Page 57

I stepped forward, planted my hands on the edge of the table, and told them everything.

I didn’t sugarcoat it. From the smug way Caroline had called me by my last name, to Richard’s condescending lectures on Lilianna’s “breeding,” to the veiled threats of dissolving the agreement.

Every word, every look, every implication.The longer I spoke, the darker the mood in the room grew.

Julian finally moved, sitting back in his chair, eyes narrowing.

When I finally finished, Nicolaus was the first to break the silence.

“They’re trying to reassert control. They expected us to keep her pretty and quiet.

Something they could parade as a political alliance and nothing more.

But she’s waking up. Speaking. Living. That threatens everything they built their identity on. ”

“And she’s not even trying to cause a scene,” I added. “She’s just… being herself. That’s what scares them most.”

“She was proud of that post,” Nicolaus told us, sighing as he pushed the glass of wine away from him, “She had Julian and I there with her when she posted it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile like that over something she did on her own.”

The room fell quiet again. For a long moment, the only sound was the distant hum of the refrigerator and the faint creak of the house settling.

“What do we do now?” Christopher asked finally, looking at all of us. “Because I doubt this was a one-time thing. If they showed up once, they’ll do it again. They won’t go away quietly.”

Julian looked at me first. “You were the one they confronted. What’s your read?”

“They’re bluffing,” I said. “They’re furious, yes, but they’re scared too. Scared of losing access, scared of her slipping from their grip. But their threats? They’re weak. The contract holds. Their names are on every line that matters. They know it.”

“But people like them don’t need legality to cause trouble,” Christopher pointed out. “They can manipulate the press, leak things and stir up enough smoke that someone starts to wonder if there’s fire.”

“They want her to feel watched,” Nicolaus said, deadly calm. “They want her to go back on suppressants. Fall in line. Hide herself again.”

My hands clenched. “That’s not going to happen.”

“No,” Julian agreed, his voice quiet but razor-sharp. “It won’t.” A beat passed, and then he leaned forward, eyes landing on each of us in turn.

“We tighten the circle,” he said. “We make sure Lilianna feels secure. Safe. But we prepare. If they push again, we push harder. We protect her privacy, we monitor her socials, and we start talking to Mara about subtle PR defenses—things we can put out to counteract whatever narrative they try to stir up.”

I nodded. “And we stay close. She’s not just figuring out the world—she’s figuring out herself. She needs freedom, yes. But she also needs to know that if the storm comes, we’re the wall she can lean on.”

“We also need to tell her. She trusts us to be honest and I don’t want to lose that trust.” Nicolaus said, his voice low.

Julian's expression darkened. "I know,” he sighed in frustration “I just hate the idea of taking away even a moment of her happiness."

"Her happiness isn't fragile," Christopher said quietly, settling into the chair across from Julian. "She's stronger than we give her credit for. She deserves to know what she's dealing with."

"Tomorrow," Julian decided, his voice firm. "After her conservatory date with me. Let her have that first. One perfect day before we tell her about this."

I nodded, understanding his reasoning. "She'll handle it better if she's had time to feel secure in what we're building together."

"And if they approach her directly?" Nicolaus asked, his analytical mind already working through scenarios.

"They won't," Julian said with certainty. "They're too concerned with appearances. Confronting her in public would risk exposure, and they can't control the narrative if there are witnesses."

"Plus," Christopher added grimly, "they know that if they go near her without our knowledge, they'll have to deal with four very angry alphas. They're cowards at heart—they only pick fights they think they can win."

The weight of that truth settled over us. We sat in the quiet for another moment, each lost in our own thoughts about what protecting Lilianna might require in the coming days.

"I should check the security system," Nicolaus said finally, standing and moving toward his tablet. "Make sure the cameras are functioning properly and that we have clear sight lines of all approaches to the property."

Julian nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. And Miles, can you reach out to your contacts at the stadium? If they're bold enough to confront you there once, they might try again."

"Already planning on it," I replied. "Security should know to keep an eye out for them."

Christopher stood, rolling his shoulders to release some of the tension. "I'll talk to my family's security team tomorrow. They've dealt with entitled parents before—they'll know how to handle discrete monitoring if it comes to that."

"We should also consider having a conversation with Lilianna about personal safety," Julian added, though his voice was reluctant. "Not to frighten her, but to make sure she knows what to do if they approach her when we're not around."

I felt my jaw clench at the thought. "She shouldn't have to live looking over her shoulder because of them."

"No, she shouldn't," Julian agreed, his hazel eyes hard. "But until we know how far they're willing to push this, we need to be prepared for anything."

Nicolaus looked up from his tablet, his expression grim.

"I've been monitoring their social media accounts since the agreement was signed.

They've been more active lately. Subtle posts about 'traditional omega values' and 'the importance of family guidance.

' Nothing directly about Lilianna, but the timing isn't coincidental. "

"Building a narrative," Christopher said with disgust. "Laying groundwork in case they need to play the concerned parents card publicly."

Julian's expression darkened further. "Screenshot everything. Document it all. If this escalates, we'll need evidence of their campaign."

"Already on it," Nicolaus confirmed, his fingers moving efficiently across the tablet screen. "I've also set up alerts for any mentions of Lilianna's name or variations of it across major social platforms."

The methodical way he approached the problem was both comforting and unsettling. It drove home just how serious this situation could become.

"What about her account?" I asked, thinking of the beautiful post she'd shared just hours ago. "Should we increase monitoring there?"

Julian shook his head. "We don't touch her account. That's hers—completely. But we can have Mara keep an eye on the comments and interactions, filter out anything problematic before Lilianna sees it."

"Good," I said, relief evident in my voice. "The last thing she needs is to stumble across some planted negativity when she's just learning to trust her own voice."

Christopher sighed, sinking back into his chair. "They always knew exactly what to say to make her doubt herself. One well-placed comment could undo weeks of progress."

"Which is why we won't let them anywhere near her," I said firmly. "Not physically, not digitally."

Julian nodded, his expression resolute. "Tomorrow, I'll take her to the conservatory as planned. I want her to have that experience without shadows hanging over it. When we return, we'll sit down together and tell her everything. No details spared."

"And if she's upset?" Nicolaus asked, always the practical one.

"Then we support her through it," Julian replied without hesitation. "We don't coddle or shield her from difficult emotions. We just make sure she knows she's not facing them alone."

The clock on the wall ticked steadily, marking the quiet that fell between us. Tomorrow would be a long conversation where I hoped didn’t make her backtrack on the progress she already made.