Billionaire's Hidden Desire**

Chapter 13: The Unexpected Return

The launch had been a resounding success. Ivy and Lucien had spent the past few weeks basking in the aftermath of their hard work, celebrating with the team and securing their status as leaders in the industry. Investors were thrilled, the press was buzzing, and sales projections were already exceeding expectations. It was everything they had hoped for—and more.

But just as Ivy was starting to feel like things were finally falling into place, the universe threw them an unexpected curveball.

It was a typical Monday morning when Lucien walked into the office looking distracted, his usual confident stride replaced with something more tense, almost guarded. Ivy noticed immediately. She had learned to read him better than anyone else, picking up on the subtle shifts in his mood that others might miss. She was about to ask what was on his mind when his assistant, Margo ,appeared in the doorway.

“Mr. Blackwood, there’s someone here to see you,” Margo said, her tone unusually hesitant. “She said it’s urgent.”

Lucien’s brow furrowed. “Who is it?”

Margo glanced at Ivy before answering. “Her name is Alessandra Dupont.”

The name hit Ivy like a punch to the gut. She had heard of Alessandra in passing—mostly from idle conversations among the team and whispers of Lucien’s past. Alessandra Dupont was the girl who had once held Lucien’s heart, only to shatter it in a way that had left scars even time couldn’t fully erase. She was Lucien’s first love, the one who had walked away without a word, leaving him to piece together the remnants of what they had shared.

Lucien’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as if bracing for impact. He glanced at Ivy, a fleeting look of apology crossing his features. “I’ll handle this,” he said quietly, his voice tight. “Give me a few minutes.”

Ivy nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral even as her mind raced. She watched Lucien walk out of the office, his posture stiff, and followed by Margo. She took a deep breath, pushing down the unsettling wave of jealousy and insecurity that threatened to surface. Lucien had chosen her—she knew that. But the sudden reappearance of Alessandra, of all people, felt like a storm cloud on the horizon of their carefully constructed world.

Ivy busied herself with work, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Lucien and the unexpected visitor. She couldn’t help but wonder what Alessandra wanted. Was it a coincidence that she had shown up now, just as things were going so well for Lucien? Or was there something more calculated behind her return?

An hour later, Lucien returned to his office, his expression unreadable. Ivy looked up from her laptop, searching his face for any sign of what had transpired, but Lucien was an expert at keeping his emotions in check when he wanted to.

“How did it go?” Ivy asked, trying to sound casual.

Lucien sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against his desk. “It was… unexpected,” he admitted, his voice edged with frustration. “She’s back in town and says she wants to catch up. Apparently, she’s been following our progress and thought now would be a good time to reconnect.”

Ivy set her laptop aside, standing up and crossing the room to stand beside him. “And how do you feel about that?”

Lucien shrugged, his gaze distant. “I don’t know. It’s been years, Ivy. A lot of time has passed, and I’ve moved on. But seeing her again…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening. “It brought back memories I thought I’d buried.”

Ivy placed a reassuring hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “You don’t owe her anything, Lucien. Whatever she’s here for, it doesn’t change who you are now—or what we have.”

Lucien turned to look at her, his eyes softening. “I know. And I don’t plan on letting her disrupt our lives. I just… I didn’t expect to see her again. Not like this.”

Ivy nodded, understanding the mix of emotions that Lucien was grappling with. She trusted him implicitly, but the sudden reappearance of a past love was enough to shake anyone’s sense of stability. They had worked so hard to build something real, something strong, and Ivy wasn’t about to let Alessandra’s return threaten that.

For the rest of the day, Ivy tried to push Alessandra from her mind, but the unease lingered. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Alessandra’s return wasn’t as simple as a casual desire to catch up. There was something else, something unspoken that hung in the air like a looming storm.

Later that evening, Ivy and Lucien sat in their penthouse, the city lights twinkling outside the windows. They had settled into their usual routine, but the weight of the day’s events lingered between them. Ivy sipped her wine, watching Lucien as he stared out at the skyline, lost in thought.

“You’re quiet tonight,” Ivy observed, breaking the silence.

Lucien glanced at her, offering a small, apologetic smile. “Just thinking.”

“About Alessandra?”

Lucien sighed, setting his glass down. “Yeah. It’s just… I don’t know what she wants, Ivy. And part of me doesn’t care. But another part of me… I can’t help but wonder why now, after all this time.”

Ivy set her glass aside, crossing the space between them and taking his hands in hers. “Whatever her reasons, it doesn’t change what we have,” she said firmly. “We’re in this together, remember? One step at a time.”

Lucien nodded, his grip on her hands tightening. “You’re right. And I’m not going to let her come between us. I just need to figure out how to handle this.”

Ivy leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “We’ll handle it together.”

The days that followed were tense, with Alessandra’s presence casting a shadow over Ivy and Lucien’s otherwise smooth routine. Alessandra had called once more, asking to meet for coffee, and despite his initial reluctance, Lucien had agreed. He had insisted that he needed closure, a way to put the past to rest once and for all. Ivy had supported his decision, even though every instinct told her to keep her guard up.

When Lucien returned from the meeting, his expression was conflicted. Alessandra had laid her cards on the table—she wanted back into Lucien’s life, not just as a friend, but as something more. She had realized, she said, that walking away was the biggest mistake of her life, and she was willing to do whatever it took to win him back.

Lucien had listened, but his response was firm. He had moved on. He was happy with Ivy, and there was no room in his life for the what-ifs of the past. Alessandra hadn’t taken it well, and while she didn’t cause a scene, Ivy could tell from Lucien’s recounting that the conversation had been far from resolved.

“She’s not going to give up easily,” Lucien admitted, rubbing his temples as he relayed the conversation to Ivy that night. “But I made it clear that I’m not interested. Whatever she thinks she can rekindle… it’s over.”

Ivy wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. “I trust you, Lucien. And I’m not worried about her. We’ve faced bigger challenges than a blast from the past.”

Lucien kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer. “Thank you for being here, Ivy. I know this isn’t easy.”

Ivy looked up at him, her expression determined. “We’re in this together. And as long as we keep talking, keep being honest with each other, we’ll be fine.”

Lucien nodded, his eyes softening as he held her gaze. “One step at a time,” he murmured, echoing their familiar mantra.

Despite the lingering presence of Alessandra, Ivy felt reassured. She and Lucien had built something real, something that went beyond fleeting emotions and the ghosts of past relationships. They were partners—in business and in life—and no matter what Alessandra tried, Ivy was confident in what they had.

As they settled in for the night, the city stretched out beneath them, alive with possibility. Ivy knew that challenges would always come, that the unexpected would continue to test them. But she also knew that with Lucien by her side, there was nothing they couldn’t face together. One step at a time.