Lucie Herondale Novels & Stories

Berta’s teacher had called earlier on the office line—nothing urgent, just a reminder about picture day—but the worry of being unreachable gnawed at her. She finished the bar slowly, savoring the small break, then headed back upstairs. When she reached her desk, she stopped short. A small bouquet of delicate white lilies sat beside a sleek, brand-new iPhone still in its box. She glanced around, double-checking it was her desk. Yes. A simple white note rested against the flowers. She picked it up with trembling fingers and read the elegant handwriting: *Don’t cry anymore.* *Adrian*

"You're a guest tonight. Eat." "I know, but it's just — strange." She smiled, taking a bite of salmon. "I've worked in this house forever, and I've never seen this room look warm before." "That's because the company's usually terrible," Lucien said from the head of the table. I looked at him, honestly stunned. Collar unbuttoned, actual smile on his face, sipping wine like a regular guy instead of the man the entire business world tiptoed around. Even Vivienne behaved — mostly glaring at her vegetables, one look from Lucien enough to shut down anything sharper than a sigh.

Silvie had this guilty look on her face, she couldn’t stare at her friend, and her gaze kept shifting from me to her shoes. All of a sudden, it completely made sense. Brielle was Lucia!!! The girl who had courageously, though unintentionally blurted out her feelings for me back in high school, the girl I had admired from afar and thought of as cute, always wanting to get a chance to talk to her… the girl that had picked the worst time to bump into me, the girl that had taken extra measures to avoid me after that regretful incident. Brielle was Lucia. And she was fucking pissed if the daggers shooting out of her eyes as she glanced from her friend to me were any indication. “You told him? How

Lucien paused at the doorway. He looked back at her. “No,” he said quietly. “You were studying him.” Her heartbeat stumbled slightly. Lucien watched her for another second. Then he left the kitchen. Arielle stood there alone. Her mind racing. Because Lucien was right about one thing. She wasn’t interrogating Henry. She was studying him. And the closer she looked… The more she realized just how careful she needed to be.

Her phone dropped to the floor. If it hadn't been for that accident, the baby that had only lived in her womb for three months would be seven by now—possibly the same age as Harley—calling them "Mom" and "Dad" in a sweet voice... Seeing the color drain from her face, Lucien bent down to pick up the phone and gently placed it in her hand. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room, his steps slow and heavy. His retreating figure seemed wrapped in sorrow and loneliness.

“I’m never letting you go to the ‘right man.’ I’ll be that man.” My tears slipped free, but this time they were happy tears because, fortunately—or unfortunately—I was too good at playing wife. Too good to the point that not only did I catch feelings, but got them returned even more fiercely than before. He was falling, bit by bit, for me. Celine. The fake substitute bride. ~~~ Later, Lucien guided me into the car. The door shut softly behind us, and as soon as we started moving, he raised the tinted window between us and the driver.

I asked, my finger sweeping through my hair. Lucille thought for a while before speaking. “I liked her from the start. I knew she was abducted eleven years ago by her father's cousin, Lucian Xavier. I knew she was in Paris and rumour had it you two were having an affair…” she shrugged, then continued. “Seems like it's true. I can tell she's pregnant.” I grinned, my eyes locking with hers. “No one knows about that, and if they…” “I won't tell anyone. I really like Amelia Xavier. She's your type of woman, and you're so into her,” she cut me off.

When a car struck me and sent me flying, blood sprayed everywhere. It resulted in ruptured organs, so I begged my wife, Lucy Hathaway, to take me to the hospital. But she told me to endure it because her younger uncle, Alan Cooper, had surgery that day. To stop me from applying to a foreign institution, Lucy went so far as to lock me in a cold storage room kept at negative twenty degrees Celsius. “The chance to travel abroad has to go to Alan. He has nothing, while you already have all of my love. You should give him your future! “The chill in the storage room will help with your wounds. After Alan finishes his surgery and submits his application, you can go to the hospital.” The pain

“But guess what, you know this mysterious young alpha from the Hart family right?” “You mean alpha Lucien?” “Yes, I don’t know what she did but she managed to hook up with him and now she is shamelessly clinging to him.” “How can she have no shame? But I have heard that, that man Lucien is very powerful and very ruthless. If anyone dares to play tricks on him, they will die without knowing how!”

The pious purist still preferred to wear his 14th century priest garments during meetings. Beside him was Raoul Mercer, a man built like a fortress. Once Lucien’s best friend, there wasn’t a day that now went by that Raoul wouldn’t sneer wickedly at him, his jaws clenching so tightly in eternal distrust. Next to Raoul was Lady Isolde Lennox, an English noblewoman with fine alabaster skin and eyes older than the earth. “Lucien Draeger”, Dorian intoned. “You’re late.” “I’m not”, he replied coolly. “I am precisely on time. You are simply impatient.”