CHAPTER 11 THE TRUTH BEHIND ARABELLA
Cassian Roe had never trusted coincidences.
That was why, on the eighth day of Seraphina's absence, he was sitting alone in his office with three folders spread across his desk.
The first contained records from the Armand Foundation.
The second contained correspondence involving Arabella Voss.
The third contained private scheduling information from Eveline Armand's office.
At first, there had been nothing obvious.
Then Cassian noticed the dates.
Arabella's return to the city.
Eveline's sudden involvement in the foundation.
The private meetings.
The charity gala.
Seraphina's removal from several responsibilities.
They were too closely connected.
Cassian leaned back in his chair.
"This wasn't random."
He picked up his phone.
"Lucien."
"Yes?"
"I need you to come to my office."
"I have a meeting."
"Cancel it."
A pause.
"What happened?"
"I think I've found something."
Thirty minutes later, Lucien walked into the office.
He looked exhausted.
Cassian pushed the folders toward him.
"What is this?"
"Your mother's schedule."
Lucien frowned.
"Why are you looking into my mother's schedule?"
"Because Arabella's return doesn't make sense."
Lucien opened the first folder.
Cassian pointed to several entries.
"Look at these dates."
Lucien read them.
His expression changed.
"These meetings were private."
"I know."
"How did you get this?"
"Your mother's assistant made a mistake."
Lucien looked up.
"What am I looking at?"
"Eveline met Arabella three times before you were told Arabella had returned."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"That's impossible."
"Look at the dates."
He did.
His mother's meetings with Arabella had started nearly two weeks before he mentioned Arabella to Seraphina.
Lucien closed the folder.
"Maybe they were discussing business."
"Then why hide it?"
Lucien said nothing.
Cassian opened another folder.
"Now look at this."
There were copies of emails concerning the foundation gala.
Seraphina's name had originally been listed as the event coordinator.
Then, suddenly, it was replaced.
By Arabella.
Lucien stared at the document.
"Who authorized this?"
"Your mother."
"She had no authority."
"Apparently she thought she did."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because everyone assumed you approved it."
Lucien looked away.
The answer was obvious.
He had been too distracted to notice.
Cassian leaned forward.
"There's more."
He slid another document across the desk.
"Arabella didn't simply appear at the foundation. She was recommended by Eveline."
Lucien read the recommendation letter.
His face became colder with every sentence.
"Mother arranged this."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Cassian hesitated.
"There's only one reason I can think of."
Lucien looked at him.
"She wanted Arabella close to you."
The words hung in the room.
Lucien remembered Seraphina's expression at the family dinner.
He remembered her asking him to defend her.
He remembered remaining silent.
And suddenly, memories he had dismissed began fitting together.
His mother's hostility.
Arabella's sudden return.
The private meetings.
The gala.
Seraphina's humiliation.
His silence.
Lucien stood.
"I'm going to see my mother."
Cassian caught his arm.
"Don't go angry."
"I'm not angry."
Cassian gave him a look.
"You are furious."
Lucien pulled his arm free.
"I'm going to get answers."
He drove directly to the Armand estate.
Eveline was sitting in the drawing room when he entered.
She looked up calmly.
"Lucien. What brings you here?"
"You."
Her smile faded slightly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why did you meet Arabella before telling me she was back?"
Eveline placed her teacup down.
"I don't understand why this matters."
"Answer me."
She stared at him.
"I was helping her."
"With what?"
"Her transition back into society."
"By bringing her into my home?"
"I never intended for anything inappropriate to happen."
"You replaced Seraphina with her."
Eveline's expression hardened.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"You removed my wife from the foundation gala."
"I gave Arabella an opportunity."
"An opportunity Seraphina already had."
"Seraphina is not suitable for every Armand responsibility."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"Who decides that?"
"I do."
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"But you don't."
Eveline stood.
"I am your mother."
"And Seraphina is my wife."
The words stopped her.
Lucien stepped closer.
"Do you understand what you've done?"
"I protected this family."
"You destroyed my marriage."
Eveline's face tightened.
"Your marriage was already weak."
Lucien flinched.
"Because you kept attacking it."
"Because I knew Seraphina would never be strong enough for you."
"You never gave her a chance."
"I gave her three years."
"No."
Lucien shook his head.
"You gave her three years of criticism."
Eveline looked away.
Lucien continued.
"And I allowed it."
That admission hurt.
Because it was true.
His mother had interfered.
Arabella had participated.
But he had been the one who allowed Seraphina to face it alone.
He had chosen silence.
He had chosen peace.
He had chosen everything except his wife.
Eveline's expression softened.
"Lucien, you're upset. When Seraphina returns, you'll see this differently."
He stared at her.
"She isn't coming back because I tell her to."
Eveline frowned.
"You love her."
"I do."
"Then she'll forgive you."
Lucien looked at her.
"That's what I used to believe."
He turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To find out the rest."
"Arabella has done nothing wrong."
Lucien stopped.
"Maybe."
He looked back.
"But if she helped you destroy my marriage, I'll find out."
He left.
That evening, Cassian called him with one final discovery.
"Lucien."
"What?"
"I found the original message Arabella sent your mother before she returned."
Lucien's heart stopped.
"What did it say?"
Cassian hesitated.
Then he read it.
If Seraphina leaves him, Lucien will eventually remember what we had.
Lucien closed his eyes.
Suddenly, everything became painfully clear.
Arabella hadn't returned simply for business.
She had returned believing there would still be a place beside him.
And Eveline had opened the door.
But the deepest betrayal wasn't what either woman had done.
It was what Lucien had failed to do.
He had failed to protect the woman he loved.
He had failed to listen.
He had failed to notice.
And now Seraphina was gone.
For the first time, Lucien understood that the truth behind Arabella was only part of the story.
The greater truth was about him.
He had not lost Seraphina because another woman had returned.
He had lost her because he had spent years giving her reasons to leave.