Vaelis had always known that power came with layers of secrecy. But as she peeled them back one by one, she realized this was no ordinary game.
It took three days of careful inquiries. She didnât push too hardâjust enough to make people talk. A casual mention to a finance student here, an offhand remark to a faculty assistant there. Each piece of information trickled in, forming a pattern.
The name that kept surfacing wasnât someone in the student council, nor a professor. It wasnât even a direct sponsor.
It was someone operating behind the scenes.
A man whose name wasnât on the official list, but whose influence was undeniable.
Lucien Voss.
The name wasnât one she had ever heard before, but the more she dug, the clearer it became that he was far from ordinary. A rising force in the corporate world, his influence stretched wider than his age should have allowed. Despite his wealth and power, his past was full of missing detailsâno childhood records, no family connections, just a sudden emergence a few years ago.
A ghost who had built himself from nothing.
And the most telling detail? His company was one of the key sponsors of the university. He had every means to put her name on that list.
But the question remainedâwhy?
Vaelis didnât waste time wondering. If he wanted to pull her into his game, then she would play on her terms.
Through a connection in the Business Department, she secured a meeting. Not in some high-rise office, but in a quiet, unassuming café downtown. A public space. A neutral battleground.
---
The café smelled of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastries, a stark contrast to the tension curling in her stomach.
Vaelis arrived first, choosing a corner table with a clear view of the entrance. She had no intention of appearing nervous. When Lucien Voss finally walked in, she knew instantly it was him.
He moved with an effortless kind of authority, as if the world itself bent around him. Dressed in sharp, tailored black, his presence demanded attention without a single word.
And yet, it wasnât just his appearance that unsettled her. It was something deeper. Something about him felt... familiar.
Lucienâs gaze found hers instantly. He approached without hesitation, sliding into the seat across from her with a calm, deliberate grace.
âI wondered when youâd come looking for me,â he said, voice smooth, carrying a weight that sent a shiver down her spine.
Vaelis didnât flinch. âYou made sure I had no choice.â
A slow smirk tugged at his lips. âYou always had a choice, Vaelis. You just donât like being backed into a corner.â
Her pulse spiked at the way he said her name, as if he had known it long before they had ever met.
âWhy did you put my name on the gala list?â she demanded.
Lucien leaned back, studying her with an intensity that made her feel like he was peeling back every layer she had built around herself. âBecause I needed to see you.â
The simplicity of the answer caught her off guard. She narrowed her eyes. âWeâve never met before.â
He tilted his head, considering her words. âHavenât we?â
A chill ran down her spine.
Lucien exhaled, his fingers tapping idly against the table. âYou feel it, donât you? That sense of familiarity. Like youâve seen me before.â
She didnât answer.
He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. âBecause you have.â
Something inside her twisted, an instinctive rejection of his wordsâand yet, she couldnât deny the eerie sense that he was right.
Lucienâs gaze darkened, his smirk fading into something unreadable. âIâve been waiting for you to remember.â
The air between them grew charged, thick with unspoken truths.
Vaelis forced herself to stay composed. âRemember what?â
A slow, deliberate pause. Thenâ
âThat Iâve been reborn too.â
Her breath hitched.
For a moment, the world felt as if it had stopped. The soft hum of the café, the quiet chatter of customersâit all faded into the background as his words sank in.
Lucien didnât blink. He was watching her, waiting for her reaction.
âImpossible,â she whispered.
He smiled, but there was no amusement in it. âYou know it isnât.â
Vaelis gripped the edge of the table, her mind racing. The weight of his gaze, the way he spoke to herâit all made sense now.
She wasnât the only one who had escaped the past.
Lucien Voss had been there too.
The question wasnât just why he had sought her out.
The question wasâwho had he been before?
And what did he want now?