“Do you like her or something?” Juliette pressed.
I just took a sip of my drink. But apparently, that was answer enough because my sister’s smile faltered.
After a moment, she let out a quiet laugh. “Gods, you do like her. That’s it, isn’t it?”
Juliette stared at me like she’d just stumbled into a parallel dimension where up was down and I’d joined a poetry club.
“You actually like her,” she repeated, slower this time, like saying it aloud would force the pieces to make sense. “You’re not just…entertained. Or curious. You’re interested.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” she said. “Lucien, do you know what you’re doing? She isn’t some bored socialite looking for a good time that won’t extend beyond the morning. This is a Laurent, and a disgraced one, no less. I mean, she just broke her mate bond. That’s a lot of personal baggage. Not to mention, she’s drowning in scandal and debt, and dragging it all behind her like a train.”
All of which I already knew.
Juliette stared at me, clearly befuddled. “How deep does this interest of yours go?”
Again, I didn’t respond. Because I didn’t have an answer to that. I was still trying to figure most of this out for myself.
“Okay. Clearly, you’re interested in more than a one-night stand. You offered to set her up with a comfortable life…” Juliette said, pacing the length of my office. She let out a slow breath, then whirled on her heel and faced me. “Are you in love with her?”
“I’ve spoken with her all of twice,” I said to my sister. It wasn’t a denial, per se. But she was asking questions I didn’t have answers to.
“When she initially turned you down, you offered more money,” Juliette said. “Like it was pocket change. Gods, Lucien.”
I leaned against the edge of my desk, glass in hand, and watched my sister. I should have guessed I wouldn’t be able to hide everything from her. She’d studied me for far too long. “It was a strategic offer.”
“It was personal,” she argued. “And don’t insult either of us by pretending otherwise.” Juliette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, we can manage this. Come up with a story that makes sense. Maybe we pitch this as a ploy to throw her off and confuse her. Maybe?—”
“You’re overreacting,” I told her.
Juliette barked out a sharp laugh. “Overreacting? Lucien, you’ve spent the last two hundred years cultivating your image. People claw to get through your doors because they believe being near you means something. But now you’re bending the rules for her. People will see that. They’ll sense weakness. And once that starts…everything else will follow.”
I drained the last of my glass and set it down with a quiet clink. “I offered her a way out, Juliette. That’s all. And she told me no.”
“So, that’s the end of this, then?” Juliette asked. “No more sentimental offers?”
“I’m not sentimental.”
“No?” Her eyes narrowed. “Then why don’t you just destroy her?”
I didn’t answer. Because truthfully, I couldn’t do that to her.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said. She stared at me a few moments longer, then strode to my side and nudged me. “My big brother. In love.”
“Juliette,” I growled. “I am not?—”
A sharp knock interrupted the moment.
“Come in,” I said, grateful for the reprieve.
Elias entered with a tablet tucked under one arm and a folder held in his hand. He gave Juliette a brief nod before turning to me.
“Apologies for the interruption. The floor’s steady, the reserves are stocked, and the banshee singer only demanded one break tonight, so that’s a win.” He tapped his tablet and began rattling off numbers.
“Now is not the time—” Juliette started.
But I held up a hand. “Continue, Elias.”
