Novels by halo

“Have we met before?”Lucien asked the question calmly. It did not sound like he was just making small talk.Evelyn did not react right away. She looked him in the eye without blinking. She acted like the answer was simple and did not require any extra thought.“No,” she said.Lucien watched her for a few seconds. Something in his face tightened for a moment. Then his expression went back to being smooth and cold.“Then it does not matter,” he said.He turned away from her just like that.Evelyn let out a quiet breath. She felt the tension in her shoulders start to fade. This was exactly what she wanted. She did not want him to ask questions or try to dig into her past. It was better if there were no connections between them.Lucien walked further into the room. He took off his jacket and placed it neatly over the back of a chair. His movements were very precise. He acted like nothing about this situation bothered him at all.“Dinner is at eight o’clock,” he told her.“Alright,” Evely

Evelyn sat in the back of the car and watched the heavy iron bars swing apart. They moved with a low hum that sounded like a warning. Her fingers rested on the cold handle of her suitcase. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead as the estate came into view. The last time she had been here, she had walked out on her own terms. Even if those terms had been shaped by humiliation, she had still chosen to leave. Now she was coming back because she had no other choice.That difference felt heavy in her chest.The car came to a smooth stop at the front entrance. For a long second, Evelyn didn't move. She just sat there and stared at the massive front doors. Her hand tightened around the suitcase handle until her knuckles turned white. It felt like holding onto it could anchor her in place. If she let go, she might just disappear into the shadows of the house.“Miss Sterling,” the driver said gently.She blinked and pulled herself back into the moment. She nodded once. “Thank you.”The door opene

The house felt quieter than usual that evening. It was the kind of silence that carried weight rather than comfort. Evelyn noticed it the moment she stepped into the dining room. The lights were on and the table was set. But nothing about the space felt warm. Her father was already seated. Arthur Sterling did not look up immediately when she entered. He was staring at something on his tablet. His expression was tight. The lines around his mouth were deeper than she remembered. For a brief second, Evelyn thought about turning around. She wanted to walk out and pretend she had not seen him. But that was not an option anymore. It never had been. "Sit down," he said without looking at her. Evelyn pulled out the chair across from him and sat. She did not bother asking how he was. There was no point pretending. Her mother stood by the sideboard. Her hands were clasped together. She watched them both carefully. That alone told Evelyn everything she needed to know. Margaret only hovered

Lucien hadn’t been able to meet with his father the day before. He had been in a private meeting with the Sterlings and was refused access.He had arrived at the Thorne headquarters earlier than usual, because he hadn’t been able to get a proper sleep.The city was still settling into morning when he stepped out of the car, his expression unreadable, movements precise. The glass doors slid open as he approached, the familiar environment closing around him controlled, efficient and predictable.His mind drifting back to the memories that plagued his nights.“Good morning, sir.”He acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod and kept walking.By the time he reached the executive floor, Alex was already waiting. Tablet in hand, posture straight and a neutral expression“You’re early,” Alex noted.Lucien didn’t respond. Instead, he walked straight past him.“Your father is in his office,” Alex added, fallin

As the gate closed behind her with a click, Evelyn didn’t look back. The road stretched ahead, long and empty, lined with tall hedges that felt more like barriers than decoration. The estate sat too far from the main road, too isolated as if everything about it was designed to keep the outside world at a distance. Herself included. She tightened her hold on her bag and started walking. Her phone was dead. She had checked twice, pressed the power button longer than necessary. As if persistence alone might force it back to life. At first, her steps were steady in a way that matched the composure she had forced onto herself before slipping out of that room. Before hearing his voice. Before….. Evelyn exhaled sharply. No, she thought, forcing herself to focus on the road instead. The faint crunch of gravel beneath her shoes, the dry air brushing against her skin. I’m not interested in

The door closed behing Alex softly.Lucien stood where he was for a moment, the silence setting back into the room as if nothing had been disturbed. The atmosphere from the conversation lingered, Sterling, contracts, already filed away in his mind.He exhaled once then turned slowly towards the inner suite. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, he didn’t remember leaving it that way.He pushed it open. The room looked untouched at first glance. Curtains half drawn, bed undone, a faint crease in the pillows where he had slept. Nothing out of place for a night he barely remembered.He stepped inside, loosening the cuff of his shirt sleeve, then stopped. Something was wrong but it wasn’t obvious. Not immeiately, but the longer he looked, the clearer it became. Not in what he saw, but what didn’t align.Lucien moved closer to the bed, his gaze sharpening. The sheets had been disturbed twice. His jaw tightened.He reached out and pulled back a fold of the silk fabric and that was when he saw