Chapter Two: A Stranger’s Ring

The lawyer’s office smelled like leather, silence, and money. The kind of money that didn’t blink. Old money. Cold.

Lucas sat stiff, back straight in a chair that probably cost more than his car. Everything in the room screamed status  polished wood, clean lines, walls that made you whisper. And across from him, Elias. Sitting there like he belonged. Like this was nothing.

But Lucas could see it, just beneath the surface. That quiet tension. Elias looked calm, sure. But his eyes weren’t.

At the head of the long table sat Philip Granger  family lawyer, snake in a suit. Expensive tie, voice like a closing door.

“Well then,” Granger said, fingers laced neatly. “Since Mr. Ward has been declared stable  both physically and mentally  and considering your marriage is still recognized by law, I’ve drawn up an amendment to the prenuptial agreement.”

Lucas blinked. “Sorry… what now?”

Granger didn’t even look at him. “The trust requires your marriage to remain publicly intact for six months. If so, Mr. Ward regains full control of his estate and business holdings.”

Lucas turned to Elias, heart kicking up. “This isn’t what you told me.”

Elias leaned forward a little, voice low. “I didn’t think he’d push it this far. I thought… we’d just need to sign something. Quietly.”

Granger gave the kind of smile that wasn’t really a smile. “A private deal wouldn’t hold up. The family is under scrutiny. Reporters are watching. Your relationship must be consistent, affectionate. Authentic.”

Lucas stood, blood hot in his chest. “Affectionate? He can barely remember my name without notes.”

Elias stood too, trying to calm the rising heat. “Lucas, just listen”

“No,” Lucas snapped. “You vanished. For three years. And now you drop this mess on me like it’s just a business favor?”

Elias didn’t flinch, but his voice softened. “It’s not just about the money.”

Lucas paused. Something in Elias shifted. Honest, even if small.

“I don’t know why,” Elias said, eyes down. “But when I’m near you… it’s like something turns on. I don’t know what it is, but I feel it. And it scares the hell out of me.”

Lucas looked away. His throat felt tight.

“You said no yesterday,” Elias added. “But you didn’t walk away. You stayed.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you,” Lucas muttered.

“I’m not asking you to.”

Granger cleared his throat like he was bored. “The arrangement’s simple. Six months. You’ll receive a monthly stipend. We’ll also schedule public events to maintain the image.”

Lucas glared at him. “So I’m being paid to pretend.”

“You’re his husband,” Granger replied, smooth as ever. “You’ve played the part before.”

The words hit hard.

Lucas sat back down slowly, never breaking eye contact with Elias.

“One thing,” he said. “When the six months are up, you walk away. No more deals. No more ghosting. Just… go.”

Elias hesitated. Then nodded. “Okay. Deal.”

They shook hands. Just like that, it was done.

Lucas Hale was Elias Ward’s husband again.

At least on paper.

The press conference was chaos.

Flashing cameras. Reporters yelling questions. Mics shoved in their faces. Lucas stood next to Elias on the front steps of the Ward Foundation, smile fixed like armor. Elias’s hand was on his back, easy and familiar. Like he remembered how.

He didn’t.

“Mr. Ward!” someone shouted. “What’s it like to come back from the dead and return to your husband?”

Lucas almost laughed. Or threw up. He couldn’t tell.

Elias answered smoothly. “It’s surreal. But comforting. Lucas has always been… my anchor.”

Lucas kept his mouth shut. Just nodded. That was the role.

A few minutes later, they climbed into a black car waiting at the curb. Windows tinted. Quiet.

Neither of them said a word for a while.

Lucas finally broke the silence, still looking out the window. “You’re a good liar.”

Elias didn’t look at him. “You’re not bad at it either. You didn’t flinch.”

“I wasn’t lying,” Lucas said. “I was surviving.”

The penthouse hadn’t changed.

Lucas had only been there once  after their wedding. It felt sterile then. It still did. Clean, rich, cold. Like a hotel nobody lived in.

“I’ll take the guest room,” Lucas said, walking ahead.

Elias nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”

Lucas paused in the doorway. He turned slightly.

“You don’t get to act like nothing happened,” he said. “You don’t get to forget everything and expect me to play along.”

“I’m not pretending nothing happened,” Elias replied. “I’m just… trying to figure out why it mattered.”

Lucas didn’t respond. He walked in, dropped his bag on the bed, and sat down with his head in his hands.

How had he gotten here? Playing house with a man who used to be his whole world  who now barely knew him?

He pulled out his phone and texted Jesse.

L: I said yes. I’m staying.

Jesse: Lucas… please be careful. You don’t have extra lives.

L: Too late. Pretty sure I used mine up already.

Dinner was quiet. Too quiet.

A chef had prepared something French. Lucas didn’t really eat. He spent most of it watching Elias  searching his face for pieces of the man he remembered.

He couldn’t find any.

Elias poked at his plate. “Did I like mushrooms?”

Lucas blinked. “You used to hate them.”

Elias studied one for a moment. “I think I like them now.”

Lucas let out a dry laugh. “Guess some things change.”

Elias looked up. “Did you?”

Lucas stood suddenly, pushing his chair back. “No. I’m still the guy who waited.”

He left before Elias could respond.

Later that night, Lucas sat on the balcony. Hoodie up, knees drawn to his chest. The city was lit up, alive, unaware of the storm inside him.

The sliding door opened behind him. Footsteps. Quiet.

Elias came out but didn’t sit too close. He didn’t say anything for a while.

Then, softly “I had a dream last night.”

Lucas glanced at him.

“I was in this open field,” Elias said. “Someone was there. Laughing. I couldn’t see their face, but they called me… El. That name stuck with me. Weird, right?”

Lucas’s breath caught. “I used to call you that.”

Elias looked at him, surprised. “Then maybe... something’s still in here. Somewhere.”

Lucas turned away. Pulled his hoodie tighter.

“Let’s just get through the six months.”

Elias nodded. “Six months.”

But neither of them really believed it’d be that simple.