Selina didn't sleep.
Not because she couldn't—
but because every time she closed her eyes, she felt like something was watching her from somewhere beyond the walls of reality.
Lucian's words echoed again and again.
"It's starting again."
"I didn't fail this time."
And the worst part—
she still didn't understand what "this" was.
Morning came dull and gray.
The Vale mansion was already awake, filled with the usual controlled chaos of an elite household preparing for another day of appearances, meetings, and silent power struggles.
But Selina noticed something different now.
Everything felt staged.
Like a performance she had once been forced to participate in… and now could finally see from outside.
She walked down the stairs quietly.
No one greeted her immediately.
That alone was new.
Usually Livia would notice her first.
Today, Livia was speaking to Damian in low tones, tense and focused.
Rowan stood near the dining table scrolling through messages, expression serious.
And Elara—
Elara was watching Selina.
Not openly.
Not boldly.
But carefully.
As if studying a variable that no longer behaved the way it was supposed to.
"Selina," Livia finally said, forcing a gentle smile, "you should eat something before leaving."
"Leave?" Selina repeated.
Damian looked up from his papers.
"Blackwood Enterprises requested your presence at their subsidiary office today."
Selina paused.
Again.
Lucian.
Even after the gala.
Even after everything.
He was still pulling her into his world.
"I didn't agree to that," Selina said calmly.
Damian's expression tightened.
"You don't get to refuse this time."
The words landed heavily in the room.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But final.
Selina slowly looked at him.
Something cold settled inside her chest.
So this was it.
Even now, she still had no real control over her own life here.
Elara stepped forward slightly.
"It's just a meeting," she said softly. "You don't have to make it difficult."
Selina almost laughed.
Difficult.
Everything she ever felt was always labeled as "difficult" the moment it wasn't convenient for them.
"I'll go," Selina said suddenly.
The room quieted.
Even Damian seemed surprised by the ease of her acceptance.
But Selina wasn't doing it for them.
She was doing it because refusing Lucian Blackwood right now felt more dangerous than meeting him.
Blackwood Enterprises.
The building was even more imposing up close.
Glass towers reflecting the sky like a cold mirror of power.
Selina stepped inside without hesitation, escorted by Blackwood security who bowed slightly the moment they recognized her name.
That alone made her uneasy.
She was still a Vale.
Yet here—
she was already treated differently.
Elevator doors opened directly to the top floor.
No waiting.
No announcement.
Just silent permission.
When she stepped out, the entire floor was quiet.
Too quiet.
And then—
she saw him.
Lucian Blackwood stood near the glass wall overlooking the city, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a file he wasn't reading.
As if he already knew she was coming.
As if he had been waiting the entire time.
"Selina," he said simply.
Not surprised.
Not formal.
Just certain.
She stopped a few steps away from him.
"You didn't need to bring me here personally," she said.
"I didn't," he replied.
A pause.
Then—
"I wanted to see you here."
Selina studied him carefully.
Up close, his presence felt heavier than before.
Less like a CEO.
More like something inevitable.
Something that didn't belong in her present life… but still existed in it anyway.
"You're making things complicated," she said quietly.
Lucian finally turned toward her fully.
His silver eyes locked onto hers instantly.
"No," he said softly.
A beat.
"You are the only simple thing in this world."
Selina's breath caught slightly.
The words shouldn't have affected her.
But they did.
Because no one had ever spoken to her like that.
Not in either life.
Lucian took a slow step closer.
Not enough to invade her space.
But enough that she couldn't ignore him anymore.
"I told you," he said quietly, "you don't remember yet."
Selina frowned.
"Stop saying that."
Something flickered in his expression.
A rare crack in his control.
Like restraint holding back something far more intense.
"You will," he replied.
Then, softer—
"And when you do… you'll understand why I can't let you go again."
Silence filled the space between them.
Selina felt it again.
That strange pull.
Not attraction.
Not fear.
Something deeper.
Something that felt like memory without images.
Lucian suddenly extended the file in his hand toward her.
Selina hesitated before taking it.
Inside—
were reports.
Vale family transactions.
Hidden accounts.
Private meeting logs.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned the first page.
"These are… illegal transfers."
"Yes," Lucian said calmly.
Selina looked up sharply.
"You've been investigating my family?"
Lucian didn't deny it.
"I've been watching them for a long time."
A pause.
Then—
"Before you died."
The world stopped.
Selina's grip tightened instantly on the file.
Her heartbeat dropped.
"…What did you just say?"
Lucian's gaze didn't waver.
And for the first time—
his voice lost its calm edge completely.
"Because I was there that night, Selina.