Flora's POV Lucas goes straight to the point and stands at the center of the large, beautiful city room and then claps his palms together to draw our attention towards himself. "Okay, so we are going to make this quick because there is no time on our side. I need you to take notes, Charles. I know that this is not a business meeting, but it is also an important matter concerning the entire life and well-being of someone whom we care about deeply, so yeah, I think it is a wise decision to take notes." I just roll my eyes and make myself comfortable sitting down on one of the Long, beautiful sofas as I look around me, blinking rapidly to myself. Seriously, I do not understand why he has to make it this official as we are about to go on a business trip or something, but well, it is something he wants to do by himself, so I cannot stop him from doing what he thinks is best. "I know this must be too much on you, Flora and Serena. And well I know you are extremely angry with me right n
Flora's POV "How many times do I have to tell you to stop fucking calling me that?" I find myself saying loudly as I glare hard at him trying to struggle with the intense emotions brewing in my chest. I noticed the confused expression on Serena's face as she observed the both of us with the dramatic climax between us. I quickly begin to think of a way to divert the entire topic so that Lucas will not continue with this and probably create a spark of argument between him and Serena. That is something I don't think I will be able to take since I have noticed the intense tension that continues to evolve between the both of them. Well, I can't say that Lucas hates Serena or doesn't care about her, but I can say that Serena doesn't give two shits about Lucas's well-being and is not comfortable with him at all. I quickly raise my hands, trying to draw both of their attention back to me since I noticed that they are now staring at each other with an intense sort of... I
Flora's POV Serena is barely able to reply to what I just said when Charles immediately steps out of the room and shuts the door quickly behind him drawing our attention towards him. He sighs the moment he gets to us and looks at both of us with a foreign sort of expression on his face. "Well, I am honestly sorry for the inconvenience and for actually drawing you over to this place to create..." he stops in his sentence, and from the expression on his face, I can tell that he must be scared of what he is about to say right now. I raised an eyebrow scrutinizing him deeply before casting a glance at Serena. "speak up now." He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I am so sorry for the inconvenience, but according to my boss, he has already stated that it appears you both do not want his help, so he has taken his hands away from your case." I raise an eyebrow with shock at what he just said. Wait a minute. Just like that? he didn't even bother to like..., just assi
56. Freaking Accept It Lucas's POV Okay, so when we are talking about being extremely stubborn, I never expected that this is how Flora was going to turn out. I mean, I understand that I kind of overreacted back in the mansion and did the most unreasonable thing by just abandoning her and her friend to their devices all because I was annoyed about the fact that having a friend is just so freaking unaccepting to me. But I know I shouldn't have done that. I really shouldn't. I watch her as she continues to walk away using the sidewalk, and the quick stripes she is using tell me that she is extremely infuriated by my presence and doesn't want to have any shit to do with me right now. Her friend Serena follows closely behind why I take a step or two to get to her and take hold of her hand but Serena stands in my way. "do you want to know something, Mr Lucas? I think we have had enough of your time, so this is where I say you should cut the long story short and maintain
57. The Most Barbaric Words Flora's POV I continue to observe her intensely with my brain racking and trying to figure out a way about what the hell is going on with Serena but it is just so extremely hard to figure it out. It is extremely confusing most times and it just makes me want to pull my hair off. It's already getting too much and I don't think I might be able to bear this for another longer time than I can bargain. The time has come when I will need to speak my mind and talk to her about this because it is just way too much. I know I shouldn't have reacted to Lucas the way I did but I just did it on purpose to see how she is going to take it. Her reaction after everything was just something else. I have a strange feeling that her protectiveness is just much more than what she is letting out, and I know she has something she is keeping from me, but why the hell is it just so hard to figure it out? I take a deep breath as the car finally comes to a stop
Flora's POV my brain is having a hard time trying to process what the living hell is going on right now. I look around me and blink my eyelid rapidly to ensure and I'm not seeing things. what the hell is Damien doing here? it is at this point that I begin to regret actually neglecting lucas's help to take us back here and ensure that I'm in a perfect safe hands. now what the hell are we going to do now? what do I think Serena will be able to do to help out of this situation presently? it's not like she was capable of keeping Damien away from me previously while I was trying to escape from her apartment. this is just so freaky right now as I continue to look at him with wide eyes. my senses are all alert, getting ready for his next cause of action which I do not know of. he raises both of his hands as if trying to calm me down and pacify me and it is then that I noticed the bouquet of flowers in his hands now that is the second weirdest thing I have noticed
