Chapter 10 - As if nothing happened

 Alina didn't plan to see him. Not even in the slightest. She had simply gone out to clear her head nothing more. A simple errand, a normal day, a return to the life she had been trying so hard to reclaim. Or so she thought. Until she turned the corner. And stopped. Because there he was. Lucien. Standing outside a modern glass building, speaking calmly with someone she didn't recognize. Dressed sharply as always. Controlled. Composed. Completely untouched by the storm he had left inside her. Alina's breath caught instantly. Her heart reacted before her mind could stop it. Him. Just like that. After days of silence… after nights of overthinking… after everything she had felt He was right there. Real. Unavoidable. Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides as she watched him finish his conversation. This time, she wouldn't run. This time, she would get answers. Lucien's gaze shifted slightly And landed on her. For a brief second… something flickered. Recognition. But it disappeared just as fast. Like it was never there. He said something to the person beside him, then began walking toward her. Calmly. Casually. Like she was just another person in his day. Alina held her ground. He stopped in front of her. "Alina," he said evenly. Her chest tightened at the sound of her name. "Lucien," she replied immediately. Silence. Not the kind they used to have. Not heavy. Not charged. Just… empty. Alina frowned slightly. "You've been avoiding me," she said quietly. A pause. Then "I haven't," he replied. Her brows tightened. That was not the answer she expected. "You disappeared," she corrected. Lucien's expression didn't change. "I've been occupied." Occupied. That word landed wrong. Too simple. Too clean. Too detached. Alina studied him carefully. Waiting for something anything. A flicker. A reaction. A crack. Nothing came. It was like the version of him she had been carrying in her mind… didn't exist here. "I thought" she started. But stopped herself. Because she didn't even know what she thought anymore. That he felt something? That the kiss meant something? That she wasn't the only one still thinking about it? Lucien tilted his head slightly. "You thought what?" he asked calmly. The question wasn't teasing. It was neutral. And that neutrality hurt more than any rejection could have. Alina swallowed. "You know what," she said quietly. A pause. Then "I don't," he replied simply. That was it. No tension. No recognition. No emotional weight. Just distance. Alina felt something tighten in her chest. Confusion. Then frustration. Then something sharper. "Are you seriously going to act like nothing happened between us?" she asked, her voice lower now. Lucien looked at her for a moment. Really looked. And for a split second… she almost thought she saw it again. That Lucien. But then It was gone. "I'm not acting," he said calmly. "There's nothing to act on." Silence. Her breath caught slightly. Nothing? Nothing? Her mind replayed everything in seconds. The kiss. His hands. His voice. The way he pulled away first. Nothing? A sharp laugh almost escaped her but it didn't. Instead, she just stared at him. Trying to understand. Trying to find the version of him she had been haunted by. But he wasn't giving her anything. Not even a crack. "You're unbelievable," she whispered. Lucien's gaze didn't shift. "Am I?" he asked quietly. That question so calm, so controlled made something inside her snap slightly. Not anger at him. But at herself. Because why was she the only one standing here feeling something? Why was she the only one remembering? Alina took a small step back. Her voice softened, but her eyes didn't. "Forget it," she said. A pause. Then she turned. Lucien didn't stop her. Didn't call her back. Didn't even move. And that, That was what broke her the most. She walked away quickly. Not because she wanted to. But because if she stayed one more second… She wasn't sure she would recognize herself anymore. Behind her, Lucien remained still. Watching. Expression unreadable again. But the moment she disappeared from view Something shifted in his eyes. Something subtle. Something restrained. And then he turned away too. Like nothing had ever happened at all. Alina didn't realize her hands were shaking until she got home. She sat on her bed in silence, staring at nothing. Her mind replaying it over and over. The calmness. The distance. The denial. And the worst part He was convincing. Completely. She pressed a hand to her chest, breathing slowly. "What was that?" she whispered. Because now she didn't just feel confused. She felt unsettled. Like something had been rewritten without her permission. And somewhere deep down A terrifying thought formed. What if she imagined everything?