Chapter 7

Lia’s POV

The next few days passed in a blur.

I threw myself into work, clinging to the comfort of deadlines and spreadsheets. Logic, structure, control — things that didn’t lie, things that didn’t cheat.

But no matter how much I tried, Ethan’s reappearance hung over me like an unfinished chapter I didn’t want to reread.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face — the guilt, the regret. I didn’t want to care, but some part of me, small and tired, still flinched at the sound of his voice in my memory.

It scared me — how even a ghost from the past could still stir something in me.

---

Lucien noticed, of course.

He had this uncanny ability to read people — to sense when you weren’t okay, even when you wore the perfect mask.

He didn’t push, not at first. Just quieter glances, a longer pause in his words, a subtle shift in how close he stood beside me.

By Thursday, he finally asked.

“You’ve been… somewhere else lately,” he said, leaning against the doorway of my office. His tone wasn’t accusing, just careful. “You want to tell me why?”

I stared at my laptop screen a moment longer, pretending to type. “It’s nothing.”

“Lia.” His voice was gentle, but it carried that unshakable firmness. “It’s not nothing.”

I sighed, finally looking up. “Someone from my past found me.”

He frowned slightly. “Someone bad?”

“Someone I used to love.”

Lucien didn’t react, not the way I expected. He didn’t tense or look jealous. He just nodded once, his expression unreadable. “And what does he want?”

“To undo what he did,” I said bitterly. “But some things can’t be undone.”

Silence stretched between us.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was soft. “People like that don’t come back because they love you. They come back because they hate losing control.”

His words hit deeper than I wanted them to. Because he was right. Ethan never handled losing well — not business, not power, not people.

“Be careful,” Lucien added quietly before turning to leave. “He’ll test how much of your heart is still his.”

And that night, I realized how frighteningly true that was.

---

The storm came two days later.

I was walking out of Hayes Corp after a long meeting when I saw him — Ethan — leaning against his car across the street. A black suit, dark sunglasses, and the same arrogance that once made my knees weak.

I wanted to turn around, pretend I hadn’t seen him. But he saw me first.

“Lia,” he called, crossing the street.

I stiffened. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not? You’re not hiding anymore.”

His tone wasn’t cruel, but the familiarity in it made my stomach twist.

“I told you, I’m done with the past.”

“And yet you still look like her,” he said, stepping closer. “You still wear the same perfume. You still flinch when I say your name.”

I took a step back. “Don’t analyze me, Ethan. You lost that right the moment you put your hands on her.”

He flinched, guilt flashing in his eyes. “Selene was a mistake.”

“No,” I said, voice trembling. “I was your mistake. I was the one who loved you enough to believe you’d never hurt me.”

For a moment, he looked… destroyed.

“I can’t undo what I did,” he whispered. “But I can make it right. Just… give me a chance to talk.”

Before I could reply, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

> “She said she’s done talking.”

Lucien.

He stood behind Ethan, calm but sharp — his tone low, protective in a way that made my chest tighten.

Ethan turned, recognizing him instantly. “Lucien Hayes,” he said dryly. “Of course.”

“You seem surprised,” Lucien replied coolly. “You didn’t think I’d let her stand here alone, did you?”

Ethan’s jaw clenched. “You think you know her? She’s not who you believe she is.”

Lucien stepped forward. “Neither are you.”

The air crackled between them — power, ego, and something darker.

“Do you even know who he is, Aria?” Ethan turned to me suddenly, his voice sharper now. “Do you know how many people he’s ruined to build his empire?”

“Enough.” Lucien’s voice was low, but dangerous. “Walk away, Black.”

Ethan smirked. “You can’t protect her forever. She deserves the truth.”

Lucien’s eyes flickered — just briefly — and that tiny hesitation hit me like a cold wave.

I looked between them. “What truth?”

Neither answered.

Ethan’s smirk deepened, like he’d found the crack in the armor. “He didn’t tell you, did he? Typical.”

Lucien’s voice dropped. “Not here.”

But I was already shaking my head. “No, Lucien. Whatever he’s talking about, say it.”

Lucien’s jaw worked, but before he could speak, Ethan’s words sliced through the air.

> “He used to work for me.”

Silence.

I blinked. “What?”

Ethan’s eyes met mine. “Hayes Corporation. His first company? Funded by Black Corp. And when he couldn’t play by the rules, he stole half my clients and vanished.”

Lucien didn’t deny it.

He just stood there, still, composed, but his silence said everything.

Ethan took a step closer to me. “You think he’s better than me, Aria? He’s not. He’s just better at hiding his sins.”

The world tilted, déjà vu slamming into me — the same chaos, the same betrayal, just a different man standing in front of me.

Lucien finally spoke, voice rough. “I made choices I’m not proud of. But I never lied to you.”

I looked at him, tears burning behind my eyes. “Then why does it feel like everyone always does?”

Neither of them moved as I turned and walked away — again.

Because maybe that’s what I was meant to do.

Walk away until I finally walked into peace.