Chapter 21. A Breath Of Peace? I hope

It had been three days since that incident in the study, and two full days of unbelievable peace. For once, Lucien could breathe without constantly looking over his shoulder. Zayn hadn’t been home for three days now, and the house felt lighter—less tense. He was quite satisfied with the absence.

Standing at the sink, Lucien scrubbed the pot slowly, his hands moving on their own. His mind, however, was miles away. It wandered back to yesterday—last night, to be precise. His expression gradually changed from neutral to a pained one. Roman had come to say goodbye.

He said he had to travel out of the country to take care of his paternal grandmother, who had fallen seriously ill. As a doctor, Roman was needed there, and he didn’t know when he’d be back. Lucien hadn’t taken it well.

He had cried. Roman had hugged him tightly, whispering reassuring words, telling him to be strong, promising to call when he could. But none of those words felt enough.

Lucien had never