Chapter 58

ELORA'S POV The day has been going surprisingly well. For once, my sketches flowed smoothly without several trials, every stroke lining up the way I wanted. For a moment, I even forgot about Lucian—forgot about the tension between us, his sudden behaviours, his teasing, his commanding presence that seemed to linger in my head after he left the room. I shoved the thought aside, focusing instead on my work. It was finally noon when Lucas appeared at my office door. “Elora,” he said, leaning casually against the frame. “It's time. The lunch meeting with Lucian.” My pencil went still. My stomach twisted. I hadn’t forgotten about the meeting, I'd just conveniently buried it in the back of my mind. “Do I have to?” I sighed, slumping in my chair. Lucas studied me for a beat, then his expression softened. “You don't have to. If you’d rather not see him, I can handle it on my own.” I hesitated, staring at the designs spread across my desk. Avoiding Lucian wasn’t an option when he's our partner