They stood frozen. Eyes locked, breaths shallow.
"You… it is you," Lucien said again, stepping forward with disbelief and something like awe.
Jahzara's brows furrowed, heart fluttering in her chest. "You're the guy from the garden…"
Lucien gave a soft chuckle. "Didn't think I'd see you again so soon. What are you doing here?"
"I needed to breathe," she replied simply. "I'm with a friend."
Just then, a voice rang from behind them. "Oooh, who is that handsome fellow over there?"
Grace. Her curls bounced as she strutted toward them, her hips swaying effortlessly. Her eyes locked not on Lucien, but on Eduardo, who stood awkwardly a few feet behind Lucien, scanning the area.
Lucien turned slightly. "This is Eduardo, my friend. And I'm… Lucas," he added quickly, his voice tight.
Eduardo raised a brow at the fake name but caught on instantly. He didn't speak, just offered a small smile and played along.
"Lucas," Grace repeated with a flirty grin. "Nice. Sounds like trouble."
The sun caught Grace's skin, making her glow like liquid gold. Eduardo looked away for a moment, then back again. He couldn't help it. She had the kind of beauty that demanded attention—and the kind of confidence that held it.
"Hi," Jahzara said politely to Eduardo.
"Nice to meet you, Miss…" he trailed off.
"Zara," she replied.
"Zara," he repeated with a nod. "Beautiful name."
Lucien was growing anxious. "Would you… like to go for a walk?" he asked Zara.
She glanced at Grace, who was already lost in a playful conversation with Eduardo, then nodded. "Sure."
---
They strolled beneath a canopy of trees, soft laughter and distant music filling the air.
"So," Lucien began, "if you could do anything… go anywhere… what would it be?"
Zara smiled faintly. "I want to travel the world. Try street food in India. Dance in Brazil. Lie on the beaches in Kenya. Just… be free. Make friends who don't care about my last name or my father's bank account."
Lucien nodded slowly. "I get that. My family expects too much from me. I'm always supposed to be… perfect. Powerful. Polished. But I never got to just be a kid. Or a teen. Or a man."
She looked at him, intrigued. "Didn't you date? Party? Rebel?"
He laughed softly. "My first crush… turned out she was only dating me because of who I was. Her father wanted a business deal with mine. I was thirteen. It broke me for a while."
Zara exhaled, staring at the ground. "I tried to get straight A's. Tried to earn love with achievements. My father never cared. He just wanted sons. My grades, my dreams, none of it mattered."
A long silence passed between them.
Jahzara glanced at him. "What's your family like?"
Lucien tensed. "Complicated," he muttered.
She noticed, but didn't push. "It's okay," she said gently. "You don't have to talk about it."
He gave a soft smile of gratitude.
---
As the sun dipped low, they returned to meet their friends.
Grace was practically hanging on Eduardo's arm now, and the two were in a deep, animated conversation.
"It's getting late," Jahzara said.
"Yeah," Lucien replied, a touch reluctant.
They exchanged numbers. "Maybe we could hang out again?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"I'd like that," she said.
---
Back at Jahzara's mansion, Grace lay sprawled across her plush bed like a love-struck teenager.
"Girl. Eduardo is everything. Tall, rich, smart, fine. I mean, I think I'm in love!"
Zara rolled her eyes. "You just met him."
"So? I fall fast. And hard. That man is a walking dream."
"You're so 1990s," Zara teased, laughing. "Falling for a guy after five hours? What next, writing his name in hearts?"
Grace grinned. "Don't tempt me."
She flopped dramatically onto a pillow. "And Lucas—he's hot too. Oddly familiar though…"
"Familiar?" Zara asked, sitting up straighter.
Grace narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. Like… I've seen him somewhere before. His face… something royal about it."
Zara waved her off. "You're daydreaming."
Grace smirked. "Maybe. But don't be surprised if you find out your little park guy is a secret prince."
Zara laughed. "Oh please. What are the odds?"
They both burst into giggles, but somewhere deep in Zara's heart, the feeling lingered.
Familiar…