The ride home was silent.
Too silent.
Aria sat stiffly beside Lucien, her hands resting in her lap, but her fingers wouldn't stop fidgeting.
Her mind kept replaying it.
The way he moved.
The way everyone froze.
The way no one dared to interfere.
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't just power.
That was fear.
"You're quiet."
Lucien's voice cut through the silence.
Calm. Controlled. Like nothing had happened.
Aria let out a small, dry laugh.
"Really?" she said, turning slightly toward him. "I wonder why."
He didn't respond immediately.
Typical.
She shook her head lightly.
"You almost broke his neck," she added.
"I didn't."
"That's not the point."
Now he looked at her.
"And what is the point?"
Her chest tightened slightly.
"The point is… everyone was scared of you," she said. "Not surprised. Not shocked. Just… scared."
Silence.
Lucien leaned back slightly.
"They should be."
The answer came too easily.
Too naturally.
A chill ran down her spine.
Aria looked away, staring out the window again.
Streetlights passed by in a blur.
"I don't understand you," she muttered.
"You don't need to."
Her brows furrowed.
"I'm your wife," she said, turning back to him. "I think I do."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"This is a contract," he reminded her. "Don't confuse it with something else."
The words hit harder than they should have.
"I'm not confusing anything," she snapped. "I'm just trying to understand the man I'm living with."
"You don't need to understand me," he repeated.
Frustration bubbled up in her chest.
"Then what do you expect me to do?" she asked. "Just stay quiet? Pretend everything is normal?"
"Yes."
The single word stunned her.
She stared at him.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
Her chest rose and fell sharply.
"That's not how this works."
"That's exactly how this works," he said calmly. "You follow the terms. I keep my end of the deal."
"And what about everything else?" she pushed.
"There is no 'everything else.'"
The car came to a stop.
The gates of the mansion opening slowly.
But neither of them moved.
The tension inside the car was heavier than ever.
Aria looked at him.
Really looked at him.
At the calm expression.
The controlled posture.
The cold distance.
And yet…
There was something else.
Something he kept buried deep.
"You're hiding something," she said quietly.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Everyone hides something."
"Not like you."
Silence.
Then—
"Stop digging, Aria."
Her heart skipped.
The warning in his voice was clear.
But instead of backing down…
She leaned in slightly.
"Or what?"
A challenge.
Soft.
But dangerous.
For a moment, everything went still.
Lucien's gaze dropped briefly to her lips…
Then back to her eyes.
Something shifted.
Something unfamiliar.
The air between them suddenly felt different.
He leaned closer.
Too close.
Aria's breath caught.
Her heart started racing—
Not from fear this time.
From something else.
Something confusing.
"You don't know what you're playing with," he said quietly.
Her lips parted slightly.
"Then maybe you should show me."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
And the moment they did—
She regretted it.
Because of the look in his eyes.
Dark.
Intense.
Dangerous.
Lucien's hand moved suddenly—
Gripping her chin gently but firmly, tilting her face up toward his.
Her breath hitched.
Their faces were inches apart now.
Too close.
Way too close.
"You should be careful what you ask for," he murmured.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
But she didn't pull away.
She couldn't.
Not when his eyes were locked onto hers like that.
Not when everything around them felt like it disappeared.
For a second…
It felt like he might kiss her.
And the worst part?
She didn't know if she wanted him to…
Or not.
Then suddenly—
He let go.
Just like that.
The moment shattered.
Lucien leaned back, his expression returning to its usual calm.
"Get out," he said.
Aria blinked.
Confused.
Disoriented.
"What?"
"We're home."
She quickly opened the door and stepped out, her heart still racing.
What just happened?
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
As she walked toward the mansion, one thought kept repeating in her mind—
This was getting dangerous.
Not just because of Lucien's past.
Not just because of his secrets.
But because of how he made her feel.
And that…
That might be the most dangerous part of all.