Falling for the Goddess

She's Lying

Lucas Graves swallowed nervously as he watched Sara Hart turn and head toward the corner. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously suggesting, "Should we...call her?"

Adrian Blake cast a cold glance in his direction, so piercing that Lucas instantly clammed up, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Adrian's lips pressed into a thin line as he made a sharp turn and headed back in the opposite direction. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand became visible from the pressure.

He shouldn't have let his guilt over that cup of tea soften him. He shouldn't have allowed the past few weeks of peaceful coexistence to lull him into complacency.

He should've known better. They were all the same.

He shouldn't have softened, and he definitely shouldn't have compromised.

The atmosphere in the car grew thick with tension, and Lucas deeply regretted tagging along today. He huddled into his seat, feeling small, helpless, and utterly out of his depth.

Adrian's emotions had only flared briefly. Once he turned the car around, his driving returned to its usual steady pace. His expression was as calm and unreadable as ever, but this cold, composed version of Adrian made Lucas even more anxious.

Unable to bear the silence, Lucas whipped out his phone and frantically tapped away in the group chat titled "Adrian's Latest Gossip":

"Help! Help! SOS!"

"Emergency! I need backup, ASAP!"

"Please! Someone save me!"

In the offices of Eric Thorne and Noah Ashford, both men glanced at their phones, puzzled by Lucas's frantic messages. At first, they were inclined to ignore him - after all, Lucas had a habit of exaggerating. But his next message stopped them in their tracks.

" Adrian might have just been cheated on! 😭"

Eric Thorne's fingers paused mid-air over his phone: "What?"

Noah Ashford: "???"

Lucas Graves: "Adrian came to North Capital University to pick up Sara, but he saw her getting out of a Koenigsegg. Now he's not saying a word, and he just turned the car around without a word."

He added a trembling emoji for dramatic effect.

Noah Ashford spun a pen between his fingers, his expression thoughtful: "A Koenigsegg, huh? There aren't many of those in North Capital. A quick check and we'll know who the owner is."

Eric Thorne: "How's Adrian reacting?"

Lucas risked a glance at Adrian, who was still driving in stoic silence. Slowly, he typed: "Everything looks normal, but the air in the car is so cold I might freeze to death."

Eric Thorne recalled the night he had spotted Sara at the Plaza Hotel. Back then, the person she was with didn't seem like someone who could own a Koenigsegg.

"This Sara is more complicated than she seems," Eric Thorne mused.

None of them were quick to jump to conclusions. In their circles, such things happened frequently. But this was Adrian's private affair, and it wasn't their place to meddle.

Eric Thorne: "Just keep quiet."

Lucas Graves: "???"

---

When they arrived at the Villa, Lucas Graves, who had only ever visited Adrian's family homes, took in the sprawling mansion with wide eyes. The first thing he noticed were the roses. They bloomed in thick clusters along the fence, their vibrant petals climbing and spreading freely.