Chapter 6

Emma

[Two weeks earlier]

Roberts, his face professionally blank but eyes sympathetic, gestured for me to follow him. As we left, I heard Elizabeth's voice drop to a conspiratorial whisper: "Lucy, darling, I've kept your old room exactly as it was. All those summers you spent here with Noah..."

My stomach lurched violently. I nearly doubled over from the pain of it, forcing myself to keep walking with my head high even as my vision blurred.

I followed Roberts through the labyrinthine corridors of the York mansion, each step taking me further from the center of the house, further from any semblance of belonging. This wasn't the first time I'd been banished to the east wing. Elizabeth had made it clear from day one that I wasn't welcome in what she considered her son's real life.

The guest room was pristine but cold—like everything else in this house. Impeccably decorated but utterly devoid of warmth. I sat on the edge of the bed, my entire body trembling so violently I could barely stay upright.

"Will you be needing anything else, Mrs. York?" Roberts asked quietly.

I shook my head, unable to trust my voice. After he left, I pulled my knees to my chest, digging my fingers into my legs hard enough to leave marks. I wouldn't fucking cry. Not here. Not where Elizabeth or Lucy might have the satisfaction of seeing it.

Through the open door, I heard voices carrying from the grand foyer below—Elizabeth's cultured tones, then the unmistakable electronic trill of a phone ringing.

"Noah, darling!" Elizabeth's voice floated up. "Emma? Oh, she's resting... Yes, I'll tell her about the quarterly reports when she wakes up..."

I crept to the door, my heart in my throat, listening more intently.

"...No, she can't come to the phone right now... Why don't I have Lucy bring the files to you instead? She was just heading into the city anyway..."

My stomach clenched painfully. Fucking perfect. The knife twists deeper.

"You know, Noah," Elizabeth continued, her voice softening to that tone she reserved only for her son and Lucy, "if only Lucy hadn't gone abroad for her career back then... You two were always so perfect together."

A pause.

"I still hope you'll give this family a child with musical talent someday! Lucy's genes and York business acumen—imagine the possibilities!"

I sank back onto the bed, my legs suddenly too weak to support me. My breathing came in shallow gasps as I pressed a shaking hand against my mouth to stifle a sob. The walls of this cold, grand house seemed to close in, suffocating me with the reality I'd been trying to ignore: I had never belonged here, and I never would.

Noah

I was reviewing acquisition proposals when Parker,my assistant knocked on my office door.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you. Says she has the reports you requested."

I didn't look up, my jaw tightening in irritation at the interruption. "Tell Emma to come in."

"It's... not Mrs. York, sir."

That got my attention. I raised my eyes, my expression hardening into the mask I'd perfected over years of business negotiations. Lucy was gliding through my office door, designer sunglasses perched on her head, a manila envelope clutched in her manicured hands. She wore an expression of practiced casualness that didn't quite mask her eagerness.

"Surprise," she said softly, removing her sunglasses with a flourish.

"Lucy." I kept my voice neutral, though my fingers tightened around my pen until my knuckles turned white. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Clearly." Her smile was dazzling as always. "Parker said Emma was supposed to bring these files over, but she had a headache and didn't want to make the trip. I offered to help."

I studied her face, my eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. Lucy had always been an exceptional liar—it had served her well in her career—but I'd learned to read the subtle tells around her eyes. My jaw twitched as I fought to control my rising anger.

"What happened to your hand?" I asked coldly, noticing the red marks on her slender fingers.

Lucy glanced down, her expression shifting to one of brave suffering. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a little accident with some hot tea..."

The implication hung in the air, unspoken but clear. I felt my pulse quicken with irritation, a muscle working in my jaw.

I checked my watch, a deliberate gesture to signal her limited importance. "I have investors waiting. I can push them back thirty minutes," I said, my voice clipped.

Her face brightened with hope. "That would be wonderful, Noah. I've missed you. There's so much I want to explain about what happened in Silicon Valley—why I had to leave the way I did—"

"Don't," I interrupted, my voice harder than intended, an edge of anger slipping through my carefully maintained control. "That was a long damn time ago."

An awkward silence fell between us. Lucy fidgeted with her purse strap, a gesture so unlike her usual poise that it momentarily caught me off guard.

"Parker," I called sharply, not taking my eyes off Lucy. "Would you bring Ms. Manning something to drink? She's probably jet-lagged from her European tour."

Parker appeared instantly. "Of course, sir. Coffee? Tea?"

"A special blend," I said pointedly, my expression cold as ice. "For jet lag."

Lucy's smile returned, warm and grateful. "You remembered how badly I suffer from time zone changes. Always taking care of me, Noah."

When Parker returned with a steaming cup, Lucy drank deeply, seeming to savor what she perceived as evidence of my continued concern. I watched her, my face completely impassive, though my right hand clenched into a tight fist beneath my desk.

As she left my office, I watched her retreating figure through the glass walls, my expression darkening the moment she was out of sight. Parker approached my desk, his voice lowered discreetly.

"Sir, about the... addition to Ms. Manning's tea. May I ask why you requested the emergency contraceptive?"

I turned back to my computer screen, my expression revealing nothing while my finger jabbed aggressively at the keyboard. "Our security team confirmed Lucy visited that hotel last night. She checked my room number."

Parker's eyebrows rose slightly. "You think she was—"

"I can't risk her getting pregnant," I said flatly, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Not now. Not ever. That would be a fucking disaster."