Chapter 199

Lucian POV

I had been in boardrooms negotiating million-dollar contracts. I had stood before cynical developers and politicians and convinced them to back my vision. I had even survived heartbreak so sharp it left me sleepless for years. But none of that prepared me for this.

Meeting Olivia’s parents.

The car ride felt longer than it was. Olivia sat beside me, her hand resting gently on my thigh as she hummed softly to the music. It was some indie band she loved, one of the many things I was relearning about her. The familiarity of her touch should’ve soothed me, but it only made the tension coil tighter in my chest.

“You’re quiet,” she said after a moment, her fingers giving a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m trying not to overthink,” I confessed with a strained smile. “But I keep imagining them slamming the door in my face.”

She laughed, the sound light and beautiful. “They won’t slam anything, Lucian. They’re not like that.”

“I’m Anderson’