Chapter 198

Olivia POV

I never expected a quiet Sunday afternoon to turn into one of the hardest conversations of my life.

Lucian was already in my studio when I returned from the market, his fingers lightly tracing the edges of my newest canvas like he belonged there, like the space already knew him. His presence was familiar in a way that should have been comforting—but today, there was a tension threaded through the air that I couldn’t ignore.

He looked up as I entered and offered a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey,” he said, voice low and careful.

“Hey,” I replied, setting my bags down, suddenly more aware of my heartbeat than I wanted to be.

He folded his arms slowly, like he was grounding himself.

“We need to talk.”

I swallowed, the words landing heavier than they should have, even though this wasn’t the first time we had been here—hovering at the edge of something we never fully stepped into, circling around what-ifs a