Chapter 11

Elena had expected Lucien to be alone when she arrived at Vale Tower.

That expectation lasted exactly three seconds.

The moment she stepped through the half-open office door, she found a woman sitting comfortably on the edge of Lucien's desk, one elegant leg crossed over the other as she laughed at something he had said. She was beautiful in a way Elena immediately recognized as dangerous—not because of her appearance, but because she carried herself like someone who had never once wondered whether she belonged in a room. Her dark hair fell over one shoulder, a diamond bracelet glittered around her wrist, and she was wearing a cream-colored dress that looked expensive enough to pay Elena's hotel bill for several months.

The woman reached toward Lucien and adjusted his tie.

"You still wear this color," she murmured. "I remember you used to hate anything that made you look approachable."

"I still do."

"Then why are you wearing it?"

"Because my tailor has terrible taste."

She laughed.

Elena stood in the doorway.

Interesting.

She hadn't expected Lucien to joke.

She especially hadn't expected him to joke with a woman who was touching him like she had every right to.

She knocked on the doorframe.

Both turned.

Lucien's eyes immediately found hers.

For the first time since Elena had met him, he looked genuinely caught off guard.

"Elena."

She smiled pleasantly.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The woman looked between them, then smiled.

"Oh."

Lucien's expression tightened.

"Isabelle."

"What?" She looked innocent. "You told me she was coming."

"I told you I had a meeting."

"And this is the meeting?"

Elena walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"Apparently."

Isabelle looked her over with open curiosity.

"So you're Elena."

Elena stopped beside the chair.

"And you're Isabelle."

"You're very calm."

"Should I scream?"

Isabelle laughed.

"I think I'd like you."

"That's unfortunate. I haven't decided whether I like you."

Lucien sighed.

"This is going well."

Elena glanced at him.

"You could always introduce us properly."

Lucien looked at Isabelle.

"Isabelle Laurent."

Then he looked at Elena.

"Elena Ashford."

Isabelle smiled. "We've met before, technically."

Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Have we?"

"At the Laurent Foundation dinner last year. You were wearing a red dress."

Elena searched her memory and vaguely remembered a woman who had spent most of the evening speaking with Adrian.

"You were with Adrian."

"I was."

Elena's smile disappeared slightly.

Isabelle noticed.

"Don't worry. I wasn't interested in your husband."

"That's reassuring."

"I was interested in someone else."

Lucien's expression remained perfectly blank.

Elena looked at him.

"Of course you were."

Isabelle laughed again.

"He's terrible at telling stories, isn't he?"

"He doesn't tell them."

"Exactly."

Lucien picked up a file from his desk.

"Are the two of you finished?"

"No," Elena said.

"Not remotely," Isabelle added.

Lucien looked at the ceiling as though asking for patience.

Elena pointed toward Isabelle.

"Is she your ex?"

"Yes."

Isabelle answered at the same time.

"Unfortunately."

Lucien looked at her.

"That was unnecessary."

"So was breaking my heart."

Elena's eyebrows rose.

Lucien closed his eyes for a second.

"Isabelle."

"What? She asked."

"I didn't ask for the history."

"You looked like you wanted it."

Elena folded her arms.

"I actually do."

Lucien looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because I'm sitting in your office with a woman who seems to know you very well, and nobody bothered to tell me who she was."

"She's an old friend."

Isabelle laughed.

"Old friend?"

Lucien gave her a warning look.

She smiled sweetly.

"Technically, I was his girlfriend for four years."

Elena stared at him.

Lucien sighed.

"Technically, yes."

Elena looked at him in disbelief.

"Technically?"

"What would you like me to call it?"

"Your ex-girlfriend."

"That is technically correct."

"You're impossible."

"I've been told."

Isabelle covered her smile with her hand.

"I see why he likes you."

The words made Elena pause.

Lucien looked at Isabelle.

"She doesn't."

Isabelle's smile widened.

"Not yet."

Elena felt an unexpected warmth rise into her cheeks.

She immediately hated herself for it.

"Well," she said, reaching for the chair, "this is certainly an interesting meeting."

Lucien motioned toward the chair.

"Sit."

Elena sat.

Isabelle remained on the desk.

Lucien looked at her.

"Are you planning to leave?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I've known you for eight years, and this is the first time you've looked uncomfortable around a woman."

Elena looked at Lucien.

"He's uncomfortable?"

"Very."

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

"Isabelle."

She finally slid off the desk.

"Fine. I'll leave."

She walked toward Elena and stopped.

"It was nice meeting you."

"You too."

Isabelle leaned slightly closer.

Then, in a voice just loud enough for Elena to hear, she said, "He doesn't let people into his private life easily."

Elena glanced at Lucien.

"Apparently."

Isabelle smiled.

"Be careful with him."

Elena's eyebrows lifted.

"Why?"

Isabelle looked toward Lucien.

"Because once he cares, he cares far more deeply than he lets anyone see."

