Masuk68. Still Falling "Go," she said.That was all.No raised voice. No trembling. Just that one word, quiet and final, like a door being shut from the inside.Lucien looked at her for a moment.She wasn't looking back.Her face was turned slightly away, one hand resting flat against the bed beside her. Like she needed something to press against.He nodded once.And left.The same way he came. No sound. No dramatic pause at the door. He just walked out and pulled it gently behind him, the click of the latch the only proof he had ever been there.She waited until she heard his footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs.Then she put her face in her hands.The sound that came out of her wasn't pretty. It wasn't the quiet, dignified kind of crying she had mastered over three years of marriage to a man who made her feel invisible. This was different. This came from somewhere older. Somewhere she had locked up so tightly she had almost convinced herself it didn't exist anymore.Her shoulders sh
67. And still lost youAn hour ago.The folder sat in his hands and he didn't open it.Not yet.Lucien just stared at it. The dim light from his desk lamp barely reached the edges of the room, and everything outside that small circle of light felt like it didn't exist.Jace had dropped it off without a word. He always knew when not to talk.After a long moment, Lucien opened it.The sound of paper felt too loud for the silence.His eyes dropped to the first page.And stopped.Dahlia Winters.The name just sat there. Plain. Printed cleanly on white paper like it was nothing. Like it hadn't just reached into his chest and grabbed something.His fingers pressed a little harder against the edge of the file.No.That wasn't right. That couldn't be right.He kept reading. Slowly. Each line like he was afraid of what the next one said.Then he got to the photograph.He went still.She didn't look like the Dahlia he knew. Not the woman who moved through rooms like she'd already decided nothin
66. "Little Lia..."Silence lingered. Longer than it should.It stretched between them, thick and heavy like something waiting to break. Liam's fists clenched slowly at his sides. Not enough to be obvious. But enough.His eyes darkened. Not playful this time. Not teasing.Dangerous."You don't have to find him" his voice came. Low and steady.But something under them wasn't. Dahlia's eyes flickered. Just for a second. Confusion. Brief. Gone. "You...." she said, calmly, "are not in a position to tell me what to do and what not to do".It landed wrongly on Liam's chest. His jaw ticked slightly.Without hesitation, Dahlia turned to leave, back straight. Decisive. A step. Two steps. A sudden pull on her wrist. Not tight. Just enough to make her stop in her tracks. However, she didn't turn. She only allowed her gaze to drop to his hand which held her wrist. Quietly. Still. Watching. Liam followed her gaze. And as if he had touched fire, he let go.A breath passed. "I hope you
65. The Queen doesn't move...Silence settled between the duo— sharp and cutting, with Liam's eyes resting intently on her masked face. A low buzz came, slicing the tension in two. Dahlia reached for her phone which was in her pocket. It was Gaux. She picked up. "Yes?" her voice was cool. Dahlia's brows furrowed as the minutes went by, fingers wrapping tightly around the phone. "Alright" she said, tone measured as the call neared its end. "I will handle it". The call ended. Dahlia turned back to Liam whose eyes were still on her, his hands resting easily in his pockets. "You ready?" he asked, the arch of his lips a faint ghost of a smile. Dahlia said nothing. Liam took a step forward. "It's just a game Dahlia" he said, voice low and soothing. "Besides, you gave my brother the chance and now, you both are working on a very huge project together".Dahlia's eyes narrowed. "So, why can't you give me this chance as well?" Liam asked, cocking his head to the side. "I find it rid
64. The Man Behind the MaskMorning arrived. Not fast. Not slowly either. Just calm, enough to hide the tension brewing beneath the surface. Sun rays slid through the curtains of Dahlia's room, resting quietly on her face. She stirred. Once. Twice. Then opened her eyes. A soft sigh slipped from her lips. "Finally" Kimberly's voice came from the side, almost startling her.Dahlia shifted her head to the side. "Kim?" Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"Kimberly moved from where she sat, and settled beside Dahlia, at the edge of the bed. "What time did you get back?" Dahlia asked, blinking her eyes once, to clear the fog clouding her eyes. "Quite late. You slept off on the couch" Kimberly's voice lowered slightly. "I was surprised. You never sleep off on the couch".Dahlia sat up, clutching her head as though that was enough to calm the jab against her skull. "I was just tired" came the easy reply. Kimberly studied her. A beat passed. "Okay" she said. "If you say so". Dahli
63. A Girl from DallasThe black Rolls Royce eased to a stop in front of Dahlia's penthouse.For a fraction of a second, neither of them moved.Just the quiet rhythm of two breaths filling the space between them.Then—"Handle it properly, Mr Voss", Dahlia said calmly.Lucien turned to her, something in his expression softening— barely."You're not going to ask what the problem is?"Dahlia glanced at him, composed as ever."If Mr Voss wanted me to know, I would've known by now".Her lips curved faintly.Lucien looked away, his grip tightening on the steering wheel."I'll tell you when I've handled it".A small pause."That's what I thought too", Dahlia replied.She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for her bag."Thank you for tonight, Mr. Voss. I enjoyed myself". "Mm". His gaze flickered back to her— but only briefly.The door opened. Closed.And just like that— she was gone.By the time Dahlia disappeared behind the doors of her penthouse, the air inside the car had turned sharp.
30. At His side...Next Morning. The conference room at Nine Lives Hotel hummed with quiet precision. Glass walls. Soft lights. A long polished table reflecting the faces that knew how to smile for investors and cameras alike. Mr Fisher sat at the head, relaxed, satisfied. The proposal lay before
28. Pools and positions...The meeting finally came to an end. Lucien left, gloom etched sparsely across his face.The room fell back into silence save for Dahlia's soft tapping on the desk. Her face held no expression but the slight shift in her eyes said otherwise. Gaux walked in. "Miss Winters"
26. A memory of her. Morning arrived in washed out tones, the sky bruised with grey as sunlight edged cautiously forward. It wasn't bright— not yet. Just present, like a truth that had decided not to hide anymore. Lucien remained awake long after the night had passed, standing by the window as if
25. The bathroom glowed in shades of muted gold, steam curling lazily above the marble tub where Diane lounged like a queen in half-shadow. The soft ripples on the bathwater did not match the tension sharpening her gaze.Greta stepped inside, hands clasped, shoulders slightly bowed."Madam Voss… w







