Billionaire's Hidden Desire**

Chapter 34: Shadows of the Past

The hospital was bustling with life as usual, but within the quiet corners of Ivy’s room, the world felt still and isolated. Lucien had stayed at her bedside, holding her hand as if it was the only thing anchoring him in reality. Ivy was recovering, but her body was still frail from the complications of her emergency surgery, and their baby was fighting to grow stronger in the neonatal unit.

Lucien's mind was filled with the drama that had unfolded, the betrayal of old friends, the enemies made, and the dark alliances exposed. But even with Victor and Alessandra neutralized for now, something still didn’t sit right with him. A sense of foreboding gnawed at him, a feeling that there was a piece of the puzzle still missing.

Lucien’s phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was a message from Gerald, who had continued digging into Victor’s connections even after the press conference. The text was brief but urgent: “We need to meet. There’s something you need to see.”

Lucien carefully squeezed Ivy’s hand, whispering softly, “I’ll be back soon, love.” He kissed her forehead gently and made his way out of the room, his thoughts racing. Gerald was waiting in one of the hospital's private meeting rooms, his expression grim as he gestured for Lucien to take a seat.

“What’s this about?” Lucien asked, his voice edged with impatience.

Gerald slid a folder across the table. “We did a deeper dive into Victor’s network. Turns out, there’s more going on than just the business rivalry. We found evidence that links Victor to a series of offshore accounts, and more disturbingly, some transactions point to a third party—someone who’s been pulling strings behind the scenes.”

Lucien frowned, flipping through the documents. The accounts were linked to shell companies, and the names of these entities were buried under layers of legal protection. But one name kept appearing—“The Foundation.” It wasn’t just one company; it was an intricate web, each thread leading back to a single source.

Gerald continued, “It looks like Victor and Alessandra were being funded by this entity. The Foundation has been financing their moves against you. We don’t have a clear picture of who’s behind it, but whoever it is has been orchestrating these attacks with precision.”

Lucien’s eyes darkened. “So Victor was just a puppet. And Alessandra… She was never smart enough to pull off something this elaborate on her own. But why target me? And why now?”

Gerald shook his head. “I don’t know. But it’s clear that this isn’t just about business rivalry anymore. Whoever The Foundation is, they’ve got bigger plans, and you’re right in the middle of it.”

Lucien leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. “We need to find out who’s behind this. Dig deeper, find the connections. If they’ve been funding Victor, there has to be a paper trail we can follow.”

As Gerald nodded and left the room to continue the investigation, Lucien felt a chill run down his spine. The idea of a hidden adversary, manipulating events from the shadows, filled him with a sense of urgency he hadn’t felt before. Victor and Alessandra had been reckless and greedy, but this—this was calculated, deliberate, and far more dangerous.

Returning to Ivy’s room, Lucien watched her sleep peacefully, unaware of the new threat looming over them. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, that every move they made was being scrutinized by unseen eyes. He needed answers, and fast, before The Foundation could make their next move.

Days turned into restless nights, with Lucien coordinating with his security team, financial analysts, and private investigators, all working to unravel the mystery of The Foundation. The deeper they dug, the more complex the web became. There were connections to old competitors, whispers of bribery and corruption, and a network that spanned across continents.

It wasn’t long before Lucien’s efforts began to pay off. A name surfaced—Margot St. Clair, a powerful figure in the world of high finance and corporate takeovers. Margot had a reputation for her ruthless business tactics, often described as the shadow broker of hostile takeovers. She never played her hand directly, always working through intermediaries and proxies, her true motives never clear.

Lucien’s blood ran cold. Margot St. Clair had a long history of targeting companies just like Blackwood Enterprises. She thrived on chaos, using the downfall of others to build her empire. And now, it seemed, Lucien was her latest target.

It all started to make sense. The sabotage, the threats, even Victor and Alessandra’s involvement—it was all part of Margot’s grand scheme to destabilize Lucien and take over his company. But why? What did Margot want with Blackwood Enterprises?

Lucien’s phone buzzed again. This time, it was a video message. He hesitated before opening it, the screen flickering to life to reveal a dimly lit room. A figure stood at the edge of the frame—Margot St. Clair herself, her sharp eyes fixed on the camera.

“Hello, Lucien,” Margot’s voice was calm, almost amused. “I’m sure by now you’ve figured out that I’m the one behind all this. I wanted to introduce myself properly. You see, Lucien, your company has something I want. Something I’ve been after for a long time. And you… you’ve become quite the obstacle.”

Lucien’s jaw tightened as he watched her speak, his mind racing with questions.

“I could have taken Blackwood Enterprises in a dozen different ways, but I wanted to see how you’d handle a little pressure. So far, you’ve done better than I expected. But this is far from over, Lucien. You’ve only seen the beginning.”

The screen went dark, and Lucien stared at his phone, the weight of Margot’s words sinking in. This wasn’t just a takeover; it was a game—a twisted game where Lucien was the prey, and Margot was the hunter. And she had no intention of stopping until she had everything she wanted.

Lucien knew he had to act quickly. He couldn’t afford to let Margot’s games continue, not with Ivy and the baby’s lives at stake. He needed to find out what Margot was after and why she had set her sights on him. And most importantly, he needed to bring The Foundation’s operations to light before Margot could strike again.

As Lucien prepared to face this new threat, he felt a renewed sense of resolve. Margot St. Clair may have thought she could manipulate him, but she was about to learn that Lucien Blackwood was no one’s pawn. He would protect his family and his company, no matter what it took.

With Gerald, Alex, and his team by his side, Lucien began to piece together a strategy to dismantle The Foundation’s network and expose Margot’s plans to the world. It was a dangerous path, but Lucien was ready. For Ivy, for his child, and for everything he had built, he would fight back against the shadows, bringing light to the darkness that threatened to consume them all.