Ava couldn't sleep.
Lucien's words replayed over and over in her mind.
You were never supposed to matter to me.
She stared at the ceiling of the hotel room, her heart refusing to calm down. The memory of standing in that elevator with him still burned under her skin. The way his hand rested on her back… the way his voice dropped when he warned her about temptation.
It scared her.
But what scared her even more was how much she wanted to feel it again.
A soft vibration from her phone interrupted her thoughts.
Unknown number.
Her stomach tightened.
She hesitated… then answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a faint whisper.
"Ava… you shouldn't trust him."
Her blood ran cold.
"Who is this?"
The voice sounded distorted, like someone speaking through a damaged speaker.
"He erased you."
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"What?"
"He's the reason your life disappeared."
The call ended.
Ava sat frozen on the bed.
Lucien.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Could it be true?
Before she could process the thought, the door opened.
Lucien walked in.
His dark eyes immediately locked onto her face.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said calmly.
Her throat went dry.
"Someone called me."
Lucien stopped moving.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
She swallowed.
"But they said something."
His gaze sharpened.
"What did they say?"
Ava forced the words out.
"They said you erased me."
The room fell silent.
Lucien's expression didn't change.
But something dark flickered behind his eyes.
"Did they," he said quietly.
Ava watched him carefully.
"Is it true?"
For a long moment, Lucien didn't answer.
Then he walked closer.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
His voice dropped to a low murmur.
"If I erased you…"
His fingers lightly lifted her chin.
"…why would I spend every second protecting you?"
Her heart raced.
"I don't know."
Lucien studied her face.
"You will learn something about the world you stepped into, Ava."
His thumb brushed softly against her jaw.
"Truth is rarely simple."