Run: 2026-02-19-01KHT0DMB12919CHTXK15KJQRC

Rory's fingers dug into the fabric of the couch as she stared blankly at the TV, the sounds of a repeat episode of The IT Crowd muffled and distant. The lights were off, the only illumination coming from the faint glow of the city outside her flat. Ptolemy, Eva's tabby cat, had dragged a ball of yarn across the coffee table, and the taut string sparkled subtly in the faint light. Her mind wandered to the papers Evan used to leave on her doorstep, the white, unadorned pages accented with bold, intimidating red ink – a stark reminder to walk the straight and narrow or suffer the consequences. The delivery bell shrilled, jolting her from her reverie. She hesitated, frowning into the darkness, knowing the commotion would wake Silas at the bar below. Shuffling through the kitchen, Rory lifted the intercom to her lips. "Who is it?" "Darling, it's Lucien," his silk-toughened voice barely contained the drawl, a familiar tidbit that came in handy for wiggle room during tough negotiations. "I require a meeting with you on an urgent matter. It won't take long." Rory's heart slipped a cadence before regaining its steady beat. The phrase 'urgent matter' sent a shiver down her arms, especially when dripping from Lucien's well-oiled tongue. For an instant, memories of tangling in his slick, chestnut-brown hair made her skin itch with recollection. Abandoning the stove's temperature-regulated safety, her bare foot snagged the threadbare carpet. Fixing him a long, pitched silence, she bit down the urge to laugh. "Just tell me, Lucien. What's business. I have work tomorrow." Tomorrow. Only yesterday, work had consisted of soggy pizzas, dolce foods tasted past their prime, and heated courteous conversation. Threads turned vicious, like badly knotted fishing nets – inescapable and attracting criticism. 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"I require a meeting with you on an urgent matter. It won't take long." Rory's heart slipped a cadence before regaining its steady beat. The phrase 'urgent matter' sent a shiver down her arms, especially when dripping from Lucien's well-oiled tongue. For an instant, memories of tangling in his slick, chestnut-brown hair made her skin itch with recollection. Abandoning the stove's temperature-regulated safety, her bare foot snagged the threadbare carpet. Fixing him a long, pitched silence, she bit down the urge to laugh. "Just tell me, Lucien," Rory replied, making sure her voice didn't betray her or rely on curt responses. 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Ptolemy, Eva's tabby cat, had dragged a ball of yarn across the coffee table, and the taut string sparkled subtly in the faint light. The delivery bell shrilled, jolting her from her reverie. She hesitated, frowning into the darkness, knowing the commotion would wake Silas at the bar below. Shuffling through the kitchen, Rory lifted the intercom to her lips. "Who is it?" "Darling, it's Lucien," his silk-toughened voice barely contained the drawl. "I require a meeting with you on an urgent matter. It won't take long." Rory's heart slipped a cadence before regaining its steady beat. The phrase 'urgent matter' sent a shiver down her arms, especially when dripping from Lucien's well-oiled tongue. For an instant, memories of tangling in his slick, chestnut-brown hair made her skin itch with recollection. "Lucien, listen. An hour after closing Yu-Fei's goes into crunch mode, so let's swap then. Some things are better said once we've eaten." Silence weighed on her shoulders as the cramped kitchen revealed the industrial peaking hour repellent stale air. 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Ptolemy, Eva's tabby cat, had dragged a ball of yarn across the coffee table, and the taut string sparkled in the faint light. The delivery bell shrilled, jolting her from her reverie. She hesitated, frowning into the darkness, knowing the commotion would wake Silas. Shuffling through the kitchen, Rory lifted the intercom to her lips. "Who is it?" "Darling, it's Lucien," his silk-toughened voice barely contained the drawl. Rory's heart slipped a cadence before regaining its steady beat. The phrase 'urgent matter' sent a shiver down her arms. "Lucien, listen," she said, her voice firm but wary. "An hour after closing Yu-Fei's goes into crunch mode, so let's swap then. Some things are better said once we've eaten." The silence that followed was palpable, like a physical weight that pressed on her shoulders. As she waited, Rory's mind began to unfurl like a thread pulled from a tapestry. Memories of Lucien curled through her thoughts, his slick, chestnut-brown hair a sensual recall. Their past was a tangled mess, a knot of attraction, hurt, and things left unsaid. For an instant, she felt the draw of him, the gravity of their complicated history. The sound of footsteps, measured and deliberate, echoed up from the stairs. Lucien had come. Rory's fingers tightened on the couch, her grip a reflexive protest against the turmoil brewing inside her.