Chapter 10

The moment I slid into Lucian's car, I turned away, fixing my gaze on the passing scenery outside the window. I refused to meet his eyes, unwilling to let him misinterpret my decision. The only reason I had agreed to come with him was to escape Declan—not to offer Lucian any false hope. My life was already in shambles, tangled in emotions I hadn't even begun to process. Declan's betrayal still weighed heavily on my heart, and the last thing I needed was another entanglement. All I wanted was to bury myself in work and keep my distance from powerful men like them. The silence in the car stretched between us until Lucian finally broke it. "When I heard the director call you, I got worried. I thought he might question you about what happened this morning. Did he reprimand you?" I sighed, glancing at him before looking away again. "No, nothing like that. He just asked about the rumors spreading in the hospital." My voice was flat, detached. I didn't tell him the full truth—I couldn't. I re