Lucien stands before the mirror in his room, fingers trembling slightly as he pulls at his tie.
Too tight.
Too stiff.
Too suffocating.
He adjusts it again, loosening it just enough to breathe.
His reflection stares back, tired eyes, tense jaw, the exhaustion of someone who already lived three lifetimes of pretending.
"I should've escaped when I had the chance," he mutters.
But guards caught him at the wall. He was not the type to want to engage to this family event , nor had any interest in it , it was the only time he accepted the title of black sheep more than anything else .
Now he's trapped in the backseat of a pristine black car, rolling toward the event he dreads most.
He pulls out his phone to distract himself, only to see the screen flooded with headlines:
HUNTER DASTIN & TRACY MEADOWS: THE NEW POWER COUPLE
THE ENGAGEMENT RUMORS BEGIN
MEADOWS PRINCESS CAUGHT SMILING AT FUTURE ALPHA
Lucien's grip tightens. He slams the phone down beside him.
