""
My knuckles were white as I gripped the podium. Beside me, Nolan looked completely unbothered by the feeding frenzy. His hand rested firmly at the small of my back, his thumb rubbing small, reassuring circles through the fabric of my tailored cream dress. It was an astonishingly gentle gesture for a man whose name was whispered in fear across three state lines.
""Quiet,"" Nolan said simply into the bank of microphones.
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't slam his hand down. But within two seconds, the entire room of seventy aggressive journalists fell into dead silence. The sheer authority radiating from him was terrifying.
""Seven years ago, Nora Vance and I had a private relationship,"" Nolan announced, his voice smooth and commanding. ""Due to security concerns regarding my family's ongoing maritime restructuring, Nora chose to raise our son, Eli, out of the public eye. That chapter is now closed. Eli has been recognized legally as my sole heir. Furthermore, Miss Vance has accepted my proposal of marriage. Our family is united, and any threat, speculation, or interference regarding my wife and son will be treated as an act of direct aggression against the Voss Group.""
A female reporter in the front row stood up boldly. ""Mr. Voss, rumors from the waterfront suggest the boy’s father was actually David Miller, an associate of the North Dock syndicate. Are you simply claiming this child to secure a contested shipping corridor?""
Nolan’s eyes locked onto the reporter. The room’s temperature seemed to plummet instantly.
""You have five seconds to reconsider your line of questioning, Miss Bradley,"" Nolan said, his voice terrifyingly calm. ""Or I will purchase your parent network by noon and terminate your entire division. Choose carefully.""
The reporter swallowed hard, her face turning pale as she slowly sank back into her seat.
""We are done here,"" Nolan declared, taking my elbow and turning me away from the flashing cameras before anyone else could speak.
As we reached the private elevator behind the stage, my knees suddenly gave out from the sheer adrenaline coursing through my veins. Nolan caught me instantly, sweeping an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against his chest. I could smell the expensive amber and cedar of his cologne, feel the steady, rock-hard beat of his heart against my cheek.
""Easy,"" he murmured near my ear, his voice rougher than usual. ""You did well, Nora.""
""You threatened to buy her network,"" I breathed, looking up into his dark, scarred face. ""Are you always this insane?""
""Only when people question what belongs to me,"" he said. His gaze dipped down to my lips for a fraction of a second, heavy with an electric tension that made my breath hitch. Before I could process the look, the elevator chimed, and the heavy doors opened to reveal the top-floor executive suite.
Waiting inside, sitting insolently on the glass conference table with his muddy boots propped on a leather chair, was Tyler.
He looked haggard. His right arm was secured in a thick fiberglass cast, his face mottled with purple bruises from Marco’s handiwork in the alley. Behind him stood two men I didn't recognize—burly, scarred men with heavy coats and dead eyes.
""Hey there, happy family,"" Tyler sneered, a manic grin spreading across his battered lips. ""Congratulations on the engagement, Nora. You moved up in the world real fast for a girl who used to steal day-old bagels for dinner.""
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Nolan didn't step back. He didn't reach for a weapon. He simply stepped slightly to the left, putting his wide shoulders entirely between Tyler and me.
""You have sixty seconds to explain why you are not dead yet, Tyler,"" Nolan said softly. ""Make them count.""
