Deal in Vows
Selene sat across from Lucian in the private dining room of his penthouse, staring at the plate of elegantly prepared food in front of her. The aroma of perfectly cooked steak and roasted vegetables filled the air, but she barely had the appetite to eat.
Everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours felt surreal-her father's betrayal, her fiancé's infidelity, her attempt to end it all, and Lucian stepping in like a shadowed figure of fate.
Now, she sat in his world, safe but uneasy, like a guest overstaying her welcome.
Lucian, calm as ever, cut into his steak with precise movements, his silver eyes flickering toward her. "You haven't touched your food."
Selene hesitated before picking up her fork. "I'm just... trying to process everything."
"You'll have to get used to things changing quickly," he said, taking a sip of his wine. "Dwelling on the past won't serve you."
She clenched the fork tighter. "That's easy for you to say."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, setting his glass down. "Is it?"
For a moment, she wanted to ask him-what had he been through? Why did he save her? But before she could, his next words shattered all thoughts in her mind.
"Then let's make it easier. Marry me."
Selene froze, the fork slipping from her fingers and clattering against the porcelain plate. "W-What?"
Lucian remained composed, as if he hadn't just proposed something absurd. "Marriage. You need stability, and I need a wife. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."
Her heart pounded. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough." His voice was steady, matter-of-fact. "You've lost everything. You have no one left. Marrying me will give you protection, power, and a new identity-one far removed from the people who wronged you."
She swallowed hard. "And what do you get?"
Lucian leaned back in his chair, studying her. "A wife."
She narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't answer my question."
His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "I have my reasons, and in time, you'll understand them. But you don't need to rush your decision. If you agree, we'll go to the Marriage Affairs Bureau first thing in the morning."
Selene's mind swirled with doubts, fears, and questions. Marrying a man she barely knew sounded insane. But then again, she had nothing left. Her father had stripped her of her name, her fiancé had betrayed her, and the world had let her drown-until Lucian pulled her out.
For the first time in a long time, she had a chance to fight back.
And she wasn't about to let it slip away.
---
A Few Hours Later - At the Marriage Affairs Bureau
Selene never thought she'd sign a marriage certificate so soon, let alone with a man like Lucian Blackwood.
She had barely processed the words when she found herself in a sleek black car, being driven to the Marriage Affairs Bureau. Lucian was next to her, composed as always, as if this was just another business deal.
And perhaps to him, it was.
As she signed her name on the final document, the weight of reality settled in her chest.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood," the clerk said with a polite smile.
Selene forced herself to nod, staring at the signature on the page. Mrs. Blackwood. The name was foreign, unfamiliar-yet strangely powerful.
Lucian slid a simple yet elegant wedding band onto her finger. It was nothing flashy, but it fit perfectly.
"Let's go home," he murmured, taking her hand and guiding her out.
Home. The word felt foreign on her tongue.
---
Returning to the Blackwood Mansion
The mansion

Selene had seen luxury before-her father had been wealthy, after all-but this was on another level entirely.
The Blackwood estate was breathtaking, an architectural masterpiece with towering pillars, glass walls, and sprawling gardens that stretched beyond the entrance. The sheer silence of it unsettled her.
Lucian led her inside, his presence commanding as they walked through the vast halls. Intricate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting soft golden light over the marble floors.
"You should get familiar with the place," he said as they walked. "You live here now."
Selene swallowed. It all felt too much. Too surreal.
Finally, he stopped before a large set of doors. "This is your room," he said, pushing them open.
Selene stepped inside, her breath catching.
The bedroom was grand-too grand. A canopy bed sat in the center, draped with the softest-looking sheets she had ever seen. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline, and a massive walk-in closet stood on one side of the room.
Lucian watched her reaction closely. "If you want anything changed, just say the word."
Selene hesitated, shifting on her feet. "It's not that."
"Then what is it?"
She exhaled, turning to face him. "I don't want to just stay here doing nothing."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Doing nothing?"
She clenched her fists. "I don't want to just be... taken care of. Even if I'm your wife, I don't want to be someone who just eats and sleeps in luxury while you handle everything. I need to earn my place here."
A slow smirk spread across Lucian's lips. "Interesting."
Selene frowned. "I'm serious."
"So am I." He studied her for a moment before saying, "Then work for me."
She blinked. "What?"
Lucian crossed the room, stopping a few feet in front of her. "I need a new secretary. My last one was incompetent, and I don't tolerate incompetence. If you want to contribute, prove your worth."
Selene's lips parted slightly in shock. He wasn't just giving her something meaningless to keep her occupied. He was offering her a real position.
Her heart pounded. "I... I can do that."
Lucian's smirk deepened. "Good. You start tomorrow."
Selene took a deep breath. She had entered this marriage as nothing more than a broken woman searching for an escape. But now, Lucian was giving her something she never expected.
A purpose.
And she intended to take it.