Chapter 32 Chapter 32
Emily's POV
The dress was too elegant for how I felt. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands down the fabric for the third time. It fell perfectly with clean lines, soft structure, neutral tone, it was professional. It was everything I needed it to be and rely on. But I felt like something was off with me.
I adjusted the strap slightly and exhaled. This was just another donor dinner, another performance. Another night where I stood beside Noah and pretended something that was already becoming too complicated to label. Tonight, I wasn’t going with Noah, this was something totally different and it made this feel strange.
There was a knock at the apartment door. I froze for half a second before I moved.
When I opened it, Lucas stood there composed as always in a dark suit that was perfectly tailored. No visible tension, no hesitation, or unreadable edges. Just a calm presence, like he existed in a different rhythm than everyone else.
“Emily,” he said, offering a small, easy smile. “You look beautiful."
“Thank you,” I smiled.
His gaze lingered just long enough to feel genuine, then softened into something more casual. “Ready?” He asked.
“Yes.”
He stepped aside, letting me move ahead of him as we walked towards the elevator. There was something effortless about him. And I realized, standing there beside him, I didn't need to brace myself. It should have felt like relief but it didn't.
The ride to the venue was quiet in the best way. There was no pressure to fill the silence and no awkwardness. It was just the occasional conversation that flowed naturally. “How’s Noah’s recovery?” Lucas asked.
“Improving,” I said. “He’s responding well to stabilization work.”
Lucas nodded. “He always had physical resilience.”
“That’s not the same as discipline,” I said before I could stop myself.
He smiled faintly. “No,” he agreed. “It’s not.”
I glanced at him. “You speak like you know that firsthand.”
“I do.” There was something in his tone, like him just knowing. “He’s not easy,” Lucas added.
“I’m aware.”
“And yet you’re managing him.”
“I’m doing my job.”
Lucas looked at me briefly. “Is that all?”
The question lingered. “Yes,” I said but I guess it didn't come out as convincing enough. Lucas didn’t push. He just nodded slightly, like he had expected that answer.
The venue was already alive when we arrived. Soft music drifted through the space, something instrumental and refined. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over the floors, the tables were arranged with careful precision. Conversations blended together about wealth, influence, and expectation wrapped into a single room.
Lucas placed a hand lightly at the small of my back as we entered, it didn't feel like he was possessive but more like he was guiding me. Everything about him fit here, I also seemed to fit in just by standing beside him or at least, I looked like I did.
“Stay close,” he murmured.
“I will.”
Introductions came easily. Lucas handled them with effortless confidence, the names and titles, the connections, he went through the room like he belonged to it, but in a way he did.
“This is Emily Taylor,” he said at one point. “She’s leading rehabilitation work with the athletic department.”
The donor in front of us turned around immediately. “Oh, I’ve heard about you.”
I smiled politely. “All good things, I hope.”
“Very good,” he said. “Your work with Harris has been impressive.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
Lucas’ hand remained lightly at my back. I let myself settle into that. “You carry yourself well,” he said quietly as we moved towards the next group.
“I’ve had practice.”
“It shows.” He paused slightly. “You don’t seem intimidated by this environment.”
“I prefer structure,” I said. “This has structure.”
“And expectations.”
“Yes.”
“And pressure.”
“I can handle pressure.”
“I can see that.”
His gaze lingered briefly, he was being observant. “You deserve stability,” he said. I knew exactly who he was talking about, I didn't respond to any of it. He didn't want me to be involved with Noah in an intimate way because of the type of person Noah is. So I just ignored it. I focused on the conversations, introductions and the way Lucas eased through the room.
The door opened but I didn't turn around immediately, it felt like the air in the room had shifted to something heavy. My body reacted before my mind could. I looked into Noah's face. My heart stopped for a second, my breath caught. He was standing at the entrance. His suit was slightly less formal than Lucas’, the tie loosened just enough to look effortless instead of polished, but that wasn’t what mattered. What really mattered was how he was looking at me from across the room. Wait... he was looking at Lucas and me, especially at how close were standing to each other.
He didn’t hide it. His jaw was tight and his was gaze sharp. His posture was rigid in a way that made it clear that he wasn't just observing, he was reacting.
No one else would have caught it but I did. I learned him, I had seen the difference between his performance and this which wasn't a performance.
“Emily?” Lucas’ voice pulled me back.
I broke eye contact with Noah to focus on Lucas. “Yes?”
“You’re distracted.”
I forced a small smile. “I’m fine.”
He followed my gaze and he saw Noah and then he understood. “Ah,” he said softly, but that was all. “Do you want to greet him?” he asked.
The question was simple, but it wasn't. I had no choice because we had to put up a show for the crowd. But I wasn't going to walk all the way to meet him, if Noah wanted to perform, then he could just walk over to us. “No,” I said.
Lucas studied me for a second and then nodded. “As you wish.”
We continued moving through the room. But my focus wasn’t the same anymore because I could feel his presence and him staring at me. And when I finally glanced back over to him, he was closer this time, but he didn't approach me directly. He was making it clear that he wasn't leaving, that the tension between us felt visible.
Lucas leaned slightly towards me. “You’re not as unaffected as you think,” he murmured.
My breath caught. “I didn’t say I was.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I looked away. I didn’t want to define what I was feeling nor to admit that something about this...about noah had disrupted everything I thought I wanted.
“You should think carefully,” Lucas added quietly.
“About what?” I asked.
“About what you actually want.”
I wanted was dangerous and I swore to myself that I would never cross this line. I looked back toward Noah again. He was still watching. He wasn’t pretending this didn’t matter which meant it did matter to him too. And now I wasn’t sure what to do with that.