The next few days passed in a strange haze.
Lucien kept his distance, but his eyes never stopped following her.Ava kept her secrets, but her heart ached every time he passed by without knowing who she was to him.
They were magnets, pulled toward each other by something neither fully understood… and both were terrified to name.
That morning, Ava was organizing the linen closet at the end of the east wing. The task was simple, but her hands trembled. Her mind wouldn't stop replaying that moment in the kitchen, when he wiped her tear, when he said her name, when something in his touch almost brought him back to her.
He's close, she told herself.
He's so close to remembering.
Just as she reached for a shelf above her, a loose stack of towels toppled.
She yelped.
Before the pile could fall on her, a strong pair of arms grabbed her from behind, pulling her backward and out of danger.
They landed against the wall, breathing hard. Her back against his chest. His arms still around her.
Lucien.
The heat of him seared through her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low against her ear.
"Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."
He didn't let go immediately. In fact, his hand brushed against her stomach as he steadied her. A completely innocent gesture.
But something in him froze.
He pulled his hand back as if he'd touched fire.
Ava turned to look at him, and what she saw stopped her breath.
Lucien was pale. His eyes wide, unfocused.
"Lucien?" she said carefully.
But he wasn't listening.
His gaze was somewhere else.Somewhen else.
Flash.Rain falling on a small apartment balcony.Ava's soaked dress clinging to her.His hand on her belly, trembling.
"You're… pregnant?""Yes.""Is it?""It's yours."
Lucien stumbled back from her like he'd been struck.
He leaned against the wall, blinking rapidly.
"What was that?" he whispered. "I, I saw something."
Ava's heart hammered in her chest. "What did you see?"
He looked at her, eyes filled with wonder and dread. "You were crying. It was raining. I… I touched your stomach."
"And?"
"You said…" He swallowed. "You said you were pregnant."
Silence stretched between them.
"Was it real?" he asked, barely breathing. "Or am I losing my mind?"
Ava opened her mouth, but no words came out.
If she said yes, it would change everything.
If she said no… she'd be lying.
But before she could answer, a voice echoed from the hallway.
"Lucien? Are you in there?"
It was Veronica.
Lucien blinked, shaken from the moment.
He looked at Ava one last time, his face a mix of confusion and something close to fear before turning and walking away without another word.
Leaving Ava standing there, hand pressed to her belly… and tears in her eyes.