Chapter 54 Chapter 54
Anna’s POV
Lucas let out a long sigh, the kind that sounded like he had been holding it in for too long.
“But there’s a way out of all this,” he said quietly.
I turned my head slowly to look at him, studying his face, trying to read what exactly he meant by a way out. In this world, nothing ever came easy… and nothing ever came free.
“With me,” he added, glancing briefly in my direction, “you stand a chance.”
My heart skipped—just slightly. Not because I believed him completely. But because a part of me wanted to.
I hesitated before asking, “What way?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, then to the driver, then back to the road.
“I’ll tell you when we get home,” he said finally. “When we’re alone.”
Not in the car. That alone told me everything. Either he didn’t trust the driver… Or he didn’t trust that we weren’t being watched.
I leaned back slowly into the seat, my mind spinning. “Lucas…” I said after a moment.
He hummed faintly in response.
“Zack,” I continued. “Why didn’t we meet him?”
His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
“I told you,” he said, “I don’t know.”
I turned to face him fully this time. “Someone tipped him off,” I said.
That made him look at me properly. “What?”
“He left before Xavier got there,” I explained. “One of his men told me. Someone warned him.”
Lucas went quiet. For a moment, I watched him closely. There was something in his expression. A flicker. Surprise… yes.
But something else too. Something he quickly buried. “You believe that?” he asked, his tone controlled.
“I do,” I said firmly.
He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to process it. “That means there’s a leak,” he muttered.
“Yes,” I replied. “There is.”
Silence followed. I could feel the shift in the air.
Trust… thinning. Doubt… creeping in.
But Lucas didn’t say anything else. And neither did I.
Because suddenly, the question wasn’t just about Zack anymore. It was about us.
By the time we got to the mansion, my body felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was the injury. Maybe it was everything else piling up at once.
Lucas parked and stepped out immediately. Before I could even open my door, he was already beside me. “I can walk,” I said quickly.
He ignored me. Like I hadn’t spoken at all. “Lucas—”
Before I could finish, he lifted me into his arms.
Effortlessly.
I clenched my jaw. “I said I can walk.”
“And I said nothing,” he replied calmly, already heading toward the mansion.
That irritated me. But I didn’t fight him. Not because I couldn’t. But because I was tired. Too tired to argue.
We walked past the guards, through the grand hallway, and up the stairs. I could feel eyes on us.
In this place, nothing ever went unnoticed.
Lucas pushed my door open and carried me inside, placing me gently on the bed like I was something fragile.
Which I wasn’t. His eyes scanned me quickly, taking in the bruises, the blood, the mess. “I’ll be back,” he said.
I wanted to ask where. I wanted to ask why. But before I could, he turned and walked out.
The door shut behind him.
I exhaled slowly, leaning back. Finally alone.
Or so I thought.
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
Eve stepped in.
Her eyes landed on me instantly. And then her expression changed. Concern.
“What happened to you?” she asked, walking closer.
I gave a small, tired exhale. “Zack happened,” I said simply.
Her brows pulled together. I told her everything.
Not every single detail… But enough.
Zack escaping again. She listened quietly, her face unreadable.
But I saw it. That slight flicker in her eyes. Disappointment. “He got away again,” she said under her breath. "That's unfortunate."
I nodded. Frustration tightened in my chest. “Yes.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I looked at her. “There’s something else,” I said.
She raised a brow. “What?”
I hesitated. Then asked the question that had been sitting in my chest.
“What do you think I should do about Xavier… and the marriage?”
Eve didn’t even think about it. “Avoid it,” she said immediately.
Her tone was firm. “For your own good.”
That made me pause. “You think it’s that bad?”
She let out a small breath. “Anna… Xavier doesn’t do anything without a reason,” she said. “And whatever that reason is… it won’t favor you.”
Her words settled heavily in my chest. I looked away, my thoughts racing. Everything felt like a trap. Lucas offering escape. Xavier offering marriage. Zack hunting from the shadows.
Every path felt dangerous. Every choice… worse than the last.
Then suddenly— It clicked.
My eyes widened slightly. Eve noticed immediately. “What is it?” she asked.
I turned to her slowly.
“Nothing,” I said. But internally, I figured, whoever tapped my phone must be the same person that told Zack about Xavier's plan to attack.
I sat up a little straighter, ignoring the pain in my head.
Eve’s expression shifted. "Tell me what you're thinking," she demanded.