The morning breeze in S City carried a hint of coolness, sweeping away the lingering heat from the summer night.
As Avery stepped out of the car, she was still thinking about the smile Ethan gave her last night when he handed her that hot latte. It was warm and gentle, yet it left her with a strange sense of unease.
She gave her head a small shake to clear her thoughts and quickened her pace toward the project office at the construction site.
Today was the scheduled on-site inspection for the Jinyuan Residence project. She had arrived early to double-check the plan details she had organized the night before.
"Good morning, Avery," a colleague greeted with a smile.
"Morning." She returned the smile and began spreading out her drawings on the meeting table, arranging them page by page.
Outside the meeting room window, the July sun cast sharp shadows of the tower cranes in mid-air. The sounds of clanging steel mingled with occasional honks from nearby.
—
"Lucien has arrived."
The soft reminder from a colleague made the air seem to freeze for a moment. Everyone instinctively straightened their backs.
Lucien entered wearing a steel-blue shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up. The buckle of his wristwatch caught the sunlight, and his black trousers were sharply pressed. Every step he took was steady and composed.
His gaze swept over the crowd and landed directly—accurately—on Avery.
She paused momentarily and subconsciously pressed her lips together.
"Let's begin," Lucien said in a low, clipped voice.
The project lead began the briefing. Avery listened intently, occasionally making notes on the drawings. Whenever Lucien asked a question, her answers were concise and clear, her expression focused.
What she didn't notice was how his eyes kept drifting back to her face during her explanations, a trace of coldness flickering in his gaze.
—
After the meeting, everyone started to disperse and prepare for the on-site walkthrough.
Avery was gathering her materials when she suddenly heard a deep voice beside her.
"Had a good night last night?"
She froze briefly, then looked up to meet Lucien's intense gaze.
He stood with one hand in his pocket, the long fingers of the other idly rubbing a jade ring on his thumb. His face was calm, but something stirred beneath the surface.
Avery blinked, and realization hit her.
"It was just dinner," she replied evenly, "We discussed the project."
"With who?"
"Ethan… ." She deliberately slowed her speech.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. His lips curled slightly—not quite a smile, more a trace of sarcasm.
"Don't have dinner with him alone again."
"Lucien," Avery lifted her chin, voice steady but not loud, "That was personal time."
His gaze darkened, locking on her for several seconds. Then, he let out a low chuckle—deep, from his chest.
"Personal time?"
His tone was soft but pressing.
"Avery, don't forget which project you're working on."
Her fingers tightened around the papers, back straight as a rod. "The project has nothing to do with personal time."
Lucien didn't speak. He simply leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them.
He noticed the fine strands of hair at her ear tremble in the breeze, and her dark, clear eyes reflecting his cold features.
"Just remember—you're at Gu Corporation. Every minute counts."
"Yes, Lucien." Her tone remained calm, but her heart pounded uncontrollably.
His gaze lingered on the faint tremble of her eyelashes. A flicker of suppressed heat flashed through his cool expression. Then, he turned and left.
Avery let out a deep breath. She stood there for a while before finally relaxing her stiff shoulders.
—
Under the blazing afternoon sun, after the walkthrough, she stepped into the temporary meeting room on site to check the updated drawings.
Her fingers moved carefully across the sheets, checking every detail.
"Avery, any issues?"
"This beam position needs adjustment…" she explained seriously.
Suddenly, the sharp click of high heels sounded at the door.
"Well, what a coincidence, Avery." Leah entered in a pale suit, her makeup flawless, smile radiant.
Avery paused slightly. "Miss.Leah."
Leah glanced at the drawings in her hand, her smile careless.
"So Lucien's helping you guys on-site today? That's rare—he's usually very busy."
Avery gave her a polite smile but didn't respond.
"But then again—" Leah flipped her curled hair with perfectly manicured fingers, tone light but laced with meaning, "Lucien doesn't like his time being wasted. Hope you don't make any mistakes."
Avery pressed her lips together slightly, smile unwavering. "Thank you for the reminder, Leah. I'll be careful."
"Good." Leah turned and left with a graceful smile, but her red lips were pressed into a cold line.
—
After work, Avery boarded the bus back to her rented apartment. Her phone screen lit up with an unread message.
[Grace]: Avery, thank you for your hard work today. Rest early. Mom's doing well at home. Don't worry.
She looked at the message, eyes stinging slightly as she gently gripped her phone.
The bus drove past skyscrapers and a glowing sunset, casting her silhouette softly but firmly onto the windowpane.
Avery whispered,
"I won't let you down."
Not her mother.
And not those cold yet burning eyes.