CH 8

HER POV ~

The drive back to my apartment was painfully quiet, the weight of my own thoughts pressing down on me.

Lucian had gotten off at his office without another word, leaving me alone with nothing but regret and frustration.

I sighed, leaning my head against the cool glass of the car window.

I had pushed him too far today.

Bringing up his wife… That had been a mistake. A big one.

I didn’t even know why I said it. Maybe because I wanted to get under his skin the way he always got under mine. Maybe because I was tired of his cold, dismissive attitude. Or maybe… because a part of me wanted to see if he was even capable of feeling something. Anything.

Well, mission accomplished. I had seen something in his eyes today.

Hatred.

The car came to a slow stop outside my apartment complex, snapping me out of my thoughts. I exhaled, rubbing my temple before pushing the door open.

"Thank you," I mumbled to the driver before stepping out.

The cool evening air hit me instantly, making me shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way inside, kicking off my heels the second I stepped into my apartment.

I collapsed onto the couch, letting out a deep breath.

What a day.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and I glanced at the screen.

A message from Lucian’s mother.

“Did you both reach safely?”

A small smile tugged at my lips. She was so sweet—nothing like her son.

I quickly typed out a reply.

“Lucian stopped by the office. I just got home. Thank you for today, Mrs. Sinclair. I had a great time.”

I hovered over the send button for a second before finally pressing it.

Almost instantly, a reply came.

“I’m so glad, dear! You should spend more time with him. He’s always buried in work. Maybe you’ll be the one to change that.”

I let out a small, breathy laugh, shaking my head. If only she knew.

Lucian Sinclair wasn’t someone who changed. He was like a locked door with no key, built to keep people out.

And I had just made sure he would never even consider letting me in.

Still, something about her words stuck with me.

I didn’t know why, but for the first time since starting this job, I felt something stir in my chest.

Not regret. Not guilt.

Something else.

___________________________

London had been my escape, my freedom, my carefully built world away from everything that tied me to home. I had spent years there, focusing on my studies, surrounding myself with people who had no clue about the weight of my last name or the expectations that came with it.

But even an ocean away, I wasn’t oblivious to what was happening back home.

I still remembered the day I first heard about Lucian. Or rather, Lucian and his wife.

It had been a casual evening—textbooks spread across my desk, my laptop open to research when a random headline flashed across my screen.

"The Heir of the Blackwood Corporation Ties the Knot—A Fairytale Wedding!"

I didn’t know why I clicked on it. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe something else. But as soon as I did, my screen filled with images of a wedding so grand it looked straight out of a royal fantasy. And there he was—Lucian Blackwood, the cold and enigmatic businessman, standing beside a woman in white, his wife.

The article was filled with praises. The perfect couple. The perfect match.

I hadn’t even met him yet, but I had already decided—I wanted nothing to do with him.

Life moved on. Months passed. I buried myself in my studies, distancing myself further from the world I had left behind.

Until another headline found me.

"Lucian Blackwood and His Wife File for Divorce After a Year of Marriage."

I remembered staring at the screen, the words blurring together. I remembered it said that they were teenage lovers?

It was everywhere—business articles, gossip blogs, social media. A marriage that once looked perfect was now shattered, and everyone had something to say about it.

But what stayed with me wasn’t the media’s speculation. It was the look in his eyes in the few pictures that surfaced. A look that wasn’t just cold but empty.

I should have forgotten about it. It had nothing to do with me.

But then, exactly a year later, my parents dropped a bombshell.

"Eleanor, you’re getting married."

I had laughed at first, thinking it was some kind of sick joke. But they weren’t joking.

"Lucian’s father and I have decided. It’s the perfect match."

The irony nearly made me choke.

"Perfect?" I had scoffed. "Didn't you say the same thing about his first marriage? Look how that turned out."

But my protests meant nothing. My life had never been entirely my own, had it?

They didn’t care about my refusal. They didn’t care about what I wanted.

"You’re coming back, Eleanor."

____________________________

HIS POV ~

The moment Eleanor’s words left her mouth, a switch flipped inside me.

"No wonder your first wife left you."

It wasn’t the words themselves. I had heard worse. People had whispered, speculated, and twisted the story to fit their own narratives. But hearing it from her? In that careless, sarcastic tone?

It made my blood boil.

I clenched my fists, forcing my expression to remain blank. Losing control in front of her would be giving her power. And I refused to let Eleanor Black have any power over me.

I turned my head slightly, meeting her gaze.

She looked like she regretted it. Good.

"Don’t ever bring her up again."

My voice was calm, measured, but it carried a weight that left no room for argument.

I saw the way she stiffened. The way her lips parted, like she wanted to take it back but couldn’t.

Not that it mattered.

I turned back toward the window, letting the silence stretch between us.

The city blurred past, but my mind was stuck in the past—back to the day she left. Back to the cold note she had left behind, saying she didn’t love me anymore.

I had moved on.

Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

Eleanor shifted beside me, clearly uncomfortable. I should have felt satisfied—she had been the one to provoke me. But instead, a bitter taste settled in my mouth.

I hated how easily she had gotten under my skin.

The car slowed, pulling up in front of my office building. Without a word, I opened the door and stepped out. The air was cool, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning inside me.

I didn’t look back.

Didn’t check to see if she was still watching.

Because it didn’t matter.

She could push, she could pry—but she would never get past the walls I had built.

I wouldn’t let her.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***