It was nearly midnight when Evan stepped out of the cab, the Paris streets glimmering under a thin sheen of rain. He could feel it in his chest—that desperate ache that hadn't left him since Selene was taken. The city buzzed quietly, as if holding its breath, like it knew something was about to shift.
He adjusted the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder and stepped into the dimly lit bar Lena had texted him.
Le Zéphyr.
There she was, sitting near the back. Tall, sharp-featured, a black coat draped over her shoulders. She glanced up the moment he walked in, her expression tired and tense.
"Evan here" she said, standing up slightly.
He nodded and crossed over. They shook hands briefly before sitting down across from each other.
"I'm sorry I didn't send the photo," Lena said. "I couldn't. He's been acting… weird lately. Watching me more. Spying. I had a feeling he might be going through my phone."
Evan's jaw tensed. "He knows. He also remembers me."
Lena blinked. "What?"
"The guy who's after my girlfriend. He's Julien. He knows I've been looking for Selene. That I've been asking questions. He knew we were in Cassis. He took her."
Lena stiffened. "Took her?"
Evan nodded, voice low and controlled. "From our hotel. Dragged her out. I couldn't stop him."
There was a heavy silence.
Lena reached into her purse, pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and turned the screen toward Evan.
"I didn't want to send this through text. But this… is him."
Evan took the phone.
It was a photo. Lena and Jules. The man standing next to her had that familiar sharp jaw, icy smirk, and eyes that didn't smile even when his mouth did.
Evan's hand tightened around the phone.
"That's him," he said. "That's fucking him. Liam. Julien. Whatever his real name is."
Lena sucked in a sharp breath. "No fucking way."
"I wish I was wrong." Evan looked at her, barely able to keep the edge out of his voice. "He's not just some cheater. He's dangerous. He's been forcing Selene into this engagement. She's being blackmailed and controlled. He's hurt her before."
"Engagement??"
"I'm telling you the truth, he took her because it's their wedding in some days"
"Wedding…"
Lena pushed her drink away and leaned back, visibly shaken. "Oh my god. Oh my—Jules told me he was on a business trip. That he wouldn't be reachable. His phone's been off for two days."
Evan leaned forward, voice sharp. "Because he was busy kidnapping someone."
Lena swore under her breath. "What the fuck."
"I've been trying to figure that out since I met you, he was acting very strange" Evan said. "But now we need to figure out how to stop him. I don't know where he's taken her. He could be anywhere."
Lena looked like she was putting pieces together, fast. "His parents. They have a property outside Paris. Near Versailles. He doesn't talk about it often, but I remember he once called it 'the safe house.' He said if things ever got complicated, that's where he'd go."
Evan's heart hammered. "Can you find out if he's there?"
"I'll try. I'll message a friend who works for his father's firm. She might know."
"Please do it fast," Evan said. "He said the wedding was in two days."
Lena looked up at him, serious now. "We're going to stop this. We'll save your girlfriend."
Evan exhaled, a little of the pressure in his chest lifting. "Thanks"
"You don't have to thank me," Lena said. "He lied to me too. I really thought he loved me. But if what you're saying is true… I need to see it for myself — if he's really getting married behind my back."
Lena looked at her drink. Then back at Evan. "He's going to regret ever meeting either of me."
Lena furrowed her brows, thinking hard. "Wait… you said he took her for the wedding, right?"
Evan nodded. "Yeah. Two days from now."
"Did she ever mention where her family lives?"
Evan paused. Then something clicked. Selene… her soft voice…
"I was in London for a while. I went there to see my father…"
His eyes widened. "London. Her parents live in London."
Lena leaned in. "Then that's where he'll take her. If the wedding's meant to be 'official,' he'll want her family there."
Evan stood up abruptly, pacing. "She told me once she hated that place. That her stepmother controls everything. That's where Liam has the most power."
"Then we go to London," Lena said, her tone hardening. "We find her. We stop this before it's too late."
"You'd come with me?" Evan asked,
"I want to see this bastard fall apart with my own eyes," she replied. "And you'll need someone with tactics. Trust me"
Evan grabbed his phone, already booking a flight. "Then let's not waste time."
Lena stood up, finished the last of her drink in one go. "He picked the wrong girl this time."