Lucien stood in the doorway long after Lina had disappeared back into the villa.
The conversation he had overheard continued to replay in his mind.
Julian.
Lina's voice had been noticeably softer when she spoke to him, and there had been an ease between them that Lucien could not ignore.
He knew Julian Hayes was not someone who could be underestimated.
At first glance, Julian appeared polite, refined and almost too mild mannered to pose any threat. Lucien knew better.
The Hayes family was complicated, and even an outsider could see how deep the family's internal conflicts ran. Julian had managed to rise from being an illegitimate son to becoming the person who eventually took control of the family.
Someone who could survive that environment and come out on top could not possibly be as harmless as he appeared.
More importantly, Julian and Lina had a history that Lucien did not fully understand.
They trusted each other.
They were close.
