Lucian's POV…..
The moment the door closed behind me, the silence returned.
I didn't stop moving, I didn't even want to.
The wheelchair rolled smoothly across the hallway, every motion was measured, every movement practiced to perfection. Anyone watching would see exactly what they expected—
A broken man who needed assistance.
A man who posed no threat.
I reached the end of the corridor, turned the corner, and continued until I was certain no one was around.
Then I stopped, for a second, everything went still.
And just like that the act dropped.
My hands gripped the arms of the wheelchair, and I pushed myself up.
I let out a small grunt as my leg aches but I ignored it, it was still healing.
A slow breath left my lungs as I straightened fully, rolling my shoulders slightly to release the tension that had built up from hours of pretending.
It was always like this the moment I was alone i became myself again.
I didn't look back as I walked down the private hallway, my steps were quiet against the polished floor.
At the end of the hall, I entered my private gym.
The space was large, fully equipped and designed for someone who refused to be weak.
For someone like me.
The lights flickered on automatically as I stepped inside.
I started with light stretches and then got to the stair master.
I moved one step forward then another.
The muscles in my legs responded immediately, tightening, adjusting, remembering. There was still resistance—still a faint stiffness that hadn't completely faded.
But it wasn't enough to stop me it never would be.
I continued walking, back and forth my breathing steady, my focus absolute.
Three years.
Three years of pretending, watching and waiting.
And now—
Now everything was finally starting to move according to my plan.
A sharp memory flashed through my mind.
Metal twisting, glass shattering and then pain.
A deep, suffocating kind of pain that stole the air from my lungs.
I stopped abruptly.
My jaw tightened with annoyance.
Not now.
I exhaled slowly, forcing the image away, forcing my body to relax again.
I needed to control myself, I had learned that the hard way.
Pain meant nothing if you couldn't control it.
I resumed walking again and again and again. Until my muscles burned and the faint tremor in my legs reminded me that I was still human.
Only then did I stop.
I reached for a towel, dragging it across the back of my neck as I moved toward the weights.
It was all part of my routine.
I picked up the first weight without hesitation, my grip firm and controlled.
I did everything as usual with no distractions but tonight—
There was one.
Livia Virelli
Her face appeared in my mind without warning.
She was very beautiful I couldn't deny that, flowing black long hair, grey eyes with freckles and pouty lips.
When I saw her at the altar I almost broke my act by widening my eyes, she looked like a real life angel.
I didn't plan on blowing my cover tonight, but when she took of her dress explosing me to those beautiful perky breasts, I was on my last thread of control.
And when she almost took of her lace panties I had to stop her.
I paused for half a second before continuing.m it wasn't unusual for me to analyze new variables.
And she was exactly that a variable I hadn't planned for a complication.
And yet…
My grip tightened slightly around the weight
She hadn't reacted the way I expected, most people would have panicked.
Or even screamed or worse—tried to use the information against me.
But she hadn't she had been afraid that much was obvious.
Instead she just looked at me and agreed
But she didn't break.
That alone made her different.
I exhaled slowly, setting the weight down before picking it up again.
And then there was the way she looked at me not with pity like the others but with… something else.
My jaw tightened slightly.
It was unfamiliar and I didn't like unfamiliar things.
I moved to the next set, pushing myself harder this time.
The burn in my muscles intensified, but I welcomed it.
Pain was proof of progress, pain meant I was getting closer.
Closer to finishing this.
Closer to ending everything that had started three years ago.
Another flash of memory
The screech of tires, the violent impact, the world spinning out of control.
I dropped the weight and it clattered to the ground
The sound echoed sharply through the room.
My chest rose and fell once, twice, as I steadied myself.
That night, that accident…it hadn't been an accident i knew that now.
I had known it for a long time someone had wanted me dead.
And if I had shown even a fraction of strength after that—
If I had stood up, walked, fought they would have finished the job so I stayed down.
I let them believe I was broken snd useless.
I needed a grand plan to get over Kingsley Enterprises and take down my brother, Victor snd Mother down with it.
They were ambitious and the first on my list as suspect, that's where Livia comes in, she will act as a shield for me in the meantime.
Everything is temporary, I get what I want and she gets whatever she asks for it's a win-win situation, but why do I feel like she is trouble?
I looked out the window it's morning already, I e been up all night I did few pushups and sit up's and went to the tread mill, I started off slowly at first before building pace.
I am going to get my company back and get rid of everyone who tried to harm me, but for now I would continue my act to see who is on my side and who isn't.
I looked at the wheelchair by the side
Game on
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