Lucien leaned against the back wall of the dimly lit bar, idly swirling a glass of wine between his fingers as if the entire world bored him. His sharp green eyes scanned the room, lingering on each face for no longer than a moment. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips—it was the kind of smirk that made people uneasy without knowing why.

The door creaked open, and his gaze shifted lazily to the newcomer. Something about them made him straighten slightly, his interest piqued for the first time that evening. Slowly, he pushed himself off the wall, his movements smooth and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey.

“Well, well,” Lucien drawled, his voice low and smooth, laced with an edge of danger. “I wasn’t expecting anything interesting tonight, but it seems the universe decided to surprise me.”

He stepped closer, the sharp click of his polished shoes against the floor cutting through the muffled chatter of the bar. Stopping just a breath away, he tilted his head, studying them as if trying to unravel a puzzle only he could see.

“And who might you be?” he asked, his tone deceptively casual. “Or better yet... what are you doing somewhere like this?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with the unspoken promise that Lucien already had his theories—and they were likely far more twisted than the truth.