Lianna didn't realize how thin the line was—
Between control and chaos.
The elevator doors slid shut behind her, sealing in silence and tension. Her mind replayed the boardroom scene again and again. Isabella's hatred. Lucien's gaze.
Too sharp. Too focused.
She exhaled slowly.
Stay calm. Don't react.
The elevator suddenly jolted.
Lights flickered.
Then—darkness.
"What—?" Lianna gasped as the lift came to an abrupt stop.
A second later, the emergency lights snapped on, bathing the small space in dim red glow.
Of course.
Blackwood headquarters never had accidents.
Her heart pounded as the intercom crackled with static. No response.
She was trapped.
With him.
Lucien stood across from her, tall frame relaxed, as if being locked inside a stalled elevator was nothing more than an inconvenience.
"Did you plan this too?" she snapped.
His lips curved faintly. "If I had, you wouldn't be surprised."
The silence stretched.
The elevator swayed slightly.
Lianna stumbled forward—
Straight into him.
Strong hands caught her instantly, one arm wrapping around her waist, the other bracing against the wall behind her.
Too close.
She could feel his heartbeat—steady, dangerous.
"Let go," she said, breath unsteady.
Lucien didn't move.
"You're shaking," he murmured.
"I'm not."
Another sway.
Her balance failed.
Her lips brushed his.
A mistake.
A single, breathless second.
The world stopped.
Lucien froze.
So did she.
Then his grip tightened—just slightly.
Not forceful.
As if asking permission.
Lianna shoved him away hard.
"That will never happen again," she said sharply.
The red light caught Lucien's expression—
Not anger.
Shock.
Then something dark, burning, unmistakable.
"You should be careful," he said quietly. "You don't know what you awaken."
She met his gaze, heart racing. "Neither do you."
The lights flickered back on.
The elevator lurched, then began to descend.
The moment passed.
But the damage didn't.
When the doors opened, Lianna stepped out without looking back.
She didn't see Lucien lift his fingers slowly to his lips.
Didn't hear him murmur—
"Too late."
Because that accidental kiss?
It wasn't a mistake to him.
It was a trigger.