Lucian Knight didn't only look good, he carried himself with elegance without even trying. Towering frame, wide build, plus a quiet confidence that drew glances like a magnet. His dark hair never seemed out of line, while those grey eyes held a sharpness that left others uneasy. A faint cut crossed his right brow, one hint of a past incident. It didn't make him seem any less appealing, actually, it made him look dangerous.
He lingered by the ballroom's edge, tuned into chuckles floating past and the chime of glasses tapping. The party for his old man hit every mark he'd predicted, flashy, loud and crammed with faces faking frienships. Lucian adjusted his cufflinks, expression empty while thoughts drifted far off.
A sound broke in, his jaw clenched slightly.
"Lucian."
He turned around with ease, glass hanging loose in his grip. A few paces off stood Adrian, wearing that grin he gets whenever he figures he's come out on top. Just beside him, there she was, Evelyn.
For an instant, Lucian tightened his grip on the glass. Evelyn remained stunning, no doubt, gentle waves draping across her shoulders, and that same radiant grin he once believed was only for him. But right then, she was sharing it with another person.
"Didn't think you'd show up," Adrian said with a smirk. "Business must be going well if you can step away from that little company of yours."
Lucian's lips curled a bit on one side. "Little company?" With a long pause, he drank out of his wine. "Probably everything you didn't grow up having seems tiny now."
A few people nearby laughed. Adrian's jaw twitched. But Lucian didn't even look at him again. He just turned away like the whole thing didn't interest him anymore.
Even so, he noticed Evelyn watching him, her stare once sent his pulse racing, but now it only weighed on his ribs like a stone.
He once cared for her. That was before he realized trust didn't matter at all.
The night everything fell apart stayed sharp in his memory. He'd shown up at her place holding flowers, hoping to surprise for her birthday. Yet the moment he pushed the door open, he just stopped cold. She was tangled up with Adrian, locked in his embrace.
For what felt like forever, he couldn't move. He just stood there, silent, seeing everything he knew split apart before his eyes. Not a word came out. He dropped the flowers, turned and left.
As if that wasn't enough, two weeks later, news came out. Adrian's team in Knight Group rolled out fresh logistics tools. Lucian could still picture himself in his chair, eyes locked on the screen. Every bit of that system, his own work. The layout, that setup, heck… even what it was called. It was the same project he'd spent months building for his own company.
There was only one person who could've leaked it, the person closest to him. Evelyn.
He stayed quiet instead of facing her. What would've been the point? Adrian was stuck working at their granddad's firm. At that time, Lucian's startup, Novare Systems, barely made ends meet. Saying something would've come off as sour grapes. His granddad had always seen him as careless and immature, so he swallowed the betrayal like bitter medicine and kept moving forward.
It's been seven years since then.
Now, Novare Systems was worth billions. Lucian no longer hid as that quiet dreamer folks once dismissed. He'd built an empire from nothing, using every hurt like rocket fuel. Since then, he'd never let anyone get close again. His heart had turned cold, and love had become nothing more than a distraction he couldn't afford.
But revenge? That, he'd never forgotten.
Late that evening, once he'd said hello to his granddad and chatted briefly with some associates, Lucian stepped off to himself, leaving the crowd behind. Out on the porch, his grandma sat curled in a cozy wrap, drinking tea beneath the gentle shine of the lamps.
"Lucian," she said soft-like, her face brightening the second he walked in. "You look thinner. Are you even eating anymore?"
He chuckled softly, then dropped onto the seat next to her. "I do eat, Grandma, just caught up with stuff lately."
"You're always busy," she said with a sigh. "Your grandfather acts all tough, but he misses you. You should visit more often."
"I will," he said, though deep down they both realized it might not happen.
She reached over and patted his hand softly. "Don't let work swallow up your whole life. You should find someone. You're still young, you know."
Lucian offered her a faint grin. "No need to stress over me."
Her gaze softened, yet she didn't press on.
Once he stepped out from the party, the chilly evening breeze felt like he could breathe again.
The next night, he showed up at a small bar in the city, chatting with a big investor. Lights hung low, jazz curled through the air, people murmured in corners. He'd sipped half his glass before glancing toward the opposite end of the space.
A guy sat at a table, hunched forward toward a young waitress. He edged nearer, fingers grazing her waist. She kept her face steady, though unease flashed in her gaze. Lucian watched quietly as she took a step back. The guy took hold of her waist one more time. For a moment, she didn't move, attempting to yank free while keeping things low-key.
Next thing, a sharp crack of a slap cut through the room.
Everyone looked at once. The guy stepped back, hand on his face, totally stunned.
Lucian's eyelids twitched. A flash of shock showed on his features. For a second, he thought he'd imagined it. Yet sure enough , she stood solid, chest rising fast, gaze sharp with rage. What grabbed him wasn't just her look, it was that raw, unfiltered fire in her stance.
Across the room, Aria breathed hard, staring daggers at the guy who'd laid hands on her. She'd promised herself not to react to jerks like him, stay quiet since she couldn't afford to lose this job. Yet when he grabbed her once more, some inner switch flipped crack, just like a dry branch underfoot.
Leave me alone," she snapped, pulling her hand away fast.
The manager hurried up, his expression tense from annoyance. "Ariana! What on earth are you up to?"
"He was harassing me she said"', her voice trembling yet holding firm
.
The man stood up quickly, putting on an innocent face. "That's ridiculous. I was just asking her to bring another drink."
Aria gaped at him, frozen. "You're a liar."
"That's it," the manager snapped. "You're finished here."
Her stomach sank all at once. "Wait, you are firing me?"
"Get out, Aria. You've caused enough trouble for one night."
Her fingers clamped hard onto the tray she was holding. It landed on the surface slow and quiet.
Rage built up inside her, she could've shouted, maybe even cursed everyone out, but she held back. Rather than explode, she tilted her head up slightly and turned toward the door. Each footfall stayed firm, despite her heartbeat slamming against her ribs like thunder trapped beneath skin.
If this was the price of doing the right thing, then fine. She'd pay for it.
Lucian saw her leave. Yet his expression stayed blank.
He had no clue what her name was or where she came from. Yet the way she held herself, firm and quiet, stayed in his mind well after she walked out.