Chapter 33
Morning came too quickly.
Zara woke first.
For a moment, she didn't move. Didn't breathe deeply. Didn't even blink. She just felt—the warmth beside her, the unfamiliar calm in her chest, the quiet hum of the ocean beyond the glass walls of the island villa.
And then reality snapped back into place.
Control.
She turned her head slowly.
Lucien was still asleep.
That alone was unsettling.
A man like him didn't sleep deeply. He didn't let his guard down. Yet here he was, one arm lazily draped across the sheets, his expression uncharacteristically relaxed.
Because of her?
Zara's jaw tightened.
No.
Absolutely not.
She slipped out of bed silently, wrapping herself in a silk robe, her movements precise—calculated. By the time she stepped onto the balcony, the soft morning breeze had already begun to erase the evidence of last night.
Almost.
Her fingers tightened against the railing.
You lost control.
Even if just for a moment.
Even if no one saw it.
Even if he didn't say it.
Zara exhaled slowly, forcing her expression back into its usual calm indifference.
Never again.
"Running away so early?"
Her spine stiffened.
Lucien's voice.
Of course he was awake.
Zara didn't turn immediately. She took her time, composing herself before facing him. When she finally did, her expression was flawless—cool, untouchable.
"I don't run," she said evenly. "I reset."
Lucien leaned against the doorway, watching her with that infuriating, knowing gaze. Like he could see through every layer she put up.
"Is that what last night was?" he asked quietly.
Zara met his eyes without hesitation. "A moment. Nothing more."
A lie.
They both knew it.
Lucien's lips curved slightly, but there was no humor in it. "You're trying very hard this morning."
"I don't try," she replied. "I succeed."
A pause.
Tension—thick, sharp, alive—hung between them.
Different from last night.
More dangerous.
Because now, they were both fully aware.
Before Lucien could respond, a sharp sound cut through the air.
His phone.
Zara's gaze flicked toward it instantly.
Work.
Reality.
Interruption.
Lucien frowned slightly as he checked the screen. That alone told her enough—this wasn't a call he could ignore.
"Take it," Zara said coolly, already stepping back into the room.
He didn't move immediately.
"Zara—"
"Lucien," she cut in smoothly, "whatever illusion you think happened here… doesn't change anything."
His jaw tightened.
The phone rang again.
This time, he answered.
"Yes."
Zara watched him carefully as his expression shifted—subtle, but unmistakable.
Cold.
Focused.
Dangerous.
"What do you mean she's there?" he said, voice dropping.
Zara's eyes narrowed slightly.
She?
There was a pause.
Then—
"No," Lucien said sharply. "Do not let her—"
Too late.
A voice echoed faintly through the phone, sharp and unmistakably feminine.
"Lucien."
Zara stilled.
Slowly, deliberately, she crossed her arms.
Lucien's gaze flicked to her.
For the first time that morning—
Something slipped.
Annoyance?
No.
Complication.
"Put me on speaker," the woman's voice demanded.
Lucien didn't.
Zara raised a brow. "Trouble already?"
He ignored her.
Big mistake.
Zara stepped closer, plucking the phone from his hand before he could stop her.
"Hello?" she said smoothly.
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"…Zara."
Recognition.
Immediate.
Sharp.
Zara's lips curved faintly. "Elena."
Lucien's expression darkened instantly.
Ah.
So it was that kind of morning.
"Interesting," Elena's voice came through, laced with something between amusement and irritation. "I didn't realize you'd be answering Lucien's calls now."
Zara glanced at him briefly, then back ahead. "There are many things you don't realize."
A soft, humorless laugh. "Clearly."
Lucien stepped closer. "Give me the phone."
Zara tilted it slightly out of reach.
"No," Elena continued, her tone shifting. "Since you're both there, let's not waste time."
Zara's expression hardened subtly.
Business.
Of course.
"The board has called an emergency meeting," Elena said. "And Lucien—this directly involves your little… island escape."
Zara's eyes flicked to his.
There it was.
The interruption.
The crack in their temporary peace.
"What happened?" Lucien asked sharply.
A pause.
Then—
"Someone's making a move against you."
Silence.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Zara slowly handed the phone back, her mind already racing ahead.
Because she knew one thing for certain—
This wasn't coincidence.
And whatever was coming next…
Would test far more than just business.
Lucien ended the call slowly.
Zara met his gaze.
No softness.
No hesitation.
"Looks like your world is calling you back," she said.
His eyes darkened. "Our world."
Zara didn't respond immediately.
Then, quietly—
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
But this time…
It didn't sound as convincing.
And somewhere far beyond the island—
Plans were already in motion.