Things You Shouldn’t know
553 Words
Chapter Six: Things You Shouldn’t Know
Saraphina knew something was wrong the moment Lucian walked into the dining hall.
He was tense. More than usual.
His suit jacket was tossed over his shoulder, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. His hair was slightly windblown — rare for someone who moved like he planned every breath. And his jaw… clenched. Hard.
She watched him from across the long table, casually twirling her spoon through her untouched soup.
“Did someone forget to say ‘please’ at your board meeting?” she asked, voice light, teasing.
Lucian didn’t look at her.
“The target is gone,” he muttered.
Saraphina froze.
He hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
She covered quickly. “Excuse me?”
Lucian’s eyes snapped to hers, sharp and assessing. His walls went back up instantly.
“Nothing,” he said flatly, pouring himself a glass of red wine. “Just talking to myself.”
“No. You said ‘target.’”
She tilted her head, watching him carefully. “What kind of CEO has targets?”
Lucian walked around the table until he stood just beside her chair. She didn’t look up this time. She could feel the heat of him, standing so close.
“The kind who has too many enemies,” he replied.
“And no allies,” she said quietly.
Silence fell between them. Tense. Loaded.
Lucian took a slow sip of wine before speaking again, voice low and dangerous.
“Tell me something, Gem. When was the last time you saw your father?”
Saraphina’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
“I don’t keep track of people who don’t check on me,” she said evenly. “Why?”
He leaned down, one hand pressed to the table beside her. “Because someone tipped him off. Someone knew he was being hunted… and protected him.”
Saraphina blinked. Her chest tightened.
“What are you implying?” she asked.
Lucian didn’t answer.
Not directly.
Instead, he said, “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“And I don’t believe in being accused without proof.”
“You’re good at pretending not to know things,” he said, standing straight again. “But you’re a Devereux. You’ve lived among liars your whole life. You can’t be that blind.”
Her breath caught. Her anger flared.
“I may be a Devereux,” she said sharply, rising to her feet, “but I’m not them. I’ve spent my entire life fixing the damage that family caused. Don’t you dare group me with the rest.”
He stared at her.
Then… something flickered in his expression. Not doubt. Not guilt.
Regret.
“You really didn’t know,” he said quietly.
Saraphina stepped back, her voice colder now. “No. I didn’t. But now I do — that you’re keeping secrets from me, that you’re not just some bitter husband in a wine suit. You’re something else.”
Lucian’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“And if I am?”
She hesitated.
Then looked him dead in the eyes.
“Then I’ll still sleep just fine. I’ve faced worse monsters than you, Lucian.”
A tense beat passed.
He smirked, slow and dark. “No, Gem. You’ve only just met one.”
- Writer
