Lucien couldn't sleep.
Not after the kiss.
Not after the strange memory, just a sliver, flickering behind his eyelids like an old film reel stuck on repeat. The taste of rain. Her voice whispering his name.
Ava.
He sat up suddenly in bed, heart racing.
Wait… Had he said her name during the kiss?
He rubbed his temples, frustrated. Something wasn't right. Something was trying to break through the fog in his mind, and he didn't know if he wanted it to.
Down the hall, Ava stood in front of the mirror, her fingertips brushing her lips.
She could still feel him. The warmth. The confusion in his eyes.
She knew that look. She'd seen it before, the moment he fell in love with her the first time.
And now, it was happening again.
But this time… it could destroy everything.
She looked at the drawer where she'd hidden the wedding ring, the old sonogram, and the photo of the chapel.
Not yet.She closed it again.He's not ready.
The next morning, Lucien walked into the breakfast room where Ava was helping the staff set the table.
He paused.
His eyes lingered on her. The curve of her jaw. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear. He didn't realize he was staring until she turned and met his gaze.
"Good morning, sir," she said, masking her nerves.
He tilted his head slightly. "You always wear your hair like that?"
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"It's just… never mind."
He walked past her but paused at the door.
"Ava"
She froze.
He never called her by name.
Slowly, she turned.
He looked just as surprised as she did.
"I mean Miss Carter," he corrected himself. His brow furrowed. "Why did I just…?"
Her heart thudded so loud she was sure he could hear it.
"It's nothing," she said quickly. "You probably heard someone say it."
But the look on his face said otherwise.
Later that day, Lucien went to his private study. The door was unlocked, strangely.
And someone had been in there.
He noticed it instantly, the drawer of his desk was ajar. His files had been moved. His laptop screen glowed faintly.
He reached inside the drawer.
Something was missing.
Ava's resume. The forged one. The one Veronica had insisted he keep on file.
His eyes darkened.
Someone was trying to cover something up.
And for the first time, he suspected it had to do with the woman whose name he wasn't supposed to remember… but just had.