Lucien Blackthorne stared at the monitor in his study.
CCTV footage played in silence—Aria opening the envelope, reading the contract, and laughing.
Not just laughing.
Mocking.
He leaned back in his chair, jaw clenched, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The image of her in that dress, that unbothered smirk—it shouldn't have gotten to him. But it did.
She was supposed to beg.
Or break.
Instead, she made it look like she'd won something.
"She's different," Elias had once said. "She's not like the rest."
Lucien shut his eyes.
He hated how often his brother's voice haunted him in this house.
The intercom buzzed. His assistant's voice came through.
"Mr. Blackthorne, the board is asking if you'll address the marriage rumors formally—"
"No."
"But sir—"
"Let them talk. She's a distraction, not a decision."
He cut the line.
But even as he said it, he couldn't stop the image of Aria's eyes from flashing back—dark, challenging, unafraid.
She's not afraid of me.
Most people were.
That made her dangerous.
He opened a file on his desk—one he hadn't looked at in years.
THE LIN FAMILY – Scandal. Bankruptcy. Disappearance.
One article circled in red:
"Heiress Aria Lin Disappears After Family's Fall. No Charges Filed."
Lucien narrowed his eyes.
What exactly are you hiding, wife?
A knock at the door.
He didn't look up. "What is it?"
Silence.
Then, her voice.
"You left your own wedding. The least you can do is share a coffee."
He finally looked up.
Aria stood in the doorway, hair down, robe tied at the waist, holding two cups.
Lucien didn't move. "I don't drink coffee with strangers."
"We're married now. Strangers with benefits, remember?"
A flicker of something crossed his face—shock, amusement, annoyance.
Then he stood.
Walked over.
Took the cup.
Their fingers brushed.
Too long.
Too slow.
Aria smiled over the rim of her cup. "Rule six," she said, voice like velvet. "Don't fall for me."
Lucien's eyes darkened.
"Trust me. I'd rather fall off a building."
She sipped.
He stared.
And somewhere deep inside him—a rule he thought was carved in stone began to crack.