Lucas' pupils contracted sharply. He had never seen Sloane like this—her eyes rimmed red, yet her presence sharp and unyielding, as if she had finally stopped holding back. Wait… she said like! His breath hitched violently; his heart slammed against his chest as if struck by a heavy blow. His grip on Sloane’s wrist tightened without him even realizing it. “What did you just say…” His voice came out hoarse, almost broken. “Like?” Sloane could feel the faint tremor in his arms; those hands that were always steady and in control now fumbled at her waist, tightening and loosening as though at a loss. The ever-composed Lucas looked, in that moment, like a boy bewildered by a piece of unexpected candy. She cleared her throat softly and reminded him, “If your answer doesn’t satisfy me, then I won’t…” Her words were muffled. “Mmph?” Lucas suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth, a flash of panic flickering in his eyes. “Don’t say that word.” He could feel the warmth of her breath against his palm, his heartbeat so wild it threatened to burst from his chest. Sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, scattering faint shadows across the hard line of his jaw. Sloane had never seen Lucas like this—the calculating head of Hawthorne Group, always two steps ahead, now so visibly afraid of losing. “I’ll tell you.” Lucas drew in a steadying breath, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of her hand. “At that time, I had just taken over Hawthorne Group. The board—those old foxes—kept pressing me to marry into another family.” A wry smile touched his lips. “Out of all the candidates, Ginnie was the only one who never said she liked me.” Sloane narrowed her eyes. “So you chose her?” “Because she was calm, and she was clever.” Lucas met her gaze without flinching. “I needed a partner who could help me steady the situation, not some woman obsessed with the title of Mrs. Hawthorne.” He reached up, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “But later I realized she wasn’t without ambition; she just hid it better than the rest.” His expression grew intent as he added, word by word, “I never proposed to her. I only suggested a partnership. And once I discovered her true intentions, I ended things. After that, she left the country.” The only person he had ever wanted to propose to was the one standing before him now. Sloane stayed silent, her lashes sweeping down, casting a veil of shadow across her face. Gently, she pushed his hand aside and pulled herself from his embrace. Panic spiked in Lucas' chest. He immediately caught her wrist. “Sloane?” His voice carried a raw urgency he had never shown before. “I swear, there was never anything between us…” “I understand.” Her voice was calm, but she still withdrew her hand. She walked toward the window, straightening her collar with her back to him. Sunlight traced the outline of her slender frame, but her expression remained hidden. Lucas rose to his feet, throat tightening. “Then you…” Lucas thought. Then are you satisfied with that answer? “I don’t know yet,” Sloane said suddenly, turning back with the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. “I need time to think about it.”Lucas' pupils contracted again as he took a step closer. “Sloane, you can’t—” “Out.” She pointed to the door, a sly glimmer in her eyes. “I want some time alone.” “But…” “Three… two…” Sloane began to count down. Lucas stood frozen where he was. The calculating president of Hawthorne Group looked, in that instant, like a guilty schoolboy—helpless under her gaze.