Hello! I am so sorry for being terrible at updating! I've been really busy lately and haven't had a lot of time or access to my laptop to write. Thank you to anyone still reading this, like actually you are the real heroes. (and to that person with that really detailed death they envisioned for Tamlin I'm really sorry Tamlin made an appearance in this chapter now, but he had to eventually! Sorry! haha)

There was an almost visible tension at dinner. Tamlin had come back from some out of town meeting and talked with Lucien in his office, which Feyre was not permitted to enter. When they had emerged, Tamlin was clearly in… a mood.

Feyre ate her dinner in silence while Lucien kept his eyes trained on his own plate.

Eventually Tamlin cleared his throat. "So, Feyre. Lucien tells me you've been offered a job."

Feyre shot Lucien a betrayed look to which he met with a grimace and refused to meet her glare.

"I didn't just get offered a job."

"Oh?" Tamlin asked swirling his wine glass.

"I accepted a job."

Tamlin's face blanked and Feyre wasn't sure if she imagined the sound of a tiny crack, perhaps from him gripping his glass too tightly. Lucien desperately tried to look like he wasn't in the room as his eyes implored Feyre to take things slowly.

"You don't even know how to make coffee."

"I can learn."

"You've never had a hospitality job before."

"It'll be refreshing."

At that Lucien laughed. "Tam if she wants to learn how most people treat workers in the food industry I think it would be a great learning opportunity."

Lucien was trying to make it sound like something Feyre would drop when she realised how hard it was to work in the food industry, helping as best he could, even if he didn't realise how serious Feyre was.

Tamlin with great care, placed his glass on the table and set his hands in his lap, but not before Feyre saw how they trembled.

"Are you unhappy here Feyre?"

Shock flashed across Feyre's face. She had not considered how hurt this would make Tamlin feel. She reached her hand across the table to brush his arm.

"No. It's not that Tam. I am happy. I just need something to do when you're not around."

"I can't help my job Feyre."

"I know! But I go crazy being cooped up in this house all day. Tamlin please. This isn't me being unhappy with you. I'm not acting out. I'm just… bored."

"Do you think I'm not providing you with enough?"

Feyre held in an indignant sound at how stubborn he was being. "It's not about the money. It's about the freedom."

Feyre waited as Tamlin seemed to mull this over. When Feyre went to speak again Lucien gave a pointed cough, followed by a warning glare. So Feyre waited in silence while Tamlin decided on whether she would be allowed to work.

"Lucien drives you there and back home after every shift."

Feyre blinked once. Then twice. She was overjoyed and annoyed all at once. She was allowed to work, but as Rhys put it, she would have a guard dog escort her to shifts like she couldn't be trusted. But Feyre knew it was more likely that Tamlin just wanted her to be safe and to know where she was.

At her hesitation, Lucien started nodding encouragingly at her from the corner of her eye.

"Okay."

"That's settled then. Now moving on-"

"Lucien doesn't come in to my work ever though."

"Excuse me?" Tamlin asked, his mouth forming a thin, perfect line.

Feyre tried to calm her breathing as both males looked at her in confusion. "My work has to remain mine. Just like your work is your own business. I don't want other staff thinking I have a crazy stalker or have to be walked to and from work."

Feyre couldn't risk having Lucien waltzing in whenever he felt like it. It would be terrible for him to enter and see Mor was her boss, let alone if he opened the door to see that Rhysand was not only a frequenter of the shop, but also a part owner.

Lucien placed his head in his hands in defeat but surprisingly, Tamlin nodded. Albeit a very stiff, and singular nod, but it was a nod. He stood, shoving his chair away from the table with enough force for it to hit the wall behind it and Feyre recoiled.

"Lucien you should congratulate Feyre on her new job."

Lucien wisely remained silent, barely daring to breathe as Tamlin continued.

"Congratulations Feyre. I hope you can finally find freedom in your life, which is something I can apparently, not provide. Not like the way I provide for you or your family."

And with that he stormed out of the room. Lucien winced at the sound of Tamlin's heavy footsteps ascending the stairs to their bedroom.

"Congratulations Feyre. Now we're both in trouble." Lucien said with sad smile.

"Don't act like this is my fault."

"Well… it is?"

Feyre huffed. "Please. He's been in a mood ever since he got home."

"Yeah. Because I told him about your little job hunting scheme."

"I didn't go out with the purpose of getting a job."

Lucien carefully studied her. "Now that I can believe. So who is your boss anyway? Odd that they'd offer up a job to just anyone who came in to their shop."

Feyre squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "She was just a nice lady who thought I could do with some honest work."

"Okay, yep. And what would this nice lady's name be?"

"Morgan." Feyre quickly replied. Because honestly, Feyre assumed 'Mor' had to be some sort of nickname.

Lucien didn't appear satisfied but dropped the issue. His whole body still seemed stressed to Feyre however, as she came to sit next to him.

"Lucien. What's going on?"

He sighed, running a hand through his long, red hair. "Tamlin's being offered a great development deal by some big company."

"Well, that's good isn't it?"

"Yeah it's good. Too good to be true. Tamlin thinks not all the details are being brought up on purpose."

"What's the company?" Feyre didn't know much about what, or how, Tamlin made his money, according to Lucien it was through dabbling in all sorts of investments, but she might have heard of the company in recent news.

"It's a building company called Hybern."

"Never heard of them."

"They buy land and put up housing, businesses, buildings, basically whatever they want, as long as it makes money."

"And they want to buy up land around here using Tamlin's money?"

Lucien smiled grimly. "Something like that. Feyre, listen just do us all a favour and don't bring it up, okay? You've done enough damage for one day."

And with that Lucien left Feyre alone at the dining table.