Chapter 3 Shadows In The Dark

Clara laughed softly. It was a quiet sound, but it carried confidence.

"Nice to meet you, Sophia," she said.

Sophia leaned over the table, scanning the documents spread across its surface.

"So this is the famous engagement agreement," she muttered.

The room held its breath while she examined the pages.

Finally she looked up. Her gaze met Clara's directly.

"Impressive," Sophia said slowly. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Clara's smile didn't change. "I think you'll find," she replied calmly, "that I am full of surprises."

The tension in the room thickened again. Jeffery watched the exchange carefully, his expression thoughtful. For the first time since Clara entered the room, he seemed genuinely curious about how things would unfold.

Eventually the chairman cleared his throat.

"I believe we have seen enough excitement for one meeting," he said.

The directors quickly began gathering their papers. "We will reconvene once the engagement is officially announced."

One by one, the board members left the room. Soon only Jeffery, Clara, and Sophia remained. Sophia leaned casually against the table.

"So," she said, looking at Clara. "What's the real story?"

Clara's smile softened slightly.

"This union is just beginning." she said quietly.

Sophia laughed under her breath.

"I can already tell this is going to be entertaining."

She glanced once at Jeffery before walking toward the door. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it."

When the door closed behind her, the room finally fell silent. Jeffery turned toward Clara.

"Well," he said, "that went better than expected."

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Did it?"

‎Jeffery smiled faintly.

‎"The board has accepted the engagement. That means they have no choice but to approve my leadership."

‎Clara nodded slowly. "Yes, "You've won the first round." She said.

‎Jeffery studied her carefully.

‎"And what about you?"

Clara's answer came without hesitation. "I get exactly what I came for."

‎For a moment neither of them spoke.

‎Then the lights flickered for few seconds. The entire room suddenly went dark.

‎Jeffery frowned. ‎ "What the hell..."

‎Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. Clara's expression changed instantly.

‎Jeffery's voice lowered. ‎ "What's going on?"

‎Clara's eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.

‎ "Looks like we're not alone." she whispered.

A blade sliced through the air, metal glinting as it cut toward Jeffery. Clara shoved him hard, throwing him off balance. The knife plunged into her stomach, and she gasped, pain stealing her breath. The attacker muttered something, hesitated, then signaled his partner. They vanished into the shadows.

‎The room fell silent except for Clara's ragged breathing, the faint echo of their retreat still lingering in the air. Jeffery rushed to her side, pressing his jacket against the wound. He could feel the warmth of the blood soaking through the fabric. "Raven's... Clan," she whispered.

‎Jeffery's eyes narrowed, sharp and cold, scanning the room for any sign they might have left something behind. He lifted her, moving quickly, careful not to jostle her more than he had to. Reaching behind the desk, his fingers found the hidden panel. With a quiet push, the wall slid open, revealing the narrow passage behind it. Shadows clung to the edges as he stepped into the darkness. The walls were cool against his arms as he carried Clara down the narrow corridor. The passage ended abruptly in the underground garage.

‎Jeffery eased her into the armored sedan, pressing a cloth to the wound and glancing around the empty space to ensure no one was watching. The engine hummed softly, a quiet but steady presence against the chaos of the night.

‎He spoke into the encrypted line, his voice low and direct. "Office breach. Track Raven's Clan. Lock everything down, all access points, full perimeter." He shifted his focus back to Clara, noting how her breathing was uneven, shallow, but steady enough for now. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face.

‎‎He called his personal bodyguard, Logan, to come to the underground garage. Logan arrived within 3 minutes. He started the engine and drove out of the garage.