Surprise!

TERESA'S P.O.V.

The smell of roasted turkey and roasted vegetables filled the dining hall, but I could hardly focus on my plate. Sitting across from Lucian was always an event—he had this way of making everything feel like it was the center of the universe, even in the simple, routine act of lunch. I noticed the faintest smirk on his lips as he leaned back in his chair, those forest green eyes holding some secret that I was sure he was waiting for the perfect moment to drop.

"After lunch, we're going out," he said casually, as if he was mentioning the weather.

I blinked, nearly dropping my fork. "Where are we going?" I tried to sound casual, but I'm pretty sure my voice betrayed a little excitement. Lucian never invited me anywhere. Not since I started living here a month ago; so forgive me for being excited; and besides, it was Lucian Blackwood, anyone would jump at the opportunity to go anywhere with him if he as much hinted at an invitation.

"You'll see," he replied, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious glint. A part of me thought he enjoyed watching me squirm in his presence.

Lunch wrapped up quickly—well, mostly because I couldn't taste anything over the buzzing of nerves—and before I knew it,  we stepped into a towering glass building an hour later, that had the bold words 'Blackwood Creations' plastered out front. Lucian strode ahead, completely unfazed by the sudden hush that fell over the crowd as we entered. I could feel eyes on us—well, on him, mostly. People seemed both excited and terrified, like he was some mythological creature that might breathe fire if they dared to look directly at him for too long. I, on the other hand, was acutely aware of the number of people staring and tried to shrink into myself.

A few men in tailored suits approached, looking a little winded as if they'd sprinted from somewhere. He didn't bother with introductions, didn't even acknowledge the murmurs, he just gave a brief nod to the men that rushed toward him. The men exchanged looks as though they had just received an unexpected royal visit and command as they trailed along obediently. I had to nearly jog to keep up, mentally cursing their long legs. 

"Mr. Blackwood, there's a board meeting in progress," one of them said, his voice trembling a bit.

Lucian glanced at him, clearly unimpressed. "Perfect timing," he replied coolly, before striding down the hallway with a confidence that made even the walls seem intimidated. By the time we reached the boardroom doors, I was breathless.

When the doors were opened, the air inside was thick with tension, like someone had vacuum-sealed it just for Lucian's arrival. Everyone looked up in various stages of shock, some clutching their files like they might need them as shields.

Lucian stepped to the head of the table, commanding silence without even saying a word. I tried to fade into the background, standing awkwardly by the door and fidgeting with the hem of my sweater. But of course, that didn't last long.

"Everyone, meet Teresa Williams," he announced, as if introducing a prized possession rather than, well, me. "She'll be the new CEO of this company."

There was a silence so intense I swear I could hear the collective heartbeats in the room. My own heart had stopped somewhere around the "new CEO" part. Did he just…? Did he say CEO?

I glanced up at him, wide-eyed. "Excuse me?" I managed, my voice squeaking a little. "I—I think you must be joking."

Lucian's gaze swung to me, eyebrow raised, lips twitching with restrained amusement. "Teresa, I don't joke about business. Or much of anything else, really. You wanted to work didn't you? Now work."

One of the board members cleared his throat, looking from me to Lucian with an expression that screamed Is this really happening? Another leaned forward, glasses slipping down his nose as he assessed me like a curious lab experiment.

"Mr. Blackwood…isn't she a bit…" the man hesitated, clearly not wanting to finish the sentence.

"A bit…?" Lucian drawled, his voice edged with that faint, sarcastic amusement that always made me feel like I was being toyed with.

"Um, well, inexperienced, perhaps?" the man finished nervously.

Lucian smirked. "She'll learn." He threw a brief glance my way, the look in his eyes something between a challenge and a promise. "I don't do things halfway."

While I was still in the throes of internal panic, he just nodded, as if to say, "Good luck," and turned to leave the room. Just like that. I wanted to scream after him, "Excuse me, Lucian! You forgot something—ME!" But I couldn't, not with everyone in the boardroom staring at me like I was some exotic animal.

Finally, one of the board members, an elderly man with silver glasses perched on his nose, cleared his throat, looking as bewildered as I felt. "So… Miss Teresa, what are your plans for the company?"

Plans? PLANS? I could barely plan dinner without burning toast, and he wanted me to plan for a whole company? I forced a laugh, trying to look… competent? "Well, I thought, um, maybe… more… sculptures?"

There was a beat of silence, and I wished for a trapdoor under my feet.

One of the other men leaned forward, hiding a smirk. "You're quite the visionary, Miss Teresa."

"Yes! Visionary. Exactly," I mumbled, desperately hoping the floor might open up and swallow me whole.

As I was awkwardly fielding questions, I caught Lucian through the glass walls, leaning casually against the reception desk, watching me flounder with amusement and something that looked suspiciously like satisfaction. He lifted a hand, waggling his fingers at me in a sarcastic wave before he sauntered out of view, leaving me there with a dozen executives and absolutely no clue what I was supposed to do.

If I survived today, I was going to kill Lucian Blackwood. Or at least try.