The whole mess started that day ‘cause I was goofing off at work and opened the Rich Kids group chat again.
Same people, still bragging and gossiping.
Coincidentally, today’s tea was a follow–up to something I’d seen earlier.
“NYC’s Pretty Boy #1:”
‘@SpillTheTeaBitch don’t you dare hoard those pics–drop them now so we can all see!”
‘CatMom with a Trust Fund:”
‘Agreed! I heard he’s hot hot. I need to see before I beg my dad to offer Veridian Tech a merger–of–marriage! @SpillTheTeaBitch”
Notifications were blowing up.
Everyone was tagging @SpillTheTeaBitch like mad.
Naturally, I got curious too.
Apparently, @SpillTheTeaBitch spotted the mysterious heir to Veridian Tech at some ultra–private party and sneakily took a pic.
Now the group was swarming, hungry for a glimpse.
‘SpillTheTeaBitch:”
‘Alright, alright, I’ll post it. Just real quick.”
‘SpillTheTeaBitch:”
‘Three seconds, that’s it. I’m deleting it right after. If you miss it, that’s on you.”
Right as they posted it, I lucked out–no one in the office was around.
Like everyone else, I was glued to the chat window.
The second that blurry photo flashed, I hit save and screenshot like a damn pro.
If you blinked, it was gone.
Sure enough, the message said “Photo deleted” right after.”
Chapter 8
The chat exploded with dramatic wails from people who missed it.
Half the ones who did see it were freaking out over how hot he was.
The rest were roasting @SpillTheTeaBitch for taking the blurriest pic imaginable–like, you couldn’t even get a clear shot of his whole face?
Me? I opened my camera roll and froze.
Even in the blur, that face was way too familiar.
How familiar?
Like “slept–in–the–same–bed–last–night” familiar.
That was Lucian.
Blurry or not, I’d recognize that jawline anywhere.
I’ve been sleeping next to that damn face for months.
I flipped back to the chat–now everyone was digging up Lucian’s life story: boarding school since age ten, graduated from Harvard at sixteen, built his own tech company from scratch.
“NYC’s Pretty Boy #1:”
“I thought this guy was coming back to take over Veridian Tech.”
“Didn’t realize he went and built a second Veridian from nothing.”
“CatMom with a Trust Fund:”
“Men like that are for admiring from afar. I’m out.”
At that point, my brain just… stopped functioning.
Nothing they said matched the Lucian I knew.
Until I saw a financial news article with a crystal–clear photo.
Front–page, top banner: Lucian confirmed as Veridian Tech’s sole heir.
My brain was overheating. I had no words.
I immediately texted him.
Honestly? Him having another identity didn’t shock me.
Chapter #
Thinking back, the last time Declan showed his desperate little face was when I found out the flowers were from him–not Lucian.
After that? Nothing.
Guess Lucian handled it.
No wonder I’d heard the Declans were having problems–just like the Vaughns did before Veridian Tech swooped in
to save us.
Lucian laid it all out and apologized over and over.
“I was gonna tell you earlier but… you’re kinda slow on the uptake.”
From his side, he’d been dropping clues left and right.
But me?
I’d been clueless the whole time, convinced I’d landed a shy softie instead of a billionaire CEO.
“If I hadn’t caught on, when were you planning to come clean?”
“I had a candlelit dinner planned for tonight.”
I gave him a side–eye.
Oh. This guy actually had romance on the agenda?
“Would be such a waste if you didn’t come, babe…”
Smooth bastard. Saw I wasn’t mad, immediately tried to negotiate perks.
Truth is, I wasn’t even mad about the whole secret identity thing.
Felt more like I’d opened a mystery box and got an upgrade.
If Veridian Tech hadn’t partnered with my family when shit hit the fan, the Vaughns would’ve been toast.
Now I was dating their prince?
Half the girls in our circle would drop dead from jealousy.
“Ma’am~”
He played his trump card.
He knew I had a thing for being called that–and the little shit used it.
“Fine.”
“But if that dinner sucks, you’re dead to me.”
“Oh it’s gonna blow your mind, ma’am.”
Lucian laughed and grabbed my hand. One tug and I was in his arms.
He sat in my chair and pulled me into his lap like it was his.
The whole room went from “office” to “soft–core Netflix special” real quick.
“I missed you so much, ma’am…”
“Can I kiss you? Locked the door before I came in.”
I tilted my head up.
That was all the answer he needed.
The moment his lips touched mine, I heard him whisper-
“Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
