The Lie That Shattered Us

The city outside Lucian's penthouse windows was all glass and stormlight. Rain streaked across the glass, a soft drumming like a heartbeat on the edge of anxiety. Lucian stood motionless and silent in the middle of his study, staring at a thin folder laid out on his desk like a coffin.

Inside it was a copy of Isla's hospital discharge summary.

Five years ago, Claire had handed him this folder with calm cruelty, spilling words of betrayal inside his ears. Her words echoed through the room now, resurrected from memory.

He remembered the words Claire had spoken that night.

"She ended it, Lucian. She chose her career over your child. She betrayed you. She never wanted the baby and that's why she aborted it."

And he had foolishly believed it.

At the time, he needed to.

Because believing Isla had killed their child was easier than believing she'd been forced to.

But now, after everything… he wasn’t sure anymore.

The ache inside his chest intensified.

He sat down slowly, flipping through the