Her War, Not His

Lucius sat stiff-backed on the edge of her couch, hands clenched into fists on his knees, still wearing the leftover bruises from their corporate war like invisible shackles around his pride.

He should hate her.

After all she'd done, after the public humiliation, after stealing the floor from under him, after making him feel small in every boardroom they'd crossed swords in.

He should hate her.

But sitting here… in her space… watching her move with lazy, deliberate ease…

Hate was getting harder to hold onto.

Krishna lounged opposite him, legs tangled in a loose mess over her chaise like she didn't have a care in the world.

But the air?

Heavy. Electric.

Like something far bigger than both of them sat unspoken between the walls.

Aaron knelt obediently near her, head still resting on her lap like some love-struck, overgrown retriever. Once in a while, she would brush his crotch with her toes, making him gasped every time.

And Lucius? Poor Lucius, confused, whether to feel aroused or disgusted by the scene. Seeing an Alpha, twitching, flinching, in every touch this woman makes.

But underneath it all, he, himself, acknowledges, Krishna fully knows what she's doing. How to make her pet keep coming back for more.

Lucius almost sneered at the sight,

Almost.

Until she spoke.

"So…" Krishna broke the silence, her tone light but her gaze sharp enough to carve bone. "You're going to work for me."

Lucius's throat tightened.

"You don't own me."

Her responding grin… slow, tired, but unmistakably amused.

"Yet here you are."

Her words struck harder than he expected.

Because she wasn't wrong.

"I'm not asking you to bark on command," she added, voice dipping low with meaning. "You're not an errand dog like Aaron."

At the sound of his name, Aaron tilted his head upward, smiling like a man perfectly happy with his leash.

Lucius bit the inside of his cheek.

Stay angry, he told himself. Stay angry at her.

But…

Her next words stopped him cold.

"I'm putting you back where you belong," she said, smoothing a hand down Aaron's hair, but her gaze locked on Lucius.

"Back… where?" he asked carefully.

"Inside Debonair Holdings. I've already drafted the request for Harlan. You'll be placed close to him. Secretary. Political Advisor. A seat at the door to the top floor." She smiled, but something flickered at the edges, like the smile cost her something to hold.

Lucius blinked.

"Why would you—?"

And then she said it.

Clear. Unapologetic.

With none of the usual teasing deflection.

"Because I need someone I can control inside that company. Someone I can trust to watch my back… even if I had to break them first to get it." Her voice dropped lower. "Someone smart enough to figure out I'm not doing this for fun. Or for you. Or even for pride."

She took one step closer.

"I'm doing this because I'm disposable."

The words hit him like ice water down his spine.

Her smile? Still there. But thin. Brittle around the edges.

"Do you have any idea how many years I've spent knowing one wrong move… one wrong scandal… one wrong day… and I'm gone?" she said, voice quieter now. "I'm not a Debonair. Not really. I'm the Beta-born mistake they're too embarrassed to fully claim and too afraid to completely erase."

Lucius's stomach sank.

He stared at her… and for the first time…

Saw her.

Not just the bratty Beta who ruined him in a boardroom.

Not just the girl who twisted Alphas around her finger like toys.

But the survivor.

The girl clawing for power with bloodied hands because it was either climb…

Or die at the bottom of the family food chain.

His throat tightened.

And just like that…

The sharp burn of anger he'd been holding onto for weeks…

Flickered…

And died.

Krishna stepped even closer, leaned down, and tipped his chin up with two fingers, gentle, but firm.

"So now, Lucius Vale…" she whispered, eyes burning gold with quiet authority. "Are you going to help me stay alive… or do I have to break you all over again just to get you moving?"

Lucius swallowed hard.

His lips parted to speak… but the words stalled.

Respect… grudging… but undeniably real…

Settled deep in his chest.

"…You're smarter than anyone gives you credit for," he finally said hoarsely.

Krishna grinned.

"Yeah. Funny how no one notices until it's too late."

Then she stepped back, grabbing her phone.

Already texting her father.

Lucius sat there, still frozen in place…

Realizing he wasn't looking at a villain anymore.

He was staring at a queen…

Fighting for her crown…

One brutal move at a time.

And whether he liked it or not…

He'd already been pulled into her war.

And he'll deliver, what's needed of him.