Chapter 149

Serena's POV

The elevator doors suddenly slid open. I hadn't even pressed a floor button yet - we were still in the parking garage.

Eleanor jumped, startled. Coming back this late was already unnerving enough, and the sudden sound from the elevator must have nearly given her a heart attack.

When she registered the sight of us - a man and a woman - inside the elevator, she froze completely. It wasn't until the elevator chimed impatiently that Eleanor snapped out of her shock.

She quickly withdrew one foot and stammered, "Please, continue. I... I didn't see anything!"

Then the elevator doors closed between us.

Lucas's grip on my arm was unyielding as he pulled me down the hallway from the elevator. Each step sent waves of discomfort through my body, but I refused to show any reaction.

"Let go of me." I kept my voice deliberately cold, emotionless.

He didn't respond. The only sound was our footsteps against the floor and his slightly ragged breathing. I could feel the tremors running through his fingers where they gripped my arm - not from weakness, but from some barely contained emotion.

When we reached my door, he finally spoke. "Get inside." His voice was rough, almost unrecognizable.

I fumbled with my keycard, hyper-aware of his presence behind me. My first thought had been to change the security codes tomorrow, eliminate any possibility of him accessing the apartment again.

The door clicked open. I expected him to follow, to continue whatever this display of dominance was supposed to achieve. Instead, he remained in the hallway, one hand braced against the doorframe.

I turned, confused by this deviation from the script I'd imagined. The overhead lights caught something unexpected in his eyes - a suspicious shimmer that couldn't be, shouldn't be tears. Lucas Harrington didn't cry. He was steel and stone, calculated moves and careful control.

"What are you-" I started to ask, but he cut me off.

"Serena." My name from his lips sounded like it was being torn from somewhere deep inside him. "Don't let go. I really, really want a future with you."

The words hit me with physical force. I'd been so certain that this - whatever this was between us - was shallow. Manageable. Something I could walk away from with my heart intact. I'd convinced myself that his interest was fleeting, that my own feelings were safely contained.

The door closed behind Lucas. In that fleeting moment, I caught something-or thought I caught something-that made my heart stop.

A tear, tracing down his cheek.

Or perhaps it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. The possibility of that single tear haunted me more than any words could have.