He’s fine. Lucien is Lucien, you know?” Audrey played with the spoon in her teacup. The metal clinked against the ceramic cup. It rang like windchimes swinging in a summer breeze.​ “Listen, I know it isn’t my business, but you seem to be, I don’t know, sad. You should be an excited newlywed or something, but you aren’t. You’ve been sullen and upset ever since he announced your engagement. And it gotten worse after you got married. Is everything okay?”​ “It’s sweet of you to be concerned,” Audrey answered, still playing with her spoon and cup. “But everything is fine. We’re fine.” Her tone was final, and Damian knew not to press the matter further.​ “I know you have a driver, but I’d like to take you home. May I?”​Audrey smiled at his sweetness.​ “That would be nice. Let me let Brad know.” Audrey called Brad and let him know that she had alternative transportation to go home. He wished her a good night and took off for the evening.​ On the drive towards her home, Audrey and Dami

​ “Dad, I spoke with the doctor.He said that your heart condition has gotten really bad. Why didn’t you say anything?” Lucien went from an enraged, wounded man to a scared, and caring son.Lucien hated to show any weakness, but Audrey knew there was one weakness he could never hide. And it was how much he loved his father.​ “What good would that have done?”​ “I could have taken care of you.”​ “I know you would have. But you were getting married, and then you were dealing with that emergency in Italy. No, my boy. You have priorities.”​ Before Lucien could protest, someone walked in. Audrey recognized him. Lucien noticed that someone had caught Audrey’s attention, and followed her eye line.​ “First your wife,now you, It’s as if you two came here to bid my dad farewell.He’s not dying.”​ Julius ignored his outburst.​ “Gary,” he gestured at Gary. “You look better.”​ “I feel better,”Gary answered.​ “I can take care of my father very well.You two don’t need to be here.”​ “I asked t

There was nothing Audrey could do for him. He refused to cry anymore, or talk about it. He was drowning in his grief and she couldn’t help. All she could do was to be present for him.​ “Thank you for coming,” Lucien said to another guest without looking up.​ “Lucien.”Audrey placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart hammering away, but his face gave nothing away. “That was the last guest. We have to go inside.”​ “Right,” he answered. There was no strength in his voice. Lucien didn’t move.Audrey took his hand and led him inside. Paparazzi snapped photos of them as they walked towards the front. Audrey hated that they were there. They were nothing but predatory, opportunistic buzzards that thrived off of people’s private suffering. But she knew she couldn’t do anything about them. She wouldn’t cause a scene at Gary’s funeral.​Lucien and Audrey took their place and the service began. People around them cried. Some reached over to them, lamenting about Gary’s loss.Audre

The next week was tense. Lucien eventually came back, but didn’t speak to her. Things did not go the way either of them wanted after Gary’s funeral. And he would hate to see them this way now.Lucien launched himself into work. He was now the CEO of Reynolds Industries and so he was busy restructuring the company.Audrey busied herself with a job search and caring for her father. They did everything they could to avoid each other. Anything was better than confronting their real feelings. The atmosphere was cold, and distant between them.​ Neither of them wanted to be the first one to break. Towards the end of the week, the design contest results were posted on the competition’s website. With everything that had been happening, she forgot all about it. To her surprise, she passed.“Dear Mrs Reynolds, on behalf of the International Association of Architecture, we would like to formally congratulate you. You have placed third in this year’s Design Conference Competition. Your passion an

A response came quickly.​“We need to talk. Meet me on Saturday. The Hotel Belmont, Room 719. 3pm.“​ “No.”Audrey typed back.Mia was crazy if she thinks she would go see her.​ “You better come. It’s about Lucien and his family”​ Audrey didn’t reply.‘This is stupid.’she thought.Mia was not in her corner and nothing good could possibly come from meeting up with her. But her curiosity was getting the better of her.Nobody knew about Lucien and his family better than Mia.And she really wanted to know why he wasn’t in good terms with his aunt.​ “Fuck,” she groaned. “Why is this my life?” Whenever she let herself believe things might work out between them, she’d get another sign. “Listen to the universe, Audrey,” she said to herself. “It’s obviously trying to talk to you.”​ The water stopped running. Audrey closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She felt Lucien get into bed.​ “Audrey?” he called softly. She didn’t answer. She was feeling warm and fuzzy after her shower, but no