Chapter 3

Audrey broke into a run. She jogged the last few steps past the crowded coffee shop queue, throwing her arms open.

She crashed directly into Julian's chest. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face deep into the lapel of his expensive, dark navy wool coat. He smelled like London rain and the familiar, comforting scent of her childhood.

Julian dropped his heavy leather duffel bag onto the floor with a thud. He wrapped his arms tightly around his sister, lifting her slightly off the ground in a fierce, crushing hug.

Audrey felt hot tears prickling the corners of her eyes. The five years of crushing loneliness, the financial struggle, the constant fear-it all finally found a safe harbor in her brother's embrace. She squeezed him tighter, afraid he might disappear.

Julian gently set her down. He held her shoulders at arm's length, his sharp, intelligent eyes scanning her appearance. He took in her oversized, faded gray hoodie, her pale face, and the dark circles under her eyes.

A flash of deep, agonizing guilt crossed Julian's eyes. He realized instantly how much she had suffered while he was exiled in Europe. He noticed the cheap material of her clothes, a stark contrast to the designer dresses she used to wear.

He gently tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I'm here, Audie," he promised in a low, firm voice. "I will never leave you again. I swear it."

Audrey wiped a rogue tear from her cheek with the back of her sleeve. She smiled brightly, forcing the sadness away. "I'm perfectly fine, Julian. I'm just so happy you're back."

Julian chuckled, his Ivy-League scholar facade softening completely. He patted her head affectionately, ruffling her hair exactly like he did when they were kids.

Then, Julian suddenly seemed to remember his manners. He turned slightly to his right, gesturing to a figure standing a few feet behind him, partially obscured by the crowd.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Julian said, his tone shifting back to polite professionalism.

Audrey shifted her gaze, following his hand.

Her smile froze instantly. The blood in her veins turned to absolute ice.

The tall man in the charcoal Tom Ford suit stepped forward.

He stopped right next to Julian. His towering, broad-shouldered presence immediately sucked all the oxygen out of the crowded airport terminal. The air around them felt heavy, suffocating.

He was wearing dark, aviator sunglasses, completely obscuring his eyes. But the sharp, ruthless jawline, the arrogant posture, the way he commanded the space just by standing there-it was unmistakably familiar.

Audrey's fingers started twitching violently at her sides. Her stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. Her previous hallucination was a terrifying, flesh-and-blood reality.

Julian smiled brightly, completely oblivious to the sudden, deadly tension radiating from his sister. "Audrey, I want you to meet a very good friend of mine, and my business partner from the UK. Zane."

Zane slowly raised a large, elegant hand. He grasped the metal frame of his sunglasses. He moved with agonizing slowness, deliberately dragging out the terrifying moment.

He pulled the glasses off.

He revealed piercing, obsidian-black eyes. Those eyes locked onto Audrey with a predatory, consuming intensity that made her skin burn.

Audrey felt her knees go weak under the crushing weight of that gaze. A terrifying, chaotic mix of raw fear and undeniable, shameful heat rushed through her veins. Her breathing turned shallow.

Zane's lips curled into a slow, dangerous smirk. He was fully enjoying the absolute panic radiating from the beautiful woman standing frozen in front of him.

Julian looked between them. He completely misread Audrey's pale, bloodless face and wide eyes as social anxiety. He gently nudged her shoulder to encourage her to speak.

"Have you ever met my little sister before, Zane?" Julian asked casually, noting that Zane had been staring at her quite intensely since she walked up.

Audrey's heart stopped. Her mind screamed at her to run. She was terrified that Zane would open his mouth and expose their wild, intimate, five-year past right here in the middle of LAX. She couldn't let Julian know.

Zane casually slipped the expensive sunglasses into the breast pocket of his suit. His dark eyes never left Audrey's trembling lips. He paused for dramatic effect, letting the silence stretch until Audrey felt like she was going to pass out.

He tilted his head slightly. His voice was a low, gravelly baritone that sent a violent shiver straight down her spine.

"She looks... somewhat familiar," Zane said smoothly.

Audrey panicked. Her survival instinct kicked in, overriding her fear. She abruptly took a step backward, putting distance between them.

"We have never met before in our lives," Audrey declared loudly, her voice sharp and defensive.

The sudden outburst startled Julian. He looked at his sister in confusion, his brow furrowing. He wondered why she was acting so aggressively defensive toward a stranger.

Zane's smirk deepened at her blatant, desperate lie. His eyes flashed with a dark, possessive amusement, a look she knew all too well, meant only for her. He knew she was lying. He loved that she was lying.

He took a deliberate step closer to her, effortlessly invading her personal space. The rich, intoxicating scent of his expensive cedarwood cologne wrapped around her, triggering a flood of memories she had tried to bury.

Audrey held her breath. Her back stiffened. She was trapped between her brother's cluelessness and her ex-boyfriend's overwhelming, suffocating dominance.

Zane extended his large right hand toward her. The gesture looked perfectly polite and professional to Julian, but it felt like a deadly, inescapable trap to Audrey.

"Zane Kensington," he introduced himself softly, his eyes burning into hers. "It is a pleasure to finally meet Julian's... precious little sister."

He stood there, his hand extended, waiting for her move.