Todos os capítulos de THE WOMAN HE BOUGHT : Capítulo 21 - Capítulo 23

Lucien’s POVToday was supposed to be the day I finally told her everything.I had rehearsed the conversation in my head countless times—during sleepless nights, long drives, and quiet moments when Elara laughed beside me, unaware of the storm slowly building around us. Every version ended differently. Sometimes she cried. Sometimes she walked away. Sometimes she forgave me.But in every version, she was safe.That was all that mattered to me.The truth had waited long enough.The truth about her uncle.The truth about his wife.The truth about how our lives were tied together long before either of us knew the other existed.Blood. Fire. Betrayal.I had convinced myself that delaying it was an act of love. That I was protecting her fragile peace. That she deserved a little more time to be happy before the past came crashing back into her life.But deep down, I knew the real reason.I was afraid.Afraid that once she knew everything, she would see me differently. Afraid that she would

Four Years LaterLucien’s POVI wrapped up the meeting at one of my hotels with a polite smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. The investors were still talking—numbers, projections, expansions—but my attention had drifted long before the meeting ended. I answered when necessary, nodded when expected, and signed the documents placed in front of me.Everything felt slow today.Unnecessarily slow.Usually, I thrived in this environment. Business meetings sharpened my focus. Negotiations kept my mind busy. Control came naturally to me.But not today.Today, my patience was thinner than usual, stretched tight by something I couldn’t ignore no matter how hard I tried to bury it under work.It was the date.I’ve hated this day for years.Today is my birthday.Or as I prefer to call it—my bad memory day.The past never truly disappears. People like to say time heals everything, but that isn’t entirely true. Time simply teaches you how to live around the pain. The memories remain, tucked away