Lucieus's POVSelene walked out of that stage, and everything else faded away. My attention sharpened instantly, my jawline tightened and my body locked into stillness while Cassia spoke beside me… something about wine … I couldn't hear her anymore, as it was, to me, mere background noise.The announcer's word echoed in my skull. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Aether Consortium's Chief Operating Officer, Ms Selene Quinn.” “Quinn. Not Ashbourne,” I whispered. That name hit me like a slap. I recognised her, and I sensed the way she walked, confidently! Each step deliberate and conveying a woman of purpose. Her body language exuded authority, drawing attention and respect from people. She stood at the microphone, silent for a beat, and I felt it like a scar splitting open.It was her. Unquestionably, impossibly her.She sparkled differently; this was not the woman that vanished from my house six years ago. This is a woman that had polished herself over the years.
 Last Updated : 2025-08-05
Last Updated : 2025-08-05