CHAPTER 37 – SHADOWS AND MIRRORS
Lucian
By the time I walked into the office the next morning, Arden was barely awake and yet Silas already had a folder waiting for me.
He stood by the window, arms crossed, expression as unreadable as always.
"You're early," I said, loosening my tie as I stepped inside.
"You didn't sleep," he replied, which wasn't really a question.
I shot him a look but took the folder anyway.
Rina Hale.
The name sat in bold black print at the top of the page, neat and official, but it still felt like a punch to the chest.
Silas had pulled everything business registration, press mentions, local permits, even the guest list for a small perfume launch party she'd attended last month.
"Perfume launch party?" I asked, flipping through the photos tucked into the report.
"She's not completely invisible," Silas said, stepping forward. "That was three weeks ago. A private event at one of the boutique hotels downtown. Small crowd a mix of local creatives, investors, and a few magazine editors. She presented a limited line of perfume oils. Word is, she impressed them."
I stared at one of the photos Rina in a pale dress, standing near a display of glass bottles, her hair swept to the side, her hands gesturing animatedly as she spoke.
Her face was calm, poised a mask of quiet confidence but I could see the tension in her shoulders even in the still image.
"She looks…"
"Successful?" Silas supplied.
I didn't answer.
"She's been back in Arden for only a few months," Silas continued, "but she's starting to gain attention. Quiet attention, but the right kind. If she keeps this up, she'll have half the city's investors knocking on her door by the end of the year."
A small twist of pride irrational, unwanted flared in my chest. She'd built something. She hadn't just survived she'd thrived.
But then the memory of those children's faces hit me again, sharp and suffocating.
"What about her personal life?" I asked.
"No marriage record, no significant public ties. If there's a partner in the picture, they're either very private or very good at staying hidden," Silas said. "Neighbors report seeing her with two little girls about five years old."
Five years old.
My jaw tightened.
I closed the folder, pushing it aside before I could read more.
"Keep watching," I said finally. "Quietly. I want to know everywhere she goes, everyone she speaks to, every event she attends."
Silas nodded once, businesslike. "Already in motion."
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of board meetings and presentations.
Lysander Enterprises was in the middle of a major merger deal, the kind that would cement our position as one of the most powerful conglomerates in Arden. The board was ecstatic, the shareholders impatient, the media practically worshipful.
I should have felt triumphant.
Instead, every time I signed a document, I saw her face instead.
Her shock at the restaurant.
Her fury.
Her fear.
Aurora turned up unannounced around noon, breezing into my office with the kind of energy that didn't belong in boardrooms.
"Lucian," she said, flopping onto the couch like she owned the place. "Tell me you're actually going to come home for dinner tonight. Mom has been cooking like she's feeding an army."
"I have work," I said without looking up from my laptop.
"You always have work," Aurora said, propping her chin on her hand. "For five years, you've had nothing but work. Do you even remember what fun is?"
I glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "You came here to lecture me?"
"I came here because Mom told me to check if you're alive," she shot back. "And because Dad thinks you're still moping over Elena."
The name hit like a cold splash of water.
"Elena is ancient history," I said, sharper than I intended.
"Then why does it still feel like you've locked yourself in some glass tower and thrown away the key?" Aurora asked softly.
I didn't answer.
Aurora sighed and stood. "Lucian, we just want you to be happy. Whatever it is you're chasing, I hope you find it soon. Because this" she gestured at me, the office, the stack of files "isn't living."
When she left, the silence felt heavier than before.
That night, I stood on my balcony, Arden spread out like a glittering constellation below.
I had built this life piece by piece Lysander Enterprises had never been stronger. Our growth rate had doubled under my leadership, our name was on the lips of every investor, every dealmaker in the city.
People called me disciplined. Brilliant. Ruthless.
But they didn't see the truth.
All of it every late night, every deal, every move was just a way to keep from thinking about that night.
And now she was here again, with two little girls who shared my face.
Later, Silas texted me an update:
"She closed the shop late tonight. No unusual activity. Walked home with the kids."
I stared at the message for a long time.
I could have gone to see her.
I could have demanded answers.
But some part of me the part that still remembered the raw terror in her eyes knew she would run if I pressed too hard.
No.
I wouldn't scare her off.
Not this time.
This time, I would be patient.
And when the moment was right, she would tell me everything whether she wanted to or not.