A FAMILY AFFAIR

Cracks beneath the surface

The tension was suffocating. Lucas’s piercing gaze flickered between Evelyn and Sebastian, his jaw tight, as if he were holding back words that could scorch the air. Evelyn felt the weight of his presence bear down on her, leaving her frozen in her seat. She’d been reckless—too reckless—and now she had to face the consequences.

"Lucas," Evelyn managed, her voice trembling slightly. "I didn’t expect to see you here."

Lucas’s lips curved into a smile that was anything but warm. "It seems we have a habit of running into each other lately," he said, his tone dripping with mock politeness. His eyes never left Sebastian, who leaned back in his chair with a calm, calculated air that only seemed to enrage Lucas further.

Sebastian tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "You always did have impeccable timing, Lucas," he said, his voice smooth. "We were just finishing up."

Evelyn flinched at Sebastian’s deliberate use of "we." His choice of words felt like a challenge, a way to bait Lucas into revealing his hand. Lucas’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, his mask of control slipping before he recovered.

"Indeed," Lucas said, his voice cool but laced with menace. "Evelyn, we should go. I’m sure your... business here is concluded."

The command in his tone left no room for argument. Evelyn hesitated, glancing at Sebastian, whose calm expression betrayed nothing. She couldn’t let Lucas know how deeply his sudden arrival had shaken her.

"Of course," she said, rising from her seat. Her heart raced as she gathered her things, aware of Lucas’s eyes boring into her every movement.

As she turned to leave, Sebastian reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against her wrist. It was a fleeting touch, but the weight of it was enough to stop her in her tracks.

"Don’t forget what I said," Sebastian murmured, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

Evelyn didn’t respond. She couldn’t. The storm brewing in Lucas’s eyes was enough to silence her.

The car ride back to Lucas’s penthouse was a silent battlefield. Evelyn stared out the window, her hands clenched in her lap, as Lucas sat beside her, radiating a cold fury that made the air in the car feel heavy. She wanted to speak, to explain, but the words wouldn’t come.

"Do you have any idea what you’re playing at?" Lucas’s voice finally broke the silence, sharp and cutting.

Evelyn turned to him, startled by the venom in his tone. "I wasn’t playing at anything," she said defensively. "It was a business meeting, just like I said."

Lucas’s laugh was harsh and humorless. "Business meeting? Do you take me for a fool, Evelyn? That man isn’t interested in business, and you know it."

Her cheeks flushed with anger and guilt. "You don’t get to control who I meet or why, Lucas. You’re not—"

"Not what?" Lucas interrupted, his voice low and dangerous. "Not your husband? Because I am. And whether you like it or not, that comes with certain expectations. Expectations that don’t include sneaking around with men like Sebastian Hart."

Evelyn’s breath hitched at the mention of Sebastian’s name. Lucas knew who he was. Of course, he did. Lucas Sinclair never stepped into a situation without knowing every possible angle.

"You don’t understand," Evelyn said, her voice wavering.

"Then enlighten me," Lucas said, his tone daring her to try.

But Evelyn couldn’t. The truth about Sebastian—the truth about everything—was too tangled, too dangerous to share. Instead, she looked away, her silence speaking volumes.

Lucas exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into," he said, more to himself than to her.

The rest of the drive passed in tense silence, neither of them willing to break the stalemate.

When they arrived at the penthouse, Lucas disappeared into his office without another word, leaving Evelyn alone in the cavernous space. She sank onto the couch, her mind racing with everything that had happened.

Sebastian’s warning echoed in her ears: Your family isn’t as innocent as you think.

What did he mean? What did he know about her family that she didn’t? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

And then there was Lucas. His reaction to seeing her with Sebastian wasn’t just jealousy—it was something deeper, something darker. It was as if Sebastian represented a threat not just to their fragile arrangement, but to Lucas himself.

Evelyn knew she was standing on the edge of something dangerous, but she couldn’t stop herself from leaning closer to the precipice. She needed answers, no matter the cost.

Later that night, Evelyn crept into Lucas’s office. She knew it was risky—Lucas guarded his privacy fiercely—but her desperation outweighed her fear. She needed to know what he was hiding.

The office was dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of the city lights streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Evelyn’s heart pounded as she moved toward the massive desk, her fingers trembling as she rifled through the neatly organized papers and files.

Most of the documents were mundane—contracts, financial reports, business correspondence—but one file caught her eye. It was labeled with her family’s name: Taylor.

Her stomach churned as she opened the file. Inside were photographs, letters, and newspaper clippings, all meticulously arranged. One photo made her blood run cold: it was of her father, shaking hands with a man she didn’t recognize. The caption identified the man as Arthur Blackwood—Lucas’s father.

Evelyn’s hands shook as she read through the accompanying article. It detailed a business deal gone wrong, a scandal that had destroyed the Blackwood family’s reputation and left them on the brink of ruin. And at the center of it all was her father.

She felt sick. This was what Lucas had been hiding. This was why he’d agreed to the marriage. It wasn’t about saving her family—it was about revenge.

"Evelyn."

She gasped, spinning around to find Lucas standing in the doorway, his expression a mask of cold fury.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"I... I was just—"

"You were snooping," he interrupted, stepping closer. "Looking for something you weren’t meant to find."

Evelyn clutched the file to her chest, her mind racing. "You lied to me," she said, her voice trembling. "This marriage isn’t about helping my family. It’s about destroying us."

Lucas’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might deny it. But instead, he smirked—a cruel, humorless smile that sent a chill down her spine.

"You’re smarter than I gave you credit for," he said.

Evelyn’s breath caught in her throat as the weight of his words sank in. She had walked into a trap, and now there was no way out.