Lucian sat on the edge of his bed, his face softened, yet weary, as he looked at Rose. He wanted nothing more than to believe she had come here with pure intentions, that maybe she had something genuine to say. But the wounds of his past ran deep, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore them, they bled through, coloring every interaction with her.
“Rose,” he began, his tone gentle but cautious. “Please, just tell me why you’re here. Whatever it is, you don’t need to sugarcoat it. Just… be honest with me. Whatever you need, I’ll do my best to help you. I always have. But please, let’s not pretend you want me here in some special way. I know how you feel.”
He gave her a small, tired smile, one that almost hid the pain flickering in his eyes. Deep down, Lucian wasn’t prepared for another cycle of hopeful moments followed by letdowns. He had been there before expecting warmth and receiving only coldness in return. He didn’t want to put himself through it again.
Rose’s eyes widened, and she tightened her grip around the coffee cup, her knuckles whitening. For a moment, she could hardly breathe. She hadn’t expected him to look at her this way so guarded and uncertain, as though even the simplest show of kindness could be a double-edged sword.
Lucian glanced down, his mind racing, still trying to piece together why she might be here. Could it be Mother told her something? Or… could it be that she’s worried about the family business? Maybe she thinks I want a part in it…. He sighed, disappointment filling him. He knew, logically, that it wasn’t entirely her fault. Yet the repeated patterns of his past life had made him wary, and he couldn’t help but brace himself against the possibility that she might be here out of obligation or suspicion.
His gaze softened as he continued, “Rose, I know you’ve always had this… attachment to the family’s legacy. Maybe that’s even part of the reason we never got close. You always seemed so focused on preserving things as they were, and I… I just don’t need any of that.” He paused, as if gathering his thoughts before adding, “In fact, if it helps, I’ll make it official I’ll take my name off the family tree if that’s what you want. I’m not here for the family property or the company, and I never have been. You know that, don’t you?”
Rose flinched, her composure slipping as his words hit her like a blow to the chest. Her mind whirled, trying to process what he was saying. She had come here simply to bridge the chasm between them, to make things right for all the ways she had failed him in the past. And here he was, offering to sever his ties with the family entirely. Her heart pounded painfully as she took in the gravity of his words. What happened? she thought helplessly. How did things get this far?
Lucian sighed, glancing at her with a look that was both gentle and resigned. “Rose, you’ve always wanted to protect this family, to carry it forward. And if my being part of it makes that difficult for you, I’ll leave. I’ll give up my name, my place in this family. I’ll be just another stranger, if that’s what makes you feel at ease.”
Rose’s chest tightened, her heart breaking at the raw vulnerability in his voice. She had expected him to be distant, yes, but not this distant not so willing to sever himself from the family he had so desperately tried to belong to in another life. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat, her mind blanking as she tried to process the depth of what he was saying.
In that moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, a weight so heavy it threatened to pull her under. She had come here to try and make amends, to somehow give him the love he had been denied in their past life. Yet all her years of coldness, her guarded words, her guarded actions… all of it had left him so scarred that he was now offering to erase himself from her world entirely, just to bring her a semblance of peace. Is this really what I’ve done to him? she wondered, horror and self-loathing twisting in her chest.
“Lucian…” she began, her voice barely a whisper, but he continued before she could gather herself enough to explain.
“Look,” he said, trying to keep his tone calm and steady, “I know that there have been… misunderstandings between us. Maybe you thought I was after something, or maybe I never made my intentions clear enough. But Rose, you have to know… I was never trying to take anything from you.” He looked away, as if struggling to keep his composure. “I didn’t want the company. I didn’t want the family wealth. I just…” He trailed off, swallowing hard, before whispering, “I just wanted to belong.”
The vulnerability in his voice shattered her. Rose felt tears prick at her eyes as the weight of his words settled over her, a weight made heavier by the knowledge that it was her actions, her words, that had pushed him to this point. How did I let it get so far? she wondered. Here he was, the brother she had neglected and distanced herself from, and he was still here, offering to make sacrifices for her. Even now, after everything, he was extending her a kindness she knew she didn’t deserve.
“Lucian, no… no, please don’t say that,” she managed, her voice breaking. Her hands trembled her coffee cup too. “I didn’t come here because of anything like that. I didn’t come here to talk about the family business or… or inheritance. I came here because… because I wanted to see you. I wanted to make things right.”
Rose struggled. In truth, she didn’t know why she had been so guarded for so long. Perhaps it was her fear of vulnerability, her fear of being hurt, that had made it easier to push him away. But now, looking at him, she realized just how much she had lost because of her own choices.