Chapter 373: Shadow
The man standing in the doorway carried the kind of presence that demanded space rather than asked for it. Tall, immaculately dressed, the similarity to Kael was both striking and unsettling , he had dark brown hair, the same cut of jaw, but where Kael’s quiet commanded the air around him, this man’s energy filled it like smoke.
"Miss Thorne right?" he said, voice low, cultured, and too smooth. His eyes found me first, a polite smile curving his lips, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "It’s a pleasure meeting you again."
For a moment, my brain fumbled to catch up, recognition dawning in fragments, the face I’d seen on business news broadcasts, in magazines beside his father, and once across a crowded ballroom in Italy.
Andrew Roman.
Kael’s brother.
And the man Kael had once described in the same tone someone might use for a slow poison.
"Mr. Roman," I said automatically, standing up before I even realized it. "I—uh—I didn’t know you’d be here."
His smile widened, practiced and polite. "I imagine you wouldn’t. My visits are... infrequent."
Ash’s posture had changed beside me, a quiet wariness threading through her stillness. She didn’t speak, but the tension was instant, sharp, like static gathering before lightning.
Andrew’s gaze flicked briefly to her, then back to me. "Forgive the intrusion," he said smoothly. "I was told I might find my brother here. But since I don’t..." his eyes held mine a moment too long, "perhaps you’ll do."
The words were harmless on paper. But the way he said them, slow, deliberate, almost testing, made my pulse quicken for reasons I couldn’t explain.
Andrew stepped farther into the room as if things were already going his way, the soft click of his shoes on the floor measuring out the silence. His eyes swept the space, taking in every detail, my desk, the window light, the framed photograph of me, my mom and Olivia that still sat in the corner, before coming back to rest on me.
Then his gaze flicked to Ash. "Ashlyn Stanley," he said, his smile sharpening just a fraction. "Daughter of Stanley Stanley, if I’m not mistaken. My father speaks very highly of yours. The Zephyrcore project, isn’t it? I’ve read your reports. Impressive."
Ash straightened but didn’t step back. "Thank you, Mr. Roman," she said evenly. Her tone was polite, but the careful distance in it was impossible to miss.
He nodded once, apparently satisfied, and then turned his attention fully on me again. "And you, Miss Thorne. It’s been some time since I last saw you... Italy, wasn’t it? At one of Father’s dreadful gatherings. A wedding of his friend’s daughter no?"
"Yes," I said carefully. "You have a good memory."
"I try." His smile didn’t falter. "And now here we are again. Life has a curious sense of timing, doesn’t it?"
I folded my hands together on the desk, trying to keep my posture calm. "If you’re looking for Kael, I’m afraid he hasn’t come in yet."
"Yes I’ve been told," he said lightly. "Unfortunate, really. I came to see him." He paused, watching my face. "I decided it was finally time to take his advice—to stop hiding in the shadows."
That phrasing made something twist low in my stomach. "What do you mean?"
He only smiled, the kind of smile that told you the answer was somewhere you couldn’t reach. "Oh, nothing sinister as you might assume. Simply that it’s time I returned to the light. Father’s empire can only benefit from the presence of both its sons, wouldn’t you agree?"
The way he said it—both its sons—carried the faintest edge, a subtle echo of Ewan’s authority.
He drifted a little closer to the desk, hands clasped behind his back. "It’s curious, though. I come all this way to surprise him, and the man vanishes. But," his gaze caught mine again, steady, amused, "I have a feeling he’ll appear soon enough once he realizes I’m here. Especially when he learns we’ve met."
The implication hung there like a blade balanced on air.
I tried to keep my voice even. "He’ll probably call once he knows you’ve arrived."
"I’m counting on it," Andrew said softly. Then, almost idly, "Tell me, Miss Thorne, how has my brother been these past few months? Focused, I hope. I know he can be... impulsive."
Ash shifted slightly beside me, arms folding across her chest. "Kael’s been running the company efficiently," she said before I could answer. "Everyone can see that."
He looked at her, one brow raised, the faintest glint of interest flickering in his eyes. "Of course. I meant no criticism. Just a little brother’s curiosity. I’ve always looked up to him you know."
He turned back to me. "Still, it must be fascinating, working so closely with him. My brother has a talent for inspiring loyalty... and fear, depending on who you ask."
His tone was still calm, conversational even, but it carried the faintest pulse of dominance, the same invisible weight Ewan used when he wanted to remind people who held the power.
I managed a small, polite smile. "He’s demanding, but fair."
Andrew studied me for a moment longer, as though he were cataloging every word, every hesitation. Then he inclined his head, all charm again. "I’m sure he’s lucky to have you, Miss Thorne."
Ash’s gaze flicked to me, protective, warning. I could feel the air between the three of us growing heavier, as if Andrew’s presence had quietly rewritten the room’s gravity.
"Well," he said finally, straightening his cuffs. "Do let my brother know I stopped by, won’t you? And tell him I’m looking forward to our little reunion."
He turned toward the door, then paused with one hand on the frame. "It’s really good to see you both thriving," he added. "Let’s hope it lasts."
And then he was gone, his footsteps fading down the hall until only silence remained.
Ash exhaled first. "He’s worse than the rumors," she muttered. "What the hell is he doing here?"
I didn’t answer. My eyes were still on the doorway, the echo of his voice lingering in the air, a warning wrapped in civility.
The only thing I could think of...
Where the fuck was Kael?