Lior stood in front of the walk-in closet that was larger than her old bedroom, staring at rows of designer clothes that still felt like they belonged to someone else. She had been taking some days off from medical school, and she needed to blend back into her old world.
She bypassed the obviously expensive pieces and selected what seemed like the simplest option - a whit dress with clean lines. To her, it looked understated, almost plain compared to the midnight blue gown from the gala or the structured pieces Lucien had chosen for their shopping trip.
What she didn't know was that the "simple" dress was from a boutique collection that cost more than most people's monthly rent.
"I hope you don't forget the meeting tonight. " Lucien's voice came from the doorway.
Lior turned, smoothing down the dress. "I know. But I've missed some days of classes."
His eyes traveled from her face down the length of the dress and back up, something unreadable in his expression.
She grabbed a pair of flats that were probably Italian leather but looked plain enough.
"Marcus will drive you."
"I can take the subway..."
His jaw tightened.
"Marcus will drive you," he repeated, his tone brooking no argument.
An hour later, Lior sat in the back of the familiar sedan, watching the familiar campus buildings approach.
"Mr Sterling, could you drop me off a few blocks away from the medical building?" she asked as they got closer.
"Ma'am?"
"Please."
Marcus glanced at her in the rearview mirror, understanding immediately. "Of course."
He pulled over near three blocks from campus. As Lior gathered her books, she turned back to him.
"And Mr Sterling? Don't pick me up today. I'll take the subway home."
"Mrs. Pembroke, Mr. Pembroke specifically instructed..."
"I know what he instructed. But I'm asking you not to. Please."
Marcus looked conflicted, clearly torn between his employer's orders and his passenger's request. "Ma'am..."
"I'll handle Lucien," Lior said firmly.
After a long moment, Marcus nodded reluctantly. "As you wish, Madam."
The medical school buzzed with its usual controlled chaos - students rushing between classes, residents looking perpetually exhausted, professors moving with the brisk efficiency of people who valued every minute. Lior had barely made it through the main doors when Maya appeared at her elbow.
"Well, well, well," Maya said with a grin. "Look who just decided to grace us"
"Don't start," Lior warned, but she was smiling.
"I'm just saying, you look different. As your future doctor and current best friend, I can definitively say you've been thoroughly... satisfied."
There it was - Maya's never kept quiet.
They made their way to their first lecture of the day, Pathophysiology.
"Lior!" David's voice called out from a few rows up. He waved them over to where he'd saved seats. "Where have you been? You missed Morrison's practical exam review."
"Family emergency," Maya said smoothly before Lior could answer. "Her mom's been in the hospital."
It wasn't entirely a lie, which made it easier to maintain. Lior slid into the seat next to David, conscious of how his face lit up when she smiled at him.
"Is everything okay now?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"Much better, thank you. "
"Earth to Lior," Maya whispered. "Unless you've suddenly developed telepathy, you're missing some pretty important stuff. "
When the lecture ended, they had fifteen minutes before their next class. Students clustered in the hallway, discussing the material or complaining about upcoming exams.
"Nice dress, Lior," came a voice that made both Lior and Maya turn.
Jessica Whitmore stood with her usual entourage of perfectly groomed followers, her smile sharp enough to cut glass. Jessica came from the kind of family that had wings of hospitals named after them, and she never let anyone forget it.
"Target's getting better at copying designer pieces," Jessica continued, her voice carrying just far enough for other students to hear. "Though the stitching's a little off if you look closely."
Lior felt heat rise from anger. The dress she wore probably cost more than Jessica's entire outfit, but she couldn't exactly say that without raising questions she wasn't prepared to answer.
Maya, however, had no such limitations.
"OH Jessica," Maya said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Don't get me started. Get back to chasing your men not judging my best friend. She's not a man so you won't get the attention you crave."
Lior bit her lip, trying not to smile as Jessica's face went pale.
"And the hilarious part?" Maya continued, gaining momentum. "You think flashing daddy's credit card will impress a guy whose family literally owns half of Manhattan real estate. Girl, his trust fund makes yours look like lunch money."
Jessica opened her mouth to protest, but Maya wasn't finished yet.
Jessica's face went from pale to bright red as her friends suddenly found their phones very interesting. Without a word, she turned and stalked down the hallway, her entourage trailing behind like confused ducklings.
Maya and Lior high-fived as other students tried to hide their grins.
"That was brutal," David said, though he looked impressed rather than shocked.
"She had it coming," Maya replied with satisfaction.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side."
The voice was smooth, confident, and completely unfamiliar. Lior turned to find herself looking up at someone who could have stepped off the cover of a magazine. Tall, with dark hair and the kind of symmetrical features that suggested good genetics and better orthodontists, he carried himself with the easy confidence of someone who'd never been told no.
Ethan Cross. Even students who'd never spoken to him knew his name.
"That was impressive," he continued, his attention focused entirely on Lior despite Maya standing right next to her. "Most people here are too intimidated by Jessica's family connections to call her out."
"Someone had to," Lior said, hyperaware that other students were watching this interaction with interest.
"I'm Ethan," he said, as if anyone in the medical school didn't know who he was. "I've been wanting to talk to you actually."
Maya raised an eyebrow but said nothing, though Lior could practically feel her amusement.
"About what?" Lior asked.
