𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐑 || 𝐋.𝐌 ✓

➢Chapter 9- Poisoned love

By seven o'clock, Lucius was shaking the hands of a few board members after an impromptu meeting. Their focus now? The restaurants and bars in Malfoy companies nationwide. The bar profits were on a downward turn. In their words, they smelled smoke but didn't see fire. They weren't alarmed yet.

Yet being the operative word. This was Regulus's area of expertise and he'd want to get an early stranglehold on it, a tactic Lucius was in full support of. Once these vultures left the room, he'd tell his friend just that.

  Kenzo O'Sullivan shook his hand next, a smile on his aging face. "Sometimes these things shake out and there's nothing to worry about."

"Sure," Lucius said, but Kenzo's words were meaningless. The forty-minute meeting where they discussed numbers was what mattered. After they closed their leather binders and started talking about drinks downtown, whatever they said was null and void. He refused to feel good about it, but at the same time, this was not his problem.

At least they hadn't brought up his new relationship. He supposed a few more appearances in their vicinity would make them notice.

"Shit," Regulus said from behind him after the last board member was out the door.

Lucius turned to his friend. Regulus scrubbed a hand over his chin. He was frowning. Regulus rarely frowned.

"According to them, you have time."

"I don't want to wait until things go tits up." Regulus folded his arms over his chest. Stubborn pride ran in the Malfoy and Black genes.

"We're in agreement."

"I'd like it if they go back to ignoring me."

"Welcome to the club." Lucius clapped his best friend on the back. "Don't worry. Once they hear about the engagement, you'll fade into the background."

"Let's hope." Regulus stood. "Come out with me. Been a while since we threw back a few beers."

"Like eight years," Lucius said, his tone droll.

Regulus chuckled. "Around that."

In truth, he'd love nothing more than to kick back with Regulus for a while. He and his friend had a shorthand that didn't require a lot of unnecessary chatter.

"Can't," Lucius answered. "I'm seeing Y/n tonight, so my drinks will be had with her. And Grace Dumont."

"The cute brunette."

"No."

"Not interested." His friend held out both hands like he was surrendering. "She's a brand of crazy I don't dig." He swept his legal pad off the boardroom table and walked toward the door. "Tell Y/n I said hi."

"Will do. And, Regulus?"

His friend poked his head back into the room.

"Rain check on the drinks."

"I'll hold you to it, mate." Regulus's lips lifted into a smile. Then he was gone.

Lucius decided to walk to the house just in case the paparazzi showed up. The walk to his house wasn't far, but Lucius felt every mile like it was being branded into his skin. The one thing he hadn't anticipated when Grace suggested the three of them meet at his Manchester home was that his memories of it would rear up and try and take him out.

He'd returned to the house on occasion. It wasn't like he had a phobia, but the structure wasn't what he'd call inviting. The room he and Narcissa shared, the memories they made were etched into the walls. He wasn't going to cower—but he couldn't say he was pleased about the idea of moving in there with Y/n.