#Chapter 58: Rejection

Aria’s POV In a panic, I immediately swiveled back around, facing away from Lucian and the door. Grabbing my mask, I re-covered my face with shaking hands. Had Lucian seen me? Did he know I was Aria under this mask? My heart hammered in my chest, and my breathing was short in shallow in my panic. “I apologize for disturbing you so late, Dr. A, but I was hoping I could share a word with you?” Lucian asked. If he knew I was Aria, that was an odd thing to say. Clearing my throat, I put on my most professional air, even while I was panicking on the inside, and turned to face him, my mask fully in place – I double-checked. He gave me a friendly though small kind of smile. If he knew I was Aria, he would likely be furious, or be more demanding. He would at least have questions. But he seemed contented just looking at me, waiting for me to reply. “What?” I said, having already forgotten the question. “Can we talk a minute?” he said. “Oh. Of course,” I said. Nodding, Lu