Selina sat in silence long after Lucian's last words.
"I don't know."
That answer unsettled her more than certainty would have.
Because if even Lucian could no longer predict what was happening—
then things had already moved beyond the patterns he understood.
The office remained quiet except for the faint hum of the city far below them.
Selina stared blankly at the untouched cup of coffee near the desk.
Her mind kept drifting back to the Vale mansion.
The gates opening.
Strangers entering without resistance.
And Damian suddenly asking her to come home after years of emotional distance.
Nothing felt accidental anymore.
Lucian stood near the window, speaking quietly with someone through an earpiece before disconnecting again.
Selina finally looked up.
"You have people watching the estate."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"Years."
That answer no longer surprised her the way it once would have.
She leaned back slightly in the chair.
"You really watched everything."
Lucian's expression remained calm.
"Only what threatened you."
Selina let out a soft breath.
At this point, she no longer knew where the line between protection and obsession even existed anymore.
And strangely—
she wasn't afraid of it.
That realization alone disturbed her slightly.
Lucian turned toward her again.
"There's another issue."
Selina frowned slightly.
"When do we stop having those?"
A faint pause followed.
Then unexpectedly—
Lucian's mouth curved almost imperceptibly.
Not quite a smile.
But close enough that it startled her.
The expression disappeared almost immediately.
Yet somehow the brief softness felt more dangerous than his coldness ever had.
Lucian walked toward the desk again.
"Your disappearance from the estate is already drawing attention."
Selina straightened slightly.
"From the Vale family?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"And from the Hollow Circle."
Her chest tightened faintly.
"So what now?"
Lucian placed a thin black folder in front of her.
"We change the narrative before they do."
Selina opened the folder slowly.
Inside were press reports.
Corporate announcements.
Public schedules.
Most carried her name.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"These are media projections."
"Yes."
Selina turned another page carefully.
Then stopped.
A public charity conference hosted by Blackwood Enterprises.
Scheduled tomorrow evening.
Guest attendance list included corporate heirs, investors, and multiple influential families across the city.
Including—
Vale Group.
Selina looked up immediately.
"You want me to attend this?"
Lucian's gaze remained steady.
"I need you visible."
She stared at him.
"That sounds reckless."
"It's strategic."
Selina stood from the chair slowly.
"Lucian, someone literally threatened to kill me this morning."
"And hiding confirms weakness," he replied calmly.
The room fell silent.
Selina crossed her arms tightly.
"So your solution is putting me in front of half the city?"
"Yes."
The bluntness of the answer almost irritated her.
Lucian stepped closer slightly.
"They expect you to panic now."
His voice lowered.
"To disappear. To isolate yourself."
Selina frowned slightly.
"And?"
"And we cannot allow them to control the pace of this situation."
The words settled heavily between them.
Part of her understood his logic immediately.
Fear made people reactive.
Visible confidence disrupted expectation.
But another part of her still felt uneasy.
Because she was tired.
Emotionally exhausted.
Her entire identity had shattered overnight.
And now she was supposed to walk into a public event pretending nothing had changed?
Lucian seemed to read the conflict in her expression instantly.
"You don't need to pretend," he said quietly.
Selina looked at him carefully.
"Then what exactly do I need to do?"
Lucian's silver eyes held hers steadily.
"Stand beside me publicly."
The room became still.
Selina stared at him.
Not because the request sounded romantic.
Because it sounded dangerous.
Strategic alliances.
Public visibility.
Influence.
People would notice immediately.
The Hollow Circle would notice immediately.
The Vale family too.
Selina exhaled slowly.
"You really believe this changes things."
"It already has."
Silence followed again.
Then suddenly—
her phone vibrated sharply against the desk.
Both of them looked down instantly.
Rowan.
Selina hesitated briefly before answering.
"…Hello?"
Rowan sounded tense immediately.
"Where are you?"
Selina glanced briefly toward Lucian.
"I'm safe."
"That's not what I asked."
The similarity between him and Damian made her chest tighten faintly.
Selina looked away toward the window.
"What's happening at the estate?"
Silence.
Then Rowan spoke lower.
"You need to stay away for now."
Her pulse slowed instantly.
Not because of the warning.
Because Rowan sounded afraid.
Real fear.
Selina straightened slightly.
"Why?"
Another silence.
Then quietly—
"There are people here asking questions about you."
Lucian's expression darkened immediately.
Selina tightened her grip on the phone.
"What kind of questions?"
Rowan exhaled sharply under his breath.
"Your childhood. Adoption records. Medical history."
Her stomach twisted painfully.
They were digging into her identity openly now.
No more subtle manipulation.
No more waiting.
Lucian walked closer slowly, listening carefully.
Selina lowered her voice slightly.
"Did Father let them in?"
Rowan didn't answer immediately.
That hesitation was enough.
Selina closed her eyes briefly.
Because deep down—
she already knew.
When she opened them again, her voice was quieter.
"…Rowan."
His answer came strained.
"He didn't stop them."
The words landed harder than she expected.
Not because Damian betrayed her.
Because some foolish part of her still hoped he wouldn't.
Selina swallowed slowly.
"Where's Elara?"
"At the estate."
"And?"
Silence.
Then—
"She's speaking to them privately."
The room felt suffocatingly still.
Selina's chest tightened painfully now.
Not heartbreak.
Not even anger.
Disappointment.
Cold and heavy.
Lucian watched her expression carefully but remained silent.
On the phone, Rowan lowered his voice further.
"Selina… I don't think you understand how serious this is anymore."
A bitter smile touched her lips faintly.
"No," she whispered quietly.
"I think I finally do."
Silence followed.
Then Rowan spoke carefully.
"There's something else."
Selina frowned slightly.
"What?"
His next words came slowly.
"Asking about you wasn't their main reason for coming."
Her pulse slowed again.
"What do you mean?"
Rowan hesitated.
Then quietly—
"They were asking about something your parents left behind."
The room went completely silent.
Lucian's expression changed instantly.
Cold.
Focused.
Dangerously sharp.
Selina's heartbeat stumbled once.
Because suddenly—
everything connected.
The Blackthorn family.
The hidden information.
The years of searching.
And now—
whatever her parents protected had finally resurfaced.
Rowan's voice lowered further.
"Selina…"
A pause.
"I think they believe the Vale family knows where it is."