Chapter 15;The invitation

Tehila woke up early on Saturday morning, feeling a sense of trepidation wash over her. She had decided to call Lucien, to tell him that she was done waiting for him. But as she reached for her phone, her hand hesitated.

What if he didn't answer?

What if he rejected her?

Tehila took a deep breath and pushed aside her doubts. She had to do this. She had to move on with her life.

With a newfound sense of determination, Tehila dialed Lucien's number. It rang several times before a low, husky voice answered.

"Hello?" Lucien said.

Tehila's heart skipped a beat. "Lucien?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Tehila. Good morning."

Tehila's eyes narrowed. "Good morning, Lucien. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Lucien's tone remained neutral. "Not at all, Tehila. I was just... enjoying the morning."

Tehila's gaze turned skeptical. She didn't believe him for a second. But she didn't push the issue. Instead, she dove straight into the reason for her call.

"Lucien, I wanted to talk to you about us."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What about us, Tehila?"

Tehila took a deep breath. "I think it's time we faced the facts, Lucien. We've been married for a year now, and you've barely acknowledged my existence. I deserve better than that."

Lucien's tone remained calm, but Tehila detected a hint of curiosity. "Go on."

Tehila's voice grew stronger. "I'm done waiting for you, Lucien. I'm done being patient. If you're not interested in making this marriage work, then I think it's time we went our separate ways."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Tehila wondered if she had gone too far, if she had pushed Lucien too hard.

But then, Lucien spoke up, his voice low and husky. "I see. Well, Tehila, I think we need to discuss this further. In person."

Tehila's eyes narrowed. What did Lucien have planned?

"So, Tehila, I was thinking we could discuss the details of our marriage over dinner," Lucien said, his tone smooth and confident.

Tehila's eyes narrowed. "Dinner?"

"Yes, dinner," Lucien replied. "I've made reservations at a lovely restaurant in the city. We can talk about everything and get to know each other a bit better."

Tehila hesitated, unsure of what to say. Part of her was screaming to refuse, to tell Lucien that she wasn't interested in playing games with him. But another part of her, a part that she couldn't quite ignore, was curious about what Lucien had to say.

"Okay," Tehila said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucien's tone turned triumphant. "Excellent. I'll send a driver to pick you up at 4 PM. He'll bring you to the restaurant and we can meet there."

Tehila's eyes widened. "A driver?"

"Yes, a driver," Lucien replied. "I've arranged for one of my staff to pick you up and bring you to the restaurant. All you need to do is be ready by 4 PM."

Tehila felt a surge of unease. What kind of person sent a driver to pick up someone they barely knew? But before she could ask any questions, Lucien continued.

"Also, Tehila, please send me your address so I can give it to the driver."

Tehila hesitated, unsure of what to do. But something about Lucien's tone put her at ease, and she found herself agreeing to his request.

"Okay," Tehila said. "I'll send you my address."

Lucien's tone turned pleased. "Excellent. I'll see you soon, Tehila."

Tehila's eyes narrowed as she listened to Lucien's proposal. "So, you want me to prepare for a driver to come pick me up at 4 PM?

Lucien's tone remained smooth. "Yes, Tehila. I think it's time we had a face-to-face conversation. We can discuss the details of our marriage and where we go from here."

Tehila hesitated, trying to refuse. "I don't know, Lucien. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this."

Lucien's response was immediate. "That's fine, Tehila. If you'd rather not meet, I understand. But I think it's for the best if we discuss this in person."

Tehila felt a surge of frustration. Why was Lucien being so pushy? But before she could protest further, she heard herself saying, "Okay, fine."

As soon as she dropped the call, Tehila wondered why she had agreed. She had made up her mind to end things with Lucien, but now she was going to meet with him? It didn't make sense.

But as she looked around her small apartment, Tehila realized that she had nothing to lose. She decided to dress up for the meeting, just in case. As she got ready, she heard Mylo whining softly in the background.

"Don't worry, boy," she whispered. "Everything will be okay."

But as she looked at herself in the mirror, Tehila couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in over her head. Lucien's invitation had been so sudden, so unexpected. And the fact that he was sending a driver to pick her up? That just added to her mystery

MEANWHILE.....

Lucien's smile grew wider. He couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. He quickly grabbed his phone and sent a text to Ryan, his secretary.

"Ryan, I need you to arrange for a driver to pick up Tehila at 4 PM. Her address is..." Lucien quickly typed out Tehila's address, which she had sent him just moments before.

Ryan responded almost immediately. "Yes, sir. I'll arrange for Ash to pick her up."

Lucien nodded to himself, feeling a sense of satisfaction. He then turned his attention to planning the rest of the evening.

"Ryan, I need you to do something else for me," Lucien said, his voice smooth and confident.

"Yes, sir?" Ryan replied.

"I want you to go to Aurum & Co. and purchase a necklace for Tehila. I want the best they have, something that will really make her stand out."

Ryan's voice was professional, but Lucien could detect a hint of surprise. "Yes, sir. I'll make sure to get something exquisite."

Lucien smiled to himself, feeling a sense of excitement. He couldn't wait to see Tehila's reaction when he gave her the gift.

"Make sure it's something she'll love, Ryan," Lucien instructed. "I want this evening to be perfect."

Ryan's tone turned reassuring. "Don't worry, Lucien. I'll take care of it."

Lucien nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Ryan. "Thanks, Ryan. I owe you one."

Ryan's voice tensed yet teased. "You owe me more than one, Lucien."

Lucien laughed, feeling a sense of camaraderie with his friend. "I'll make it up to you, Ryan. Promise."

With that, the call ended, and Lucien lay back on his bed, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Tehila tonight.

As the hours ticked by, Lucien found himself growing more and more restless. He couldn't concentrate on his work, and he couldn't stop thinking about Tehila.

Finally, at 3:45 PM, Lucien's phone buzzed with a text from Ryan.

"Ash is on his way to pick up Tehila, sir," Ryan wrote.

Lucien's heart skipped a beat. It was almost time.

He quickly got out of bed and began to get ready. He showered, dressed, and styled his hair, making sure he looked perfect.

As he finished getting ready, Lucien's phone buzzed again.

"Ash has arrived at Tehila's location, sir," Ryan wrote.

Lucien's heart skipped another beat. It was time.

He took a deep breath, grabbed his keys, and headed out the door. He was ready to face whatever the evening had in store.