Serena’s POV
I filed away this peculiar interaction for later analysis. For now, the business opportunity before demanded my full attention.
The rooftop garden was breathtaking. I didn’t have to think twice when Lucian invited to check out the terrace after our eting.
"You have to see the view from up here," he said, leading the way with a casual confidence.
I was genuinely impressed. In the heart of the city, where every square foot cost a fortune, Celestial Gems had built this expansive rooftop terrace for their custors. The luxury of space spoke volus about Lucian’s business philosophy.
Since they’d closed the store just for my visit, we had the entire place to ourselves. No custors, no staff hovering nearby—just peaceful quiet and an incredible panoramic view of the city skyline.
We stood there side by side, neither of us speaking.
Sothing about the mont felt suspended in ti, like we were floating above the noise and chaos of the world below.
I inhaled deeply, enjoying this rare mont of stillness in my otherwise hectic life.
A piercing scream suddenly shattered our tranquility. I glanced up toward the sound, but before I could process what was happening, Lucian yanked backward behind him.
"Look out!" he shouted.
CRASH!
When my brain finally caught up with what had happened, I saw a shattered flower pot at my feet, soil scattered everywhere.
Lucian made a pained noise beside , and that’s when I noticed the gash on his arm, blood seeping through his expensive shirt.
My stomach dropped. If he hadn’t pulled back—if he hadn’t stepped in front of —that would have been my head, not his arm.
"Oh my god, you’re hurt!" I gasped, my heart pounding. "We need to get you to a hospital right now!"
Gratitude and alarm flooded through as I helped him toward the stairs. The store manager ca running up, face pale with panic.
"Mr. West! Are you alright? It looks like soone threw sothing from above!"
Lucian nodded grimly, clutching his bleeding arm. "Look into it. I’m going to get this treated."
"Of course, sir. Right away."
I helped Lucian to his car, steadying him even though he didn’t really seem to need it.
His driver took one look at the blood and hit the gas, racing through traffic like we were in an action movie.
At the hospital, they whisked Lucian away to treat his wound, leaving alone in the waiting area, still processing what had happened.
Could it really have been an accident? Or was soone targeting Lucian? Or worse—targeting ?
Before I could follow that disturbing train of thought, the hallway erupted with hurried footsteps. I turned to see Ryan striding toward , his face tight with worry.
"Serena! Are you hurt?" He grabbed my shoulders, eyes frantically scanning my body for injuries. His hands were warm against my skin, his touch both familiar and electric.
I blinked in surprise. "Ryan? How did you—"
"Are you okay?" he demanded, cutting off.
"I’m fine," I assured him, touched by his obvious concern. "Not even a scratch."
Relief washed over his features, but only montarily. His jaw tightened again as he realized the implications.
"Then who’s injured?"
"Lucian West," I explained. "We were at Celestial Gems’ store, on the rooftop terrace. Soone dropped or threw a flower pot from above. He pushed out of the way and got hit instead."
Ryan’s face darkened instantly. "He protected you?"
"Yes," I nodded, glancing anxiously toward the ergency room doors. "The wound looked pretty deep. I hope he’s okay."
Ryan’s expression grew stormy. "You seem awfully concerned about him."
I stared at him, confused by the bitter edge in his voice. Was he actually jealous? Over a business associate who’d just saved from potential serious injury?
Before I could respond to his ridiculous insinuation, the ergency room doors swung open. Lucian erged looking much better than when he went in, his arm properly bandaged.
When he spotted Ryan standing next to , sothing cold and calculating flashed in his eyes for the briefest mont before his usual pleasant deanor returned.
"Mr. West, are you alright?" I stepped forward, genuinely concerned. "I can’t thank you enough for what you did."
Lucian shook his head dismissively. "No need for thanks, Ms. Quinn. Today was just an unfortunate accident."
"Maybe so, but you still protected and got hurt in the process," I insisted, worrying now about our partnership. "What did the doctor say? Will this affect your work?"
I was terrified he might pull out of our collaboration because of this incident, but Lucian quickly put those fears to rest.
"My assistant will investigate exactly what happened," he assured . "You were visiting my store at my invitation, so any failure in safety is entirely my responsibility."
He paused aningfully, his gaze softening. "This has nothing to do with you, so please don’t bla yourself."
His words were so considerate that my gratitude only deepened. I could feel Ryan bristling beside , but I ignored him.
This wasn’t about him or his jealousy—this was about my business and a man who’d potentially saved from serious injury.
One thing was certain: Lucian West was proving to be far more complex than the ruthless businessman our files described.
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