Chapter 30: LUCA’S OFFER

The tension in the air was palpable as I sat across from Lucas in the dimly lit corner of the upscale café. The morning light filtering through the tall windows did little to ease the growing sense of unease in my chest. I had spent the entire night thinking about this meeting, weighing the risks of trusting someone so deeply entrenched in Daniel’s world. Yet here I was, sitting face-to-face with Daniel’s lawyer—an ally I never thought I’d need.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, the cool detachment he had displayed over the phone now replaced by something more intense, more personal. His sharp features were softened by a faint smile, but his eyes never left mine. There was a glimmer of something there—something I couldn’t quite place. I had come for a plan to dismantle Daniel, but now I was sensing something more.

“You don’t look like a woman ready to destroy a man,” Lucas said, his voice smooth, a touch amused. “You’re hesitating.”

I swallowed hard, taking a sip of my coffee to steady