Louis leaned against the frame of the garage wall, phone in hand, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The staff moved around him in a steady blur—drivers adjusting car mirrors, gardeners watering the hedges—but his mind was elsewhere.
With her. He stared at the message he'd just typed, reading it over again before finally pressing send. > Louis: Can we talk? Just you and me. I miss your voice. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and crossed his arms, the familiar tension already settling into his shoulders. She wouldn’t answer right away—he knew her life wasn’t hers anymore. It belonged to every room she walked into, to every title her last name carried. But he also knew her silences well. And he knew she’d come. Just then, his phone buzzed. > Lauren: I’ll find a way. Going shopping today—I’ll text you when we can slip away. He smiThe scent of fresh leather and luxury perfume hit Lauren the moment she stepped back into the brightly lit mall corridor. Her heartbeat was still unsteady, her skin still tingling from Louis’s touch. But her face? Composed. Poised. Untouched by anything but the world of polite society.Just ahead, Camille stood in front of the boutique counter, arms full of designer sandals, chatting animatedly with the store attendant. Her laughter echoed, drawing attention—as always.Lauren took a deep breath to steady herself.Then—she felt him.A familiar warmth, a whisper of presence behind her.Louis.His hand brushed lightly against the small of her back as he passed her, eyes trained ahead, his face unreadable. Not even a flicker of guilt or pride betrayed him. He slipped back into his role with practiced ease, the very image of a disciplined staff member.“Camille,” Lauren called sweetly as she approached, her voice smooth like
The perfume section of the mall buzzed with chatter and the occasional burst of laughter. But tucked at the far end of the hallway, beyond the designer boutiques and glassy storefronts, was a quiet restroom lounge lined with sleek marble counters and golden mirrors. It was here, where the noise dulled and time seemed to still, that Lauren waited.Moments later, the door eased open.Louis slipped in, his figure tall and tense beneath the warm ceiling lights. His eyes found hers instantly.They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to.She stepped forward first."I didn’t think we’d get a chance," Lauren whispered, voice nearly trembling."Me neither," he murmured, eyes softening as he closed the distance between them. "Camille didn’t suspect anything?""She’s busy trying on sandals," Lauren said with a sly smile. "We don’t have much time."Louis reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small velvet b
Louis leaned against the frame of the garage wall, phone in hand, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The staff moved around him in a steady blur—drivers adjusting car mirrors, gardeners watering the hedges—but his mind was elsewhere. With her. He stared at the message he'd just typed, reading it over again before finally pressing send. > Louis: Can we talk? Just you and me. I miss your voice. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and crossed his arms, the familiar tension already settling into his shoulders. She wouldn’t answer right away—he knew her life wasn’t hers anymore. It belonged to every room she walked into, to every title her last name carried. But he also knew her silences well. And he knew she’d come. Just then, his phone buzzed. > Lauren: I’ll find a way. Going shopping today—I’ll text you when we can slip away. He smi
The house was cloaked in silence when Richard pulled up to the estate well past midnight. He killed the engine and leaned back in the driver’s seat, eyes closed for a moment. Clara’s scent still clung faintly to his shirt, and the weight of everything he tried to escape came crashing back in the quiet.He hadn’t planned to stay out that long.Hadn’t planned to feel… anything.He stepped out of the car quietly, expecting the usual—dark hallways, slumbering staff, a wife fast asleep behind a closed door.But as he entered the grand foyer, shrugging off his jacket, he froze.Someone was still awake.“Out late, aren’t we?” came a deep, calm voice from the lounge just beyond the archway.Richard turned his head, surprised.Mr. Moore sat by the marble fireplace, his back straight in a high-backed leather armchair. A low amber glow danced in the fireplace, and beside him, on a small table, were two crystal glasses and
The morning sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains, casting gold streaks across the silk bedsheets.Richard opened his eyes slowly, a dull ache pounding behind them. He blinked, pushing himself upright. The suite was quiet, too quiet. He turned his head.Lauren’s side of the bed was untouched—smooth, cold, untouched.She hadn’t slept beside him. Not truly.He ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the headboard. Last night felt strange. He had tried to get close to her, to reconnect—but her body had been tense beneath his hands, her breath too shallow, her lips too quiet.It was like trying to touch a statue.He sighed and rose to his feet, grabbing his robe. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her silk robe draped neatly over the armchair, her perfume lingering faintly in the air. But she was already gone.Again.Downstairs, the house was slowly coming to life. Staff moving quietly, preparin
Lauren’s hand trembled slightly as she typed beneath the tablecloth, her phone hidden under her napkin. > Lauren: Meet me outside. Near the fountain. Please. She hit send before she could overthink it. Across the room, Louis stood at his post like a statue. Her heart twisted—he hadn’t looked her way once since the toast. He was shutting her out, sealing himself behind the hurt he'd felt when he heard those words about “an heir.” But she wouldn’t let this night end like that. Not with so much unsaid. Moments later, Lauren quietly rose from her seat, murmuring something to Richard about needing fresh air. He barely looked up, too engaged in a conversation about oil shares and real estate with his cousin. She stepped through the side hallway, past the conservatory, and out onto the cool evening patio. The air smelled of jasmine and stone. Crickets chirped lazily under the garden hedges.