Lucien's expression hardened.

"Goodbye, Isabelle."

She laughed softly and walked out.

The door clicked shut.

Silence settled over the office.

Elena turned slowly toward Lucien.

"Four years?"

"Yes."

"You were together for four years."

"Yes."

"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?"

"You never asked."

She stared at him.

"That's your defense?"

"It's a fact."

"It's a terrible defense."

"I wasn't aware I was on trial."

"You are now."

Lucien leaned against his desk.

"Fine. Ask."

Elena crossed her arms.

"Why did you break up?"

"She wanted something I wasn't prepared to give her."

"What?"

"A normal life."

Elena studied him.

"You don't want a normal life?"

"I don't think I've ever had one."

"That's not what I asked."

He was quiet.

She waited.

Eventually, he said, "My life isn't simple, Elena. Neither is the world I live in. Isabelle wanted marriage, children, a house somewhere quiet. She wanted me to come home at six in the evening and complain about dinner with her."

Elena smiled slightly.

"That doesn't sound terrible."

"It wasn't."

"Then why didn't you give it to her?"

"Because I knew I couldn't promise I'd stay."

Her smile disappeared.

"Because of your work?"

"Because of me."

Elena didn't immediately answer.

Lucien continued, "People see money and power and assume those things are the difficult part. They aren't. The difficult part is knowing what you're capable of losing."

She looked at him carefully.

"Did you love her?"

"Yes."

The honesty surprised her.

"And you still let her go?"

"I loved her enough not to give her half a life."

Elena looked down.

There was something unexpectedly sad about that answer.

"She still loves you."

Lucien didn't respond.

"She does," Elena continued. "I could see it."

"You've known her for five minutes."

"I know what it looks like when someone hasn't gotten over a person."

His eyes settled on her.

"You would know."

Elena's expression changed.

"That's low."

"I wasn't talking about Adrian."

"You were."

"No."

"Then who?"

Lucien stepped closer.

"You."

Her breath caught.

He stopped a few feet away.

"You keep talking about Adrian as if you're completely finished with him, but every time his name comes up, you tense."

"Because he betrayed me."

"I know."

"Then don't confuse anger with love."

"I don't."

"Good."

"I've been angry too."

She looked at him.

"At who?"

"People who hurt me."

"And what did you do?"

"What I always do."

"What?"

Lucien's expression became cold.

"I made sure they regretted it."

Elena believed him.

Completely.

She looked away before asking, "Would you do that for me?"

The question escaped before she could stop it.

Lucien was silent.

Then he said, "If you asked."

She looked back at him.

"And if I didn't?"

"Then I'd respect your decision."

"Even if Adrian hurt me again?"

"Especially then."

Elena stared at him.

Nobody had ever answered her that way.

Adrian had always wanted to decide what she needed. Her father had always wanted to decide what was best for the family. Even Vivian had spent years telling Elena what she should forgive.

Lucien was the first man who seemed willing to let her choose.

That frightened her.

Because she was beginning to understand why that felt so different.

Lucien returned to his desk and picked up a file.

"I didn't ask you here to discuss Isabelle."

"Clearly."

"I found something."

Elena's attention immediately sharpened.

He opened the file and slid a photograph across the desk.

She picked it up.

Her heart stopped.

Adrian stood outside a hotel, talking to a man whose face was partially hidden by the angle of the photograph.

She recognized the silver ring on his right hand.

Her fingers tightened around the picture.

"That's Marcus."

Lucien watched her closely.

"Your father's business partner?"

"Yes."

"When did you last see him?"

"Three days ago."

"Before your father disowned you?"

"Yes."

Elena looked at the photograph again.

"Why was he meeting Adrian?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know where?"

"Hotel Beaumont."

Her eyes narrowed.

"That's where Adrian took me on our anniversary."

Lucien's expression changed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She turned the photograph over.

There was a date written on the back.

Elena's face went pale.

"Lucien."

"What?"

She pointed to the date.

"This was taken two days before Adrian told me he wanted a divorce."

Neither spoke.

The implications settled between them.

The affair hadn't simply destroyed her marriage.

Something had been happening before she ever knew she was in danger.

Lucien reached across the desk and gently took the photograph from her trembling fingers.

"Elena."

She looked at him.

His voice softened.

"We're going to find out what happened."

She swallowed.

"You promise?"

Lucien held her gaze.

"No."

She frowned.

"No?"

"I don't make promises I can't guarantee."

He paused.

"But I'll give you something better."

"What?"

His eyes remained fixed on hers.

"I won't stop until we know the truth."

For some reason, that was far more reassuring than a promise.

And neither of them noticed the woman standing outside the closed office door.

Isabelle Laurent had returned for her handbag.

She had heard enough.

Her expression had changed completely.

She pulled out her phone and typed a single message.

'Lucien is falling for her'

After a moment, another message arrived.

'Then Elena Ashford needs to be removed before he realizes it'