Chapter 263

Aurora stood frozen, watching Lucas speak with such sincerity that she almost started doubting herself. Was it really just as he said? She couldn’t come up with any other explanation, and the fire of suspicion burning in her chest began to dim. Her voice softened, though still cautious. “Are you really telling the truth?”

Lucas stepped closer, his gaze warm, his voice gentle. “Of course, I am.”

That was enough to sway her. Maybe he really was just here for a project meeting. Seeing her shoulders relax, Lucas let out a quiet breath of relief. But just as he was about to fully exhale, Aurora threw in another curveball.

“Still, every time I come here for a project update, I always happen to run into you. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?” The words hit him squarely, and for a moment, Lucas had no idea how to respond. But facing her earnest gaze, he forced his mind to work fast.

“Vanguard has a fixed schedule for meeting with partners,” he said, thinking quickly.

Aurora raised an eyebrow. That was the first time she’d heard anything like that. But Lucas smoothly shifted the conversation. “Let me guess, your appointments here are usually on the 15th, right?”

She narrowed her eyes slightly. “And what if they are?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Then it all makes sense, doesn’t it? Today’s the 15th. That’s why I’m here too.”

Aurora paused, then nodded slowly. “Alright, I guess I was overthinking it.”

Lucas reached out and gently ruffled her hair, the motion easy and familiar. “It’s fine. If it’s for you, I’d be happy to rearrange anything.”

Surrounded by the warmth of his low, tender voice, Aurora felt like her brain short-circuited—like fireworks were exploding behind her eyes, leaving her too dazed to tell which way was up.

Before Aurora could say anything more, the project coordinator appeared and called her over. “I should get going,” she said to Lucas. Out here in public, Aurora was still willing to spare him the embarrassment. She didn’t press him any further, knowing all too well how much men hated being interrogated. She remembered the last time—ask one question too many, and he’d start shutting down. With that, she turned and followed the coordinator down the hall.

As they walked away, the project lead made brief, nervous eye contact with Lucas, gave him a quick nod, and offered a tight-lipped greeting before hastily guiding Aurora out of sight.

Only once they’d completely disappeared did the group hidden inside the conference room finally breathe again. Desmond clutched his chest dramatically. “Boss, please… let’s not do that again. That was one close call—my heart nearly gave out.” The others nodded quickly in agreement. They had all started panicking the moment they saw Aurora heading down the hall. If she had discovered Lucas’s true identity, things could’ve gotten messy fast. During the entire exchange, they had crowded around the conference room door, practically pressed against the glass, trying to hear what was being said. And now that she was gone, they realized something even more shocking—apparently, their president could be shy and even charming.

Lucas let out a breath of relief himself. Thankfully, Desmond had acted quickly. The moment things looked risky, he’d rushed to fetch the project coordinator in charge of Aurora’s update, just in time to redirect her and get her out of there. That had been too close.