Flora's POV I gulp hard at serena's words as I continue to look at Damian who still looks like a little child trying to persuade his mom to get him something. he begins to step closer and from the expression on his face I can see determination and adamancy. "look, all I just want is for you to come back to me, okay? I have really missed you so much." desperacy is written all over his face as he makes a move Close towards me and attempts to take my hand but Serena pulls me backwards helping me to evade him as he continues to make his way closer and closer towards me. in fact the impression he is given right now is that he desperately wants me back or something and it is just making me feel so worried and confused. if he didn't actually care about me in the first place to go behind my back and take another woman as his wife, then what the living hell does he wants with me? this is just so crazy as hell and I can't contain the rage that is already brewing my mind as I glar
Flora's POVOkay so this is one of the most craziest things and the most freakish thing I have ever seen or experienced.I am seriously having a hard time trying to figure out why he is extremely this desperate to just get to me and achieve whatever stupid aim he has in his mind. I am left standing at a spot gazing at him with extremely wide eyes due to the shock passing through my body.Why is he insanely this desperate about getting to me this way?I watch him as he gazes at me with a malicious smile on his face adjusting his tuxedo and straightening the flower in his hands before slowly closing the door behind him." I am so sorry but I don't think you can get rid of me that easily This is a serious important issue that we need to talk about as the good people that we so do not make this extremely hard for the both of us."His composure presently at the moment is totally frightening as i and serena begin to step backwards examining him intensely in case he tries to do something c
FLORA'S POVThis news is a nightmare. It's going to make everything worse for me, and I absolutely despise it. The rage boiling within me is almost unbearable. If I could get my hands on Victoria right now, I swear I would tear her apart piece by piece. How could she? How could she stoop this low just to sabotage us?The weight of the scandal presses down on my chest, suffocating me. I know this will be impossible to ignore. It has derailed our plan and diverted our focus from what truly matters—bringing down Damien. Instead of staying on track, we are now forced to fight off this web of lies, and I hate it with every fiber of my being.I glance at Lucas. He looks composed, but I know better. I see the tension in his shoulders, the slight twitch in his jaw, the flicker of unease in his usually confident eyes. He's nervous, though he's trying to mask it. I can tell his mind is racing, strategizing, scrambling to find a way out of this mess. He's always been the one to take charge, to f
LUCAS' POVI try to keep my focus on the plan we're putting together, but my attention keeps drifting toward Richard. I still don't trust him, no matter how convincingly he claims to be on our side. His words are sharp and precise, his demeanor calculated. He says he wants Damien to pay, that he wants justice, but something about him seems off. His presence feels too convenient, his willingness too eager. I can't shake the feeling that there's more to him than he's letting on.Across the table, Serena and Flora stand by, closely observing everything as we strategize. I catch the exhausted look on Serena's face—she's tired of all of this. The weight of everything we've been through is pressing down on her. She just wants it to be over. I meet her gaze with a reassuring look, silently promising that we're close to the end. That this nightmare is almost over."We've tracked his last known location to the marina district," one officer says, sliding a map across the table. "But he's been c
Lucas' POVThis ends today.I am not letting Damian escape again.I push myself to the absolute limit, my muscles burning as I chase after him with everything I have. But goddamn, he's fast—faster than I ever expected. His movements are fluid, almost unnatural, like he's spent his entire life training for a moment like this. He weaves through the crowded space with ease, slipping through obstacles like a shadow bending and twisting with the light.For years, I thought I knew who Damian was. A criminal, a manipulator, a strategist. But this—this sheer physicality, this level of agility—I never knew he had it in him.An officer to my right takes off after him, trying to cut off his path. Another, standing a few feet away, sees the chase and tosses a weapon toward me. Instinct takes over. I catch it in midair, adjusting my grip without breaking stride. The cool weight of the gun in my hand grounds me, sharpens my focus.I push harder.The moment I burst out of the building, my feet skid
Lucas' POVThe tension in the room is suffocating as we search every inch of Damien's office, determined to find the escape route he must have used. My eyes dart from the large wooden desk to the bookshelves lining the walls, scanning for any sign of a hidden passage. Drawers are flung open, chairs overturned, papers scattered across the floor as everyone works in frantic synchronization.Then, one of the officers calls out, his voice sharp and urgent."Over here!"We immediately scramble toward him, our boots thudding against the floor in unison. He stands beside the elevator, his hand pressed against the panel. His face is grim, his expression tight with focus."What is it?" I demand, my pulse hammering in anticipation.Instead of answering, he presses a seemingly insignificant button on the control panel. A faint click echoes in the silence, followed by a mechanical whirring sound. Slowly, a hidden access point reveals itself—an opening at the top of the elevator, leading upward."