"There's a research opportunity opening up in Dr. Harrison's oncology lab. Highly competitive, but I think you'd be perfect for it." His smile was practiced, charming. "We could discuss it over dinner sometime. I know a place."
It wasn't really a question, Lior noticed. More like a statement of intention. This was someone used to getting what he wanted.
"That's very flattering, but..."
"Friday night work for you? Seven o'clock?"
The presumption should have been off-putting, but this was exactly the kind of opportunity she'd dreamed about - research with one of the most respected oncologists in the country.
"I..." Lior found herself hesitating, aware that David was watching with obvious disappointment and other students were definitely listening.
She gathered her books and headed toward the subway station, grateful for the anonymity of public transportation after a day of curious glances and careful explanations.
Meanwhile, across the city, Lucien finished his last meeting of the day and reached for his phone.
"Marcus, we're going to pick up my wife."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Sir, Mrs. Pembroke asked me not to collect her today."
Lucien's hand stilled on his tie. "She what?"
"She requested to be dropped off several blocks from the school and said she'd take the subway home." Marcus's voice was carefully neutral. "She was concerned about the car drawing attention."
The silence stretched long enough that Marcus began to worry he'd overstepped.
"Sir? We do have the Chen and Nakamura representatives arriving at seven for dinner preparation..."
"Then we go get her. Now."
"But sir, she specifically asked..."
"I don't care what she asked." Lucien's voice carried an edge that made Marcus straighten in his seat.
Twenty minutes later, their sedan pulled up to the medical school just as students were leaving for the day. Lucien scanned the crowd through tinted windows, looking for dark hair and a white dress.
"There," he said, spotting Lior near the main entrance. "She's talking to someone."
David was jogging to catch up with her, and Lucien watched the earnest young man's face light up when Lior smiled at him.
"Lior, wait," he called out. "I wanted to ask you something."
She paused, aware that the sedan's engine was running and Marcus was probably watching.
"I know you said you've been dealing with family stuff," David continued, slightly out of breath. "But I was wondering if you wanted to grab coffee sometime. Just to talk. I feel like we haven't really connected lately."
It was sweet, earnest, exactly the kind of invitation she would have been flattered by a week ago. David was a good guy - smart, kind, genuinely interested in her as a person rather than as a challenge to be conquered.
But standing there in the afternoon sunlight, all she could think about was steel-gray eyes.
Outside in the parking area, Marcus sat in the sedan with Lucien in the back seat, both of them with a clear view of the medical school's main entrance through the tinted windows.
Lucien had told himself he was just ensuring Lior's safe return to her normal routine. And the meeting they had in the evening.
Through the glass doors, he could see students clustered in the hallway. And there was Lior, laughing at something her friend Maya had said, looking completely at ease in her world of medical textbooks and future doctors.
Then a man approached her. Tall, clearly confident from his posture, moving with the kind of easy grace that suggested privilege and good breeding. Lucien watched as the stranger focused his attention entirely on Lior, leaning slightly closer than was strictly necessary for conversation.
"Sir?" Marcus's voice was carefully neutral, but his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.
Lucien didn't respond. His attention was fixed on the scene playing out beyond the glass doors. The stranger was talking, gesturing, and Lior was listening with the kind of focused attention that made something dark twist in Lucien's chest.
"Who is that?" he asked quietly.
Marcus pulled out his phone, fingers moving quickly across the screen. "Ethan Cross, sir. Final year medical student, top five percent of his class. Family owns Cross Medical Group - they have hospitals in six states.
"Should I..." Marcus began.
"No." Lucien's jaw tightened as he watched Lior's expression, trying to read her response from fifty feet away through glass doors. "Not yet."
But his hands had clenched into fists without his conscious decision, and Marcus made a mental note to have a very thorough background check run on Mr. Ethan Cross within the hour.
Lior said goodbye to David and walked toward the car with obvious reluctance. Other students were starting to notice the expensive vehicle, some pulling out phones to take pictures.
"I thought I told you not to come," she said quietly as Marcus opened her door.
"Get in," Marcus said, his voice apologetic but firm. "Please."
She slid into the back seat, immediately confronting Lucien's dark expression. "I specifically asked Marcus not to pick me up," she said, her voice tight with frustration.
"And I specifically told him to ignore that request." Lucien's voice was dangerously quiet.
"People were taking pictures. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid."
"Let them stare."
"Easy for you to say. You don't have to sit through classes tomorrow answering questions about why you're being picked up in expensive cars."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "You're overthinking this."
"Am I? Or are you just so used to controlling every aspect of everyone's life that you can't handle one small request for independence?"
The tension in the car was thick enough to cut. Marcus kept his eyes firmly on the road, pretending not to hear the argument happening in the back seat.
"We have dinner guests tonight," Lucien said finally, changing the subject. "The Chen-Nakamura representatives. You'll need to be ready by six-thirty."
"Of course we do," Lior muttered. "God forbid I have one normal day."
As the car pulled away from the medical school, Lior found herself acutely aware of Lucien's presence beside her. He seemed tense, his jaw tight, his hands clenched in his lap.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Fine." The word came out clipped, controlled.
They rode in silence for several blocks before Lucien spoke again.
"Who was that? The man you were talking to."
Lior glanced at him, noting the carefully neutral tone that didn't match the intensity in his eyes. "David. He's in my study group."
"And the other one?"