"And a sudden marriage proposal to the first woman who saved your child." She leaned back against the pillows, satisfied with her deduction. "Classic overcompensation."
Axel was now wheezing, struggling to breathe through his laughter.
Lucas slowly stood up. The movement alone changed the atmosphere in the room. The air became tense, heavy with unspoken threat. He took one step toward Nina, his movements controlled and predatory. Then another. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
Nina immediately realized something fundamental had changed. Her confident posture evaporated like morning mist."Okay… hold on—"
Lucas stopped beside the hospital bed, towering over her. He looked down at her with an intensity that made her heart race. "You seem very certain about my personal life," he said, his voice quiet… dangerously quiet.
Nina raised both hands defensively, suddenly aware she might have pushed too far. "Well, when you put it like that—"
Lucas began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt slowly, methodically, revealing strong forearms. Each fold of fabric seemed deliberate, purposeful.
Nina's eyes widened, her pulse quickening. "Why are you doing that?"
Lucas answered calmly, though something dark flickered in his eyes. "To prove something."
Axel wiped tears from his face, his laughter finally subsiding into concern. "Oh no." He grabbed Ethan's small hand with sudden urgency. "We should leave. Now."
Ethan looked confused by the abrupt change but allowed himself to be lifted from his chair. Axel grinned at Nina over his shoulder, though there was genuine sympathy in his expression. "Good luck."
"WAIT—" Nina called out, panic creeping into her voice.
The door closed with a soft click that sounded impossibly loud in the sudden silence.
Now it was just Nina and Lucas.
Lucas stepped closer, adjusting his tie with deliberate precision. "Remove your clothes and get on the bed, Ms. Hale," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Then you can decide whether I like men or not."
Nina's heart lurched. She immediately scrambled backward across the hospital mattress, the thin sheets bunching beneath her knees.
"Okay, listen," she said quickly, raising both hands in a placating gesture. Her pulse hammered in her throat. "Let's not do anything dramatic here."
Lucas stopped right beside the bed. He leaned slightly closer, and Nina caught the faint scent of his cologne… something crisp and expensive that made her head spin. His gaze locked onto hers with unnerving intensity. "You suggested I have no experience with women," he said quietly.
Nina swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. "Well… statistically speaking—"
He leaned closer still, close enough that she could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes. "And you suggested I prefer men," he continued, his tone deceptively mild.
Nina nodded weakly, her confidence evaporating with each passing second. "That was… a theory," she managed. "Just a working hypothesis, really."
Lucas's eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering in their depths. "So now," he said with unnerving calm, "I feel obligated to clarify your misconceptions. Get on the bed."
Panic seized Nina's chest. She scrambled off the bed entirely, her coordination abandoning her as she landed on the floor with a soft thud that jarred her bones. "NOPE." The word came out louder than intended.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching desperately for protection. She grabbed the nearest shield available, which happened to be Ethan's tiny hospital chair, barely large enough for a child. She crouched behind it like it might actually provide cover, gripping the plastic armrests with white knuckles.
"Mister Grant," she called out, her voice muffled from behind her inadequate fortress, "whatever rumors you've heard about me being brave are greatly exaggerated. Wildly inaccurate, in fact."
Lucas straightened, his expression unreadable. For a long moment he simply stared at her… this grown woman hiding behind a child's chair, her hair disheveled, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance. Something shifted in his features.
Then he sighed softly, the sound carrying equal parts exasperation and reluctant amusement. "…You're impossible."
Nina peeked over the top of the chair, one eye visible, assessing whether the immediate danger had passed. "I get that a lot," she admitted, her voice smaller now. "It's practically on my résumé at this point."
Lucas adjusted his sleeves again. Then he picked up a small notepad and pen from the bedside table. He held them out to her.
Nina blinked.
"…That's it?"
Lucas nodded toward Ethan's empty bed.
"He'll wake up soon."
Nina slowly stood.
Lucas continued.
"Write him a note so he won't worry."
Nina stared at the paper like it had just saved her life.
"Oh."
She grabbed it quickly.
"Yes."
"Yes I can absolutely do that."
She scribbled furiously for a few seconds. When she finished, she placed the note carefully on Ethan's pillow. Then she turned toward the door. Very slowly. Very quietly.
Lucas's voice cut through the silence, stopping her instantly."Miss Hale."
Her spine went rigid. Every muscle in her body locked."…Yes?"
Lucas crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he studied her frozen form."Did I say you could leave?"
Nina's soul briefly left her body. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard she was certain he could hear it from across the room.
This is it.This is how I die.
Caught sneaking out like a common criminal. She could already imagine the headlines: "Aspiring Actress Perishes from Embarrassment in Billionaire's Penthouse."
She turned slowly, forcing what she hoped was an innocent smile."…No?"
Lucas watched her for a long moment, his dark eyes giving nothing away. The silence stretched between them like a taut wire. Then, finally, he nodded toward the door, his expression softening almost imperceptibly. "You have somewhere to be."
Nina blinked, her brain struggling to process the reprieve."My audition!" The realization hit her like a lightning bolt. She nearly smacked her forehead, wondering how she could have forgotten something so crucial. "Yes! Thank you!"
She bolted for the door, relief flooding through her veins. Halfway through the doorway, she spun back with theatrical flair, unable to resist one final dramatic gesture. "If fate allows it…" She pointed two fingers toward her eyes, then toward him in an exaggerated salute."…we will never meet again!"
Then she vanished down the hallway at full speed, her footsteps echoing against the marble floors. Lucas stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the empty doorway she'd left behind. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes… amusement, perhaps, or something darker.
Across the room, Axel slowly leaned back inside, having witnessed the entire exchange with barely contained glee."So." He couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face."That was entertaining."
Lucas didn't answer, his jaw tightening slightly.Axel crossed his arms, settling in to enjoy his friend's discomfort. This was too good to let pass without comment."You like her."
Lucas remained silent, but the muscle twitching in his cheek betrayed him.
Axel's smirk widened, delighted by this unprecedented development. "For a man who's ignored women his entire life… turned down supermodels, heiresses, A-list actresses, you sure picked an interesting first candidate." He paused, savoring the moment. "A chaotic, broke actress who just declared she never wants to see you again."
Lucas finally spoke, his voice low and controlled."Be quiet."Axel laughed, the sound rich with satisfaction. He'd known Lucas for fifteen years and had never seen him react to anyone this way.
But Lucas's gaze remained fixed on the hallway where Nina had disappeared, his expression shifting into something more calculating. More intent.
Like a hunter watching prey that had just escaped the trap.
For now.