Lucas' POVBy the time morning arrives, the first thing I see is Flora's peaceful face resting against the pillow beside me. Her features are soft, relaxed, untouched by the chaos of our reality. A few strands of her wavy blonde hair have fallen across her cheek, and I resist the urge to brush them away, not wanting to disturb the quiet serenity of this moment.She looks so at ease, so completely unburdened in sleep, and I find myself mesmerized by the gentle rise and fall of her chest. The warmth of her body lingers against mine, a silent reminder of everything that transpired between us last night.I think back to the way she unraveled me, how she shattered every last piece of my self-control with a single touch, a single whispered plea. She left me breathless, consumed, utterly lost in her.A slow smile tugs at my lips. I love her. I have loved her for longer than I can even admit to myself, and now, with her curled up in my arms, with her body wrapped around mine like she belongs
Lucas' POVI am already done for.Flora and Serena stand before me, their gazes sharp enough to slice through every carefully crafted lie I have ever told. Their eyes burn with suspicion, their bodies rigid with unrelenting determination. The air between us is thick with tension, pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.We have barely escaped Damien's ambush minutes ago—barely survived a situation that could have ended in bloodshed. And yet, instead of relief, instead of gratitude, all their focus has turned to me.I should have expected this.I want to tell them they should be thanking me, not interrogating me. If it weren't for my intervention, we might not even be standing here right now. But I know that line of reasoning won't fly. Not with them. Not with Flora.Because she wants the truth.And that is the one thing I cannot give her.The mysterious person who has helped me—who has secretly arranged for the armed men to intervene—needs to remain in the shadows. Exposing him
Flora's POVI stand there, completely dumbstruck, my breath catching in my throat. The entire situation has flipped in our favor so fast I can barely process it. Just moments ago, Damien held the upper hand, his grip like an iron shackle around me, his dominance undeniable. But now? Now, he is the one trapped.His hold on me loosens instantly as armed men flood the room, their weapons locked on him with deadly precision. Their presence shifts the air, thickening it with tension. The metallic click of safety switches being disengaged sends a clear message—there is no escape.Damien's jaw tenses, his mind undoubtedly racing for a way out. For a split second, I can see it—the battle within him. Fight or surrender? Run or resist? But the odds are impossible. The realization dawns in his darkened eyes, a flicker of recognition before he lets out a slow, measured breath and makes his choice.With a controlled movement, he drops his gun. The weapon clatters against the polished floor, the so
Flora's POVI keep glancing at Lucas, trying to read his expression. He isn't moving, isn't reacting—just standing there, staring at Damien with that dangerous smirk, as if he is cooking something up in his mind.My nerves are shot, my body tense. I flick my gaze to Serena. She looks like she is two seconds away from lunging at Damien and punching him in the face. But we all know that would be a terrible idea.Damien's gun remains trained on Lucas, his expression laced with frustration. "I don't understand," he says, shaking his head. "Why are you so interested in her? What's the history between you two that makes you willing to throw your life away?"We aren't about to give him the backstory—that Lucas and I were high school classmates, that this connection between us runs deeper than anything Damien could comprehend.The only thing that matters is that I cannot go with him.But he doesn't care. His grip on my wrist tightens, and he yanks me toward the bedroom door, still keeping his
Flora's POVThe fury in Lucas's eyes is unmistakable.A storm brews behind his gaze, dark and untamed, like a predator sizing up its prey. Every muscle in his body is locked in place, coiled tight with restrained violence. His fists are clenched at his sides, but he doesn't move—not yet. Instead, he stands perfectly still, watching Damien with an icy, unshakable focus.Damien's smirk widens, as if he enjoys the power he holds in this moment. His fingers flex around the gun in his hand, the metal gleaming under the dim light. His stance is relaxed—too relaxed. Like he truly believes he's already won."Come here, Flora. Now. Or I put a bullet in him," Damien threatens, his voice a low, menacing growl.A cold wave of terror crashes over me.My body refuses to move. My legs feel like they're rooted to the floor, my breath caught somewhere between panic and disbelief.This isn't happening. This can't be happening.I glance at Lucas, desperately searching his face for some kind of reassuran