Welcome to the Circus, Lucius!

Lucius's first day back at Debonair Holdings should've felt like a victory.

New title.

New office.

A front-row seat next to the most powerful man in Country X.

And yet… as he adjusted his tie in the mirrored elevator doors, that tight knot in his throat wouldn't leave.

He wasn't walking in here by choice.

He was walking in because Krishna Debonair had dragged him, by leash and chain, back into the lion's den.

And worse?

Some small, stupid, festering part of him… wanted her to watch.

The moment he stepped onto the executive floor, the air shifted.

Hushed conversations paused.

Heads turned.

Whispers started before he could even make it halfway down the hall.

Lucian stood near the windows, arms crossed, glaring daggers his way like his mere presence stained the carpet.

Lorenzo?

Already pacing inside the boardroom with a pinched expression like he wanted to punch a hole through the glass.

And Harlan…

Harlan sat at the end of the long conference table, unreadable as ever, with the weight of an empire balanced in his stare.

Lucius exhaled, squared his shoulders--

And then he saw her.

Krishna.

Walking in like she owned the whole damn floor.

Gone were the oversized hoodies, ripped jeans, and devil-may-care outfits.

Today?

She dressed for war.

A tailored, deep charcoal suit that hugged her figure like second skin. Crisp white blouse. Black stilettos that clicked with authority across marble. Her dark hair swept into a sleek, low twist at her nape. Minimal makeup, but just enough for her mouth to curve in a subtle, painted smirk.

Professional.

Lethal.

Unapologetically, infuriatingly Debonair.

And worst of all?

Her eyes locked on him like he was the only one in the room worth noticing.

"Good morning, Vale," she said, tone light but laced with meaning only he could hear. "You look… employable."

Lucius bit the inside of his cheek to hide the twitch of his jaw.

He refused to give her the satisfaction.

Inside the boardroom, the meeting started cold.

Lorenzo slammed documents on the table.

Lucian refused to speak to anyone but Harlan.

Harlan simply stared at Lucius for a long, measured beat, before finally, with begrudging authority, introducing him to the board.

"Mr. Lucius Vale will be serving as my new political and corporate advisor. Effective immediately."

Lorenzo opened his mouth to object again, only for Harlan to cut him off with one raised hand.

Decision made.

Final.

Lucius sat, keeping his face blank as the meeting rolled forward… but every so often?

His gaze would drift…

To where Krishna sat at the far end of the room.

Legs crossed.

Arms folded.

Watching him.

And smiling.

Like this had been her endgame all along.

By the time the meeting ended, Lucius stood to leave, only for Krishna to casually fall in step beside him as they walked the length of the corridor.

"You wore the tie I like," she said under her breath.

"I don't dress for you," he muttered back.

Her answering grin?

Downright sinful.

"Sure you don't."

And just like that…

With every step he took toward his new office…

Lucius realized one thing:

This wasn't just a job.

It was a new battlefield.

And she?

Was still several moves ahead.

Lucius had barely settled behind his new desk when Krishna wandered in without knocking, like the office was hers too.

She strolled past him, inspecting the room like she was appraising furniture at an auction, finally claiming a spot on the arm of the visitor's chair. One leg crossed over the other, ankle swinging lazily like she hadn't just hijacked his personal space.

"You gonna redecorate?" she asked, flipping through one of the unopened files on his desk like she had any right.

"I hadn't decided yet," he muttered, barely hiding his irritation.

Before she could needle him further, voices echoed from the hallway.

Lorenzo.

Sharp. Loud. Unfiltered.

"…If you spent half the effort working for this family instead of wrecking its reputation, we wouldn't have to clean up your messes every quarter!"

Lucius froze.

He caught the sound of heavy footsteps, Lorenzo storming past like a hurricane. A second voice followed.

Her father's.

Cold. Measured. Dismissive.

"Let her play. She'll burn out soon enough. Or burn everything down with her."

Lucius blinked.

That tone… Like she wasn't even a person. Just… a nuisance they tolerated.

Krishna?

Still perched on his chair arm like she hadn't heard a thing.

But when Lucius glanced sideways--

He caught it.

That small, fractured flicker.

Her shoulders tensing just for half a second.

Her fingers curling tighter around the file she'd grabbed.

Her smile wobbling… then snapping right back into place.

Like muscle memory.

Like survival.

Lucian's voice joined faintly from the hall. Low. Barely there.

"…Let her be."

No defense. No argument. Just cold observation… like he didn't want to get involved.

Lucius's throat tightened as he watched her flip the file shut and flash him a tired, too-bright grin.

"Anyway," she said, voice light but brittle around the edges. "Welcome to the circus."

"You just gonna sit there and pretend none of that happened?" he asked, sharper than he meant to.

Her smile dropped a fraction.

Then came back twice as wide.

"I'm a Beta in the Debonair family, Vale. You think I made it this far by caring what they say about me?"

Lucius exhaled, hands curling into fists on his desk.

And for the first time…

A dangerous, unfamiliar emotion twisted in his gut.

Not hate.

Not rivalry.

But something disturbingly close to…

Protectiveness.