CHAPTER 51: UNANSWERED ACCUSATIONS

Lucian’s POV

​I stood outside Genevieve’s guest chamber, my mind a chaotic storm. I told myself I didn't care about Eva—that she was merely a pawn in a larger game, a mouthy maid who happened to wear my ring. Yet, the thought of someone deliberately hurting her, of pushing her down those cold stone stairs to strip her of her memories, stirred a quiet, dangerous rage in my chest.

​I knocked sharply on the heavy oak door.

​Moments later, the door swung open. Genevieve stood there in a powder-blue silk gown, her eyes widening in genuine astonishment. "Lucian? I am surprised to see you here."

​"I need to speak with you privately," I said, stepping past her into the room without waiting for an invitation.

​Genevieve gestured toward a plush armchair, her tone cautious. "You may take a seat, though I doubt we will be here long. It sounds serious... is everything well?"

​"Did you push Eva?" I asked point-blank, ignoring the chair and fixing her with an icy stare. "Are you the reason for her loss of memory?"

​Genevieve froze. The color drained from her face before a flush of sudden anger took its place. She stood up straight, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. "What? What are you—why on earth would you say that?! Who told you such a thing?!"

​I raised an eyebrow, my voice dropping into a dangerous lull. "You haven't denied it. That isn't a no."

​"Why would you even entertain the thought that I would do something so monstrous to Eva?!" she gasped, taking a step backward.

​"Because it is awfully suspicious," I replied, pacing slowly around the room. "You were desperate to marry me. We were practically arranged. Then I marry a maid, and instead of flying into a rage, you become her sudden, devoted friend right after her memory vanishes. Why are you so calm about this entire situation?"

​Genevieve let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "So, because I did not lose my mind or throw a hysterical fit over you marrying someone else, you assume I am a villain? You think I am the reason she lost her memory?!"

​"It is a distinct possibility," I murmured, watching her every flinch. "One I am currently investigating."

​"I cannot believe this. How utterly arrogant are you, Lucian?!" Genevieve yelled, her eyes burning with fury. "Do you truly think I am so obsessed with you that I would commit an evil crime against another woman just to have you?! Let me remind you, I barely know you! You have never given me a single reason to care that deeply about you!"

​I narrowed my eyes at her. "Then why are you still staying in my house?"

​"Because I do not want to face my mother yet!" she snapped defensively. "I already explained this to you!"

​"It doesn't make sense, Genevieve," I countered smoothly. "You are wealthy. You could buy an entire estate of your own in the city instead of hiding in my guest wing because of your mother."

​"You don't understand... it is not that simple!"

​I stepped closer to her, the air between us turning lethal. "Listen to me very carefully. If I find out that you are the reason Eva lost her memory, I will not hesitate to kick you—and your entire family—out of Valenridge for good."

​Genevieve gasped, clutching her chest. "Are you threatening me? Are you seriously threatening me right now?!"

​"Yes," I said softly. "I am."

​Genevieve stared at me for a long, heavy moment. A dark, cynical smile slowly formed on her lips, though her eyes were filled with absolute contempt.

​"Wow," she whispered, shaking her head. "Okay, Lucian. When you finally realize who actually did it to her, I will be right here, waiting for you to crawl back and apologize."

​I didn't give her the satisfaction of a reply. I turned on my heel and pulled open the chamber door, sweeping out into the dark hallway without looking back.

Eva’s POV

​The brisk evening air settled over the estate grounds as I sat on a stone bench in the garden, wrapped tightly in my heavy coat with a book resting in my lap.

​Lately, fragments of my past had been resurfacing—flashes of places, faces, and quiet conversations. Yet, the main piece of the puzzle remained maddeningly out of reach: I still couldn't remember how or why I had ever agreed to this ridiculous, coerced marriage with Lucian in the first place.

​"Mind if I join you?"

​I looked up to see Leo strolling down the stone path, holding a small wooden lute in one hand.

​I offered a soft smile. "Of course you may sit."

​Leo took a seat beside me, setting the instrument across his lap before gesturing toward the leather-bound book in my hands. "Ah, The Winter’s Solace. You’ve read that one before."

​I blinked, surprised. "I have? How did you know?"

​"I saw you reading it months ago in the library," he replied effortlessly, a warm grin lighting up his features.

​"You seem to always remember the books I read," I murmured.

​Leo tilted his head, his hazel eyes fixing on mine. "Well... that is just one of the many things that fascinate me about you."

​My chest tightened with a sudden wave of warmth. As I looked at him, another sharp memory slammed into my mind: the night of my very first high-society gathering. It was Leo who had sneaked me out of the servants' wing. It was Leo who had gifted me that breathtaking emerald gown, and Leo who had laughed with me as I tasted my very first sip of sweet spiced wine.

​He had always been so remarkably caring toward me. I hated to admit it, but his gentle attention warmed a heart that Lucian had spent weeks trying to freeze.

​"Were you playing something just now?" I asked, quickly breaking the intense quiet between us.

​"Oh, yes!" Leo perked up, adjusting the lute. "I actually needed your expert opinion on a new piece I composed."

​He began plucking the strings, breaking into a wildly fast, utterly ridiculous tune, singing absurd, dramatic lyrics in an exaggeratedly high-pitched voice.

​I burst into a fit of breathless laughter, covering my mouth as he carried on with absolute conviction.

​"What?!" Leo gasped, pausing his playing with a mock-offended expression. "You do not appreciate my masterpiece?"

​"That was quite literally the most terrible song I have ever heard in my entire life!" I laughed, shaking my head as tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

​"Terrible?!" Leo scoffed playfully, tossing the lute onto the grass and standing up. "Come on then! Let me show you the official dance steps that go with it!"

​Before I could protest, he grabbed my hands, pulling me up from the bench. We spun around on the cold grass like complete fools, singing nonsensical, stupid lines back and forth as our laughter echoed into the twilight air.

​"Step left, Eva! No, your other left—"

​"I am stepping left!" I shrieked with laughter, missing my footing on a patch of uneven turf.

​I tripped, losing my balance entirely. I let out a sharp gasp, grabbing onto Leo’s coat to save myself, but instead, I dragged him down with me. We tumbled onto the soft grass, with me landing directly on top of his chest.

​We couldn't stop laughing. We lay there in a breathless heap, giggling like children, completely oblivious to how compromising we looked.

​Still grinning, Leo gently took hold of my waist and rolled us over in one smooth motion, shifting so he was hovering directly over me.

​The laughter died in my throat.

​The silence hit us both at once. My breath hitched as I looked up into his face. In the dimming evening light, his eyes were breathtakingly vivid, his soft breathing warm against my skin.

​"You have the most enchanting eyes in all of Valenridge," Leo whispered, his voice thick with an intensity that made my core tremble.

​My heart hammered against my ribs. He glanced down at my lips, then back up to my eyes, searching for a sign.

​I didn't know what I was thinking. I didn't care about the rules, the contract, or the dangerous game we were playing. I reached up, my fingers clutching the lapel of his coat, and gently pulled him down toward me, tilting my neck.

​Leo didn't stop me. He leaned in, his gaze darkening with raw desire.

​Just as our lips were a hair's breadth from touching—

​"Oh, for heaven's sake!" a sharp voice shrieked from the path.

​We froze. I whipped my head to the left, my stomach dropping to the floor.

​Standing just a few feet away, her eyes wide with absolute, catastrophic shock, was Genevieve.