Chapter 217

ELORA'S POV Since we got into the car, Lucian hasn’t said a word. Not a single word. The city moved past us in a blur of distant voices, but inside the car, it felt strangely quiet. Like some unspoken words were sitting between us, taking up all the air. I turned slightly in my seat and studied his face. His jaw was tight, eyes fixed on the road, hands steady on the steering wheel. “Lucian,” I said softly. “Are you okay?” He leaned back against the seat, exhaling through his nose. “Baby, I’m fine.” I didn’t believe him. “I’m sorry about earlier,” I continued. “You know how Professor is, and…” He reached for my hand, cutting me off, and pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles. “I was prepared for that,” he said quietly. “After everything I put you through, I expected worse.” My chest tightened. I smiled faintly and turned fully toward him. “You only said all that to get him off your back, didn’t you?” He glanced at me, confused. “What do you mean?” “We can’t realistically get married in a