All Chapters of Runway Matrix : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

That same day after the HotTea blog incident. Lucas Agency sent out a press release on the issue, calling HotTea bullies. Stating firmly that they would be sued for defamation and also to avoid talking about any models from the agency. After much back and forth, HotTea blog released a half-hearted apology and that died down for a bit there because Aurelia pleaded that he let it go. So days later here they were, blind drawn, in Lucas' office. The afternoon sunlight seeping in only in thin golden lines across the sleek desk. Aurelia sat perched on his lap, her legs wrapped around him, his hands gripping her waist with a firmness that made her shiver. She rocked against him slowly, teasing, her breath catching at the growl rumbling in his chest. “God, Aurelia…” Lucas whispered, lips brushing the curve of her neck. “Do you know what you do to me?” Her fingers threaded through his thick hair, tugging lightly. He shifted beneath her, his very obvious arousal pressing insistently as he

She whipped around so fast the grocery bag tumbled, apples rolling across the floor. Her hands shook as she grabbed the phone. “Lucas?” His voice was rough, urgent. “Aurelia… I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll explain everything as soon as I can, okay?" Her heart broke at the strain in his tone. “I understand,” she whispered, trying to pick the apples on the floor. "I’ll be expecting to hear from you. Just… don’t shut me out.” “I won’t,” he said quickly, as though clinging to her voice. “I miss—” A muffled sound broke through the line, a female voice, soft but clear enough: “Lucas, please come.” Aurelia froze, blood rushing in her ears. Her grip on the phone tightened, but before she could speak, Lucas muttered a hurried apology. “I have to go. I’ll call you back, Aurelia." The line went dead. Aurelia looked at the apples she just kept on the table, quietly, phone slipping from her hand onto the table. Tears blurred her vision until they spilled down her cheeks unchecked. Wh

By the time she collapsed into the backseat of a cab, her hands trembled too hard to wipe her face. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, muffling her sobs, until finally she made it home—curling up in her bed, pulling the sheets around her like a shield, her heart shattering in silence. --- The slam of the door echoed in Lucas’s chest like a gunshot. He stood frozen, staring at the door Aurelia had just fled through, his fists clenched at his sides. Before he could chase after her, Irina’s voice cut through sharp like a blade. “If you go after her,” she hissed, eyes wild, “I’ll destroy you. Do you hear me, Lucas? I’ll ruin you. Her. Everything!” Her shrill tone rose until it was a scream, her words tumbling into incoherent threats, Russian curses spilling like venom. She paced the room, her manicured hands clawing at her own hair as if in a frenzy. “Enough!” Lucas roared, his voice booming, snapping through her hysteria. He could not stand her episodes one more

Aurelia stared at her, tears welling again—but this time they weren’t just from pain. Her lips trembled into a small, reluctant smile. Eloise clasped her cheeks. “I told you, sweetheart, you’re more than this heartbreak. Look at what’s waiting for you. Paris! The city of love, the city of lights. And you’ll walk in there not as someone’s broken heart, but as Aura, the model everyone’s talking about.” Aurelia let out a watery laugh, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.” Eloise grinned. “Ridiculously proud of you.” They both dissolved into quiet laughter, Aurelia burying her face against her sister again. She whispered softly, almost to herself, “Maybe… maybe this is what I need. To do what I love. To breathe again.” Eloise smoothed her hair. “It’s not a maybe, Lia. It’s a yes. And I’ll be right here, cheering you on.” For the first time that night, Aurelia felt a fragile thread of hope weaving through her brokenness. The pain was still raw, but beneath it, something new

Sue swayed toward the door, brushing past him, her perfume clouding the air like rebellion. “Text me, babe,” she called again, blowing Aurelia a kiss before she slipped out. The apartment grew quiet. Too quiet. "Congratulations on the Coco Paris deal." He muttered, unsure about what to say, she looked hurt and angry. Aurelia set her wineglass down with trembling fingers. “Why are you here, Lucas?” she asked flatly, still not looking at him. He stepped forward, slow, his voice rough. “I came to apologize. To explain everything.” “Explain?” She laughed, bitter and broken. “There’s nothing to explain. Go back to your fiancée.” His head snapped up, eyes dark. “She’s not my fiancée.” Aurelia’s breath caught, her frown deepening. “Don’t—don’t lie to me.” “I’m not.” He shook his head quickly, stepping closer. “Irina and I… we broke up two years ago.” Aurelia gasped softly, eyes widening, her hand instinctively covering her mouth as if to hold back the rush of emotions. Disb