Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMR2CB43EVSJ451X9Q2ZW2X

Aurora Carter hesitated just a moment, her hand hovering over the doorknob, before finally twisting it open. The door swung inward with a quiet creak, revealing the narrow hall of Eva’s flat on Brick Lane. Shadows from the dim hallway spilled into her line of sight, but the person standing there—leaning almost lazily against the doorframe—was unmistakable. Lucien Moreau. His heterochromatic eyes—one amber, one black—locked onto hers with an intensity that made her stomach tighten, a flood of memories rushing back. His platinum blond hair was slicked back to perfection, a sharp contrast to the casual yet meticulously tailored charcoal suit that hugged his frame. She blinked, her thumb unconsciously tracing the crescent-shaped scar on her left wrist as if to steady herself. “What are you doing here?” Her voice was steady, but beneath it edged a cautious wariness, a silent question layered with a thousand unspoken things—how long had he been standing there, what exactly had prompted this unannounced visit? Lucien straightened, pushing off the doorframe with a slow, deliberate motion. The ivory-handled cane he carried clicked softly against the floor, though his hand lingered on it for a moment before he shifted his weight. His eyes flicked over her—her tired bright blue eyes, her shoulder-length black hair hanging loose, her slightly hesitant stance. “Would you believe me if I said I simply missed you?” His voice was smooth, almost casual, but she caught the faint undercurrent of something else—a hint of regret, maybe, or longing. Rory’s stomach clenched at those words, but she pushed the feeling aside, the guard slipping into place. “You don’t exactly have a reputation for honesty, Lucien. Especially not when it comes to showing up unannounced on my doorstep.” He chuckled softly, a sound that sounded genuine but carried that faint grit she’d come to recognize—something beneath the surface, layers of history tangled inside it. “True. But I thought I’d try my luck regardless.” His gaze softened just a little, and he pushed away from the doorframe, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. The flat was cramped, cluttered with books, scrolls, and research notes, the air tinged with the scent of curry from the restaurant downstairs and the sharp tang of ink and paper. Ptolemy—Eva’s tabby cat—leapt gracefully from a pile of papers to watch him with narrow, cautious eyes, twitching his tail before curling up on the windowsill. Aurora closed the door slowly, her mind racing as she crossed her arms. “Lucky for you, Eva isn’t here to chase you out. But I am. So, what now?” Lucien’s smile was faint, almost wistful, as he stepped toward her. “I never meant for this to be difficult, Rory.” It was the nickname he rarely used, and it made something tighten painfully in her chest. “I just… needed to see you.” “Why?” Her voice cracked slightly, but she caught herself, schooling her expression into something more guarded. “After everything—after you disappeared—what makes you think showing up now is a good idea?” He looked away momentarily, his hand brushing over the cane—something he always did when he was uncomfortable. “Because I was a fool. Because I was stupid enough to think I could walk away without consequences. And because I realized I’ve been lying to myself all this time—the truth is, I never stopped thinking about you.” She felt her pulse hammering in her ears. Her eyes flicked to the scar on her wrist, the reminder of childhood accidents, of wounds that had long since healed but never quite faded from her memory. That scar meant vulnerability, and right now, her defenses felt razor-thin. “Thinking about me doesn’t fix what happened,” she said softly, her voice trembling just a little. “You hurt me, Lucien. You walked away, and I was left with loose ends, mistakes I couldn’t undo. I don’t know if I can just pretend none of that matters.” His jaw tightened, and he took a slow step closer, so close that she could see the faint shimmer of disappointment in his eyes, the flicker of something unspoken. “It matters,” he admitted quietly. “More than you know. But I’m not here to restart old fights. I’m here—because I need to tell you something. About me. About us.” She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to step back. “What are you talking about?” Lucien’s grip on his cane relaxed just a little, and in that moment, her senses sharpened—she caught the faint scent of his cologne, something dark and spicy that seemed to mingle with his natural scent, blending into the layers of memory she’d buried deep beneath reason and hurt. “I’m not just a fixer, Rory,” he said, voice low but steady. “I’m half-demon, and there’s a long road I’ve traveled because of it. Because of me. And I’ve come to realize that the parts of me I once tried to hide—those dark corners—are the parts I want you to see. Because I’ve never stopped wanting you.” A silence stretched, thick and heavy with the weight of words left unsaid. Ptolemy stretched lazily on the windowsill, flicking his tail, indifferent to the tension hanging between them. She felt her breath catch, her fingers trembling at her sides. Her mind spun with the chaos of everything—the hurt, the attraction, the tangled mess of history they couldn’t unravel in a moment. Yet something in Lucien’s eyes, that rare vulnerability, pulled at her in ways she couldn’t ignore. “I don’t know if I can just let go of everything,” she whispered, voice barely more than a breath. “Not after all this time.” His smile flickered—soft, almost hopeful. “Then let me prove to you that I’m still the man who risked everything for one moment of honesty. Whether you believe me or not—that’s up to you. But I’m not leaving without trying.” She looked at him, at the man who had once been her ally, her dark temptation, her complicated love. The fragile line between past and present stretched tight, waiting for her to cross or to hold tight to her defenses. In the flickering half-light of Eva’s flat, Rory Carter hesitated, torn and trembling—a woman caught in the storm of what was lost and what might still be found.