Chapter 4 – The Unexpected Encounter

⸻

The city was a maze of lights and shadows, a sprawling world of secrets hiding beneath every polished surface. For Serena, stepping back into this realm was like walking through a ghost she thought she’d buried deep in her past.

She had no choice but to come to the city for a crucial meeting—a rare chance to secure a freelance contract that could provide for her and the triplets. The thought of Lucien Vale never crossed her mind—until she walked into the grand ballroom of the Vale Corporation’s gala.

The room shimmered with opulence: crystal chandeliers cast fractured light across the marble floors, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and whispered negotiations. Serena kept her head low, wrapped tightly in a dark coat, determined to blend into the crowd like a shadow.

But fate had other plans.

Her breath caught the moment their eyes met across the room—Lucien’s storm-gray gaze piercing through the noise and the crowd.

Lucien Vale.

The man who had dominated her thoughts, haunted her dreams, and had unknowingly shaped her future.

For a heartbeat, the world seemed to hold still. Serena felt the pounding of her heart, every instinct screaming to flee. But years of survival had taught her to stand her ground.

Lucien’s steps were deliberate as he closed the distance between them, his presence commanding the space. “You’re here,” he said, his voice low, rough, carrying a mix of surprise and something deeper.

“I had business,” Serena answered evenly, forcing calm into her tone.

His eyes flickered to the subtle swell of her abdomen, a silent question hanging between them.

“Is it true?” Lucien’s voice was barely above a whisper, laden with disbelief and restrained emotion.

Serena nodded, her hands instinctively covering the secret she’d guarded fiercely. “Triplets.”

Shock flashed across his face before he masked it with controlled composure. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I needed to protect them,” Serena said firmly. “And myself.”

The tension between them was electric—years of unanswered questions and unspoken feelings swirling in the charged silence.

Lucien’s jaw clenched as memories of Clara, the cold, calculated fiancé, flashed in his mind. “Let me be there for them,” he said urgently. “For you.”

She shook her head, her voice strong despite the storm inside. “Not yet. Not until I know you’re more than a contract, more than an obligation.”

A quiet beat passed as the weight of their shared past settled over them.

Then, before either could say more, a sharp voice cut through the room.

“Lucien, darling, there you are!” Clara appeared, flawless and poised, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly at Serena’s presence.

Lucien straightened, masking the turmoil with practiced ease. “Clara,” he greeted, the tension in his voice thinly veiled.

Serena stepped back into the crowd, her heart racing but her resolve steeled. She had made a promise—to herself and to her children—that she would fight for their future on her own terms.

As the night stretched on, Serena felt the weight of unseen eyes, whispers trailing like shadows. The city hadn’t forgotten her — and neither had the past.

But for now, she was determined to face it head-on.

⸻