CH 7

A cool breeze rustled through the trees as we stood at the hilltop, the golden hues of the setting sun painting the city below in soft, warm light. The view was breathtaking, but the company? Well, that was a different story.

Lucian stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze fixed on the horizon as if the city held all the answers he refused to acknowledge. His usual cold and distant aura remained intact, making it painfully clear that he hadn’t wanted to be here with me.

Too bad. His mother made sure neither of us had a choice.

I sighed dramatically. “So, this is where the mighty Lucian Sinclair hides when the world gets too much?”

His jaw ticked slightly, but he didn’t look at me. “I don’t hide.”

“Right. You just escape. Totally different things.” I crossed my arms, tilting my head. “What, is this your brooding spot? A place to stare dramatically into the distance while contemplating the meaning of life?”

Lucian exhaled sharply, finally turning his gaze toward me. “You don’t have to talk, you know.”

I smirked. “And yet, here I am. Talking.”

He shook his head, returning his focus to the city.

Silence stretched between us, but I wasn’t ready to let it settle just yet. Not when his mother had sent us here with the obvious intention of forcing us to ‘bond’ or whatever ridiculous fantasy she had.

“So, what do you do here? Just… stand and glare at the city?”

Lucian shot me a flat look. “Why are you still talking?”

“Why are you always in a bad mood?”

“I’m not in a bad mood.”

I let out a short laugh. “Oh, right. This is just your default setting. Mr. Stone-Cold and Emotionally Unavailable.”

His eyes darkened. “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

I gestured around us. “And go where, exactly? You dragged me up here. I’m not walking down in these heels.”

Lucian glanced at my feet, a flicker of amusement crossing his features before it disappeared just as fast. “You made that choice yourself.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “God, you really don’t know how to have a normal conversation, do you?”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t waste time on meaningless chatter.”

I arched a brow. “And what exactly is worth your time, then?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his attention back to the view, his expression unreadable.

I studied him for a moment before deciding to take a different approach.

“You know,” I started, my voice softer this time, “I get why you come here.”

Lucian didn’t react, but I could tell he was listening.

“It’s quiet,” I continued. “Detached. You get to look down at the world instead of feeling like you’re drowning in it.”

He finally spoke, his voice quieter than before. “And what do you get from this?”

I smiled slightly. “A rare glimpse of Lucian Blackwood not acting like a heartless businessman.”

He scoffed but didn’t argue.

AUTHOR'S POV ~

Eleanor watched Lucian carefully. His gaze was fixed on the skyline, his expression unreadable. But there was something different about him here. Away from his office, away from expectations, away from the weight of his past—he looked almost human.

Almost.

“I don’t get you,” she admitted, breaking the silence.

Lucian barely spared her a glance. “Good.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes. “You act like the whole world is out to get you. Like you have to fight everything and everyone just to breathe.”

He didn’t respond.

Eleanor tilted her head. “Must be exhausting.”

Lucian’s jaw tensed. “I don’t need your analysis.”

She let out a small chuckle. “Oh, trust me, I’m not analyzing you. That would require me caring, and let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

That earned her a sharp glance, but there was no real malice behind it. If anything, there was something almost… entertained in his eyes. Not that he’d ever admit it.

Another beat of silence passed before Eleanor sighed dramatically.

“Well, since we’re clearly not going to have a heartwarming moment of self-reflection here, can we go now? Your mother forced us into this little ‘outing,’ but she never said we had to stay until the stars came out.”

Lucian didn’t move for a long moment, then, finally, he exhaled. “Fine.”

Eleanor blinked. “Wait, seriously? No argument?”

He shot her a look. “Would you prefer an argument?”

She smirked. “I would hate for you to break character.”

Lucian ignored that, already turning toward the car. Eleanor followed, still grinning to herself. She wasn’t sure what she had expected from this little outing, but one thing was for certain—Lucian Blackwood was a puzzle she wasn’t done solving.

And she had all the time in the world to do it.

The car ride back was quieter than Eleanor had expected.

Lucian sat beside her, his expression unreadable, eyes fixed on the road ahead, though he wasn’t the one driving. His fingers tapped idly against his knee, a barely noticeable sign of restlessness.

Eleanor, on the other hand, leaned back against the seat, arms crossed, watching him from the corner of her eye.

"So... are we just going to pretend this little forced bonding session never happened?" she asked casually.

Lucian didn’t even look at her. "It never happened."

She let out a laugh. "Wow. Denial at its finest."

He didn’t respond. Typical.

Eleanor turned to look out the window, the city lights flashing by. She hated to admit it, but something about tonight had been… different. Sure, they had bickered as usual, but there had been moments—small, fleeting moments—where Lucian had let his guard down. Even if just for a second.

And she had noticed.

A part of her wanted to poke at that, to see if she could push him enough to actually talk. But another part of her knew that Lucian Sinclair wasn’t the type to be pushed.

So, instead, she simply smirked to herself. "Your mother is going to be thrilled when she hears we survived an entire outing without killing each other."

Lucian scoffed, finally glancing at her. "Don’t get ahead of yourself. The night isn't over yet."

Eleanor grinned. "Is that a threat, boss?"

His eyes darkened slightly, and for a second, she almost thought he would say something sharp. But then, he simply turned away, shaking his head.

"Drop me off at the office," he told the driver.

Eleanor frowned. "The office? Seriously? It’s late."

Lucian didn’t even blink. "And?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "God, you really are married to your work, aren’t you?"

"Better than wasting my time on meaningless things," he said smoothly, eyes flicking to her for just a second.

Eleanor gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Are you calling me meaningless?"

Lucian smirked. "If the shoe fits."

She huffed, turning away. "Unbelievable. No wonder your first wife left you."

Silence.

Eleanor froze the second the words left her mouth.

The air in the car shifted, tension thick and sudden.

Lucian’s entire posture went rigid, his jaw clenching so tightly she thought it might crack. His fingers curled into fists against his knee, knuckles white.

Shit.

Eleanor knew she had crossed a line before he even said anything.

But he didn’t yell. Didn’t snap.

Instead, he simply turned his head to look at her.

And for the first time since she met him, she saw something in his eyes that sent a chill down her spine.

Cold. Emotionless. Empty.

When he finally spoke, his voice was eerily calm.

"Don’t ever bring her up again."

Eleanor swallowed, a strange tightness forming in her chest. She wanted to say something, maybe even apologize, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Lucian turned back to the window.

The conversation was over.

And for the first time in a long time, Eleanor found herself at a complete loss for words.