Juniper's POV
I woke up with a knot in my stomach, just like every morning for the past few weeks. Glancing at the empty spot beside me, my heart clenched a little. Lucian had been traveling a lot lately for "business."
At least, that's what he claimed. The doubts and suspicions had been creeping in lately, making me second-guess everything about him.
I got up and went about my usual morning routine - make coffee, check my phone, prepare a simple breakfast. As I sipped my coffee, I couldn't help replaying last night's conversation with Aria in my mind.
"You're being naive if you think Lucian hasn't been lying to you again," she had said, eyes glinting. "Men like that will always prioritize money over honesty when push comes to shove."
I set my mug down harder than I intended, sloshing coffee over the rim. Aria's cynical comments needled at me more than I cared to admit. She was my stepsister - what did she truly know about Lucian and his motivations?
And yet...her accusations lined up a little too perfectly with the uneasy feelings that had been festering within me lately.
The front door opened and Lucian strode in, carrying his overnight bag. He flashed me that easy, reassuring smile that used to make my knees weak. Lately it did little for me.
"There's my girl," he said cheerfully, coming over to kiss my cheek. "Sleep well?"
I shifted away from his embrace, unable to meet his eyes. "Fine. Just fine."
He must have picked up on my tone because his smile faded. "June? What's going on?"
Using the nickname he knew I hated seemed to snap something inside me. "What's going on?" I echoed, anger rising. "I could ask you the same thing, Lucian!"
His brow furrowed in obvious confusion. "What are you talking about? Did something happen while I was away?"
Away...that was a curious way to put his constant "business trips" lately. I opened my mouth to lay into him, but the shrill ring of my phone interrupted me.
Scowling, I checked the caller ID - it was Orion's lawyer. Of course. I accepted the call on speaker so Lucian could hear.
"Ms. Gray, I regret to inform you that the auditing process has revealed some discrepancies in your financial accounting methods," the nasal voice stated. "Mr. Blackwell will require your attendance tomorrow to go over the issues in full. He expects complete transparency, as per the agreement."
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. Orion was ramping up the harassment again with his stupid contract clause allowing him obscene insight into my finances.
"I'll be there," I bit out, trying to keep my voice even. "And Mr. Blackwell can expect my lawyer to be present as well."
There was a pause, then the lawyer continued in a tone dripping with condescension. "I wouldn't advise that, Ms. Gray. Bringing legal representation could be viewed as uncooperative behavior on your part. You know how poorly Mr. Blackwell responds to any perceived defiance..."
The subtle threat hung in the air. I knew pushing back too hard against Orion's intrusions could provoke him to take this to court, which would only leave me more ruined in the end.
"Fine," I ground out through gritted teeth. "I'll be there tomorrow unaccompanied."
"Excellent. Mr. Blackwell looks forward to your...compliance." The lawyer disconnected with an audible smugness.
I was shaking with a potent mix of rage and impotence. I hated being left so vulnerable to Orion's whims, forced to play by his rules.
"Juniper?" Lucian's concerned voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. "What the hell was that all about? What's going on with you and Orion?"
I looked up to find him studying me intently, brown eyes full of worry and lingering confusion. Part of me ached to unburden myself to him, to let him in so he could help shoulder this nightmare.
But the rest of me, the part being slowly poisoned by Aria's relentless digs, held back. What if he wasn't as trustworthy as he seemed? What if he was somehow complicit in Orion maintaining control over me like this?
"It's nothing," I lied, waving a dismissive hand. I couldn't look at him as I spoke. "Just some more legal back-and-forth that you don't need to worry about. I can handle Orion and his games."
Lucian took a step closer, reaching out to grasp my shoulders. I flinched away from his touch instinctively.
"This doesn't seem like nothing, June," he said carefully. "Ever since I got Orion to agree to that settlement, he's been up to no good. If he's harassing you over it, you need to tell me everything."
I squeezed my eyes shut, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. Looking at him cut me deeply right now. His earnest pleas for my trust sliced painfully against the corroded sense of faith I had left after Aria planted her seeds of doubt.
"And why should I trust you?" I asked, finally meeting his gaze head-on. "You were such good friends with Orion before, watching each other's backs through all the shadiness. Who's to say you aren't still keeping things from me about your involvement in his schemes against me?"
Lucian dropped his hands, shoulders slumping as he absorbed the harsh sting of my accusation. "Juniper...don't do this. Don't start down this road of paranoia and second-guessing everything I've done to make amends for the past."
I barked out another bitter laugh, folding my arms across my chest defensively. "Make amends? What amends, Lucian? You may have come clean about deceiving me over your disability, but let's not forget how intertwined you were with that depraved monster Orion while putting on that big act!"
Lucian recoiled as if I'd physically struck him. I could see the hurt clouding his eyes, the muscle twitching in his clenched jaw.
For a long, charged moment, the kitchen was utterly silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.
"I'm going to give you a chance to walk that back," Lucian said at last, each word etched in quiet fury. "Because I don't think you truly believe what you're accusing me of."
I lifted my chin defiantly. "Oh, I absolutely believe it. My own stepsister - as twisted as she is - has had a clearer view all along of how your greed could be clouding your devotion to me."
"Your stepsister?" Lucian shook his head in disgust. "You're listening to the poisonous lies of that manipulative snake Aria over me? Over everything I've done to protect you and build a life with you?"
I opened my mouth to argue further, but Lucian held up a hand to stop me. His eyes bored into me with an intensity I hadn't seen before.
"You know what? Don't answer that. I'm leaving before I say something worse in the heat of the moment."
He turned on his heel and stormed towards the front door.
I watched him go, paralyzed by my own whirling emotions. Part of me instinctively wanted to run after him, to bury my face against his chest and apologize through soft tears for my misplaced cruelty.
But that same dark kernel of doubt held me back, whispering that if I broke now, it would only reinforce any manipulative behavior on Lucian's part.
So I remained rooted there as Lucian swept out of the house, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle pictures on the walls.
It was only after the silence descended, thick and suffocating around me, that I allowed the first prickly tears to spill over my lashes.
The day seemed to blur by after that. I knew I should try contacting Lucian, attempt to defuse the hostility lingering between us. But a petty part of me couldn't bring myself to make the first move after his abrupt storm-out. So I wallowed in emotional limbo.
I spent the rest of the day trying to distract myself with meaningless household chores. I scrubbed the floors until my knuckles were raw and pruned. Reorganized the bookshelves meticulously by author. Small, mindless tasks just to try quieting the torrent of misery and confusion rattling around my skull.