CHAPTER 19 – "This Better Impress Me"
Zara Valtoria did not get impressed.
She evaluated.
She judged.
She dismissed.
And Lucien Valtieri knew that.
Which was exactly why—
He didn't invite her to see the house.
He sent a single message instead.
"Come see your home."
No explanation.
No details.
No persuasion.
Zara stared at the message for a full ten seconds.
Then she smiled.
Slow. Dangerous.
"Let's see," she murmured,
"If he can actually afford me."
An hour later—
Her Rolls-Royce Phantom glided through the most exclusive part of the city.
Not just rich.
Untouchable.
The kind of area where land itself was power.
Where every gate hid something obscene in value.
Zara sat in the back seat, legs crossed, expression unreadable.
Sienna sat beside her, already curious.
"You didn't tell me where we're going," Sienna said.
Zara didn't look at her.
"Because I don't know."
Cassian, seated across from them, raised a brow slightly.
"That's new."
Zara's lips curved faintly.
"Not for long."
The car slowed.
Then stopped.
Massive iron gates stood in front of them.
Custom-designed.
Not flashy—
But powerful.
The kind of gate that didn't just protect property.
It protected legacy.
The gates opened.
Slowly.
Silently.
And Zara's eyes—
Narrowed.
The driveway alone was enough to silence conversation.
Long.
Curved.
Lined with perfectly sculpted trees and soft golden lighting embedded into the ground.
Water features.
Glass reflections.
Architecture that didn't try to impress—
Because it didn't need to.
Sienna leaned forward slightly.
"…Okay," she whispered.
Cassian's gaze sharpened.
"He didn't rent this," he murmured.
Zara didn't respond.
But her attention?
Fully locked now.
The mansion came into full view.
Not just large.
Not just expensive.
Dominant.
A fusion of modern glass and stone.
Multiple levels.
Infinity balconies.
A structure that stretched across land most people couldn't even dream of owning.
It wasn't just the biggest mansion in the city.
It was the most powerful one.
The car stopped.
Zara didn't move immediately.
Then—
She stepped out.
Her heels clicked softly against the polished stone as she took in the full view.
Her expression remained calm.
Controlled.
But her eyes?
Sharp.
Calculating.
Lucien stood at the entrance.
Waiting.
Of course he did.
Zara walked toward him slowly.
Every step deliberate.
"You're late," she said.
Lucien's lips curved slightly.
"You're early."
Zara stopped in front of him.
Silence.
Then—
She looked past him.
At the house.
"Open it," she said.
Not a request.
Lucien stepped aside.
The doors opened.
And even Zara—
Paused.
The interior was worse.
Marble floors.
Imported. Flawless.
A chandelier that looked like it belonged in a museum, not a home.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking a private infinity pool that seemed to melt into the skyline.
Art.
Not decoration—
Originals.
Everything about the space said one thing—
Power without apology.
Sienna walked in slowly.
"…I hate him," she whispered.
Cassian exhaled quietly.
"This isn't a house," he said.
"It's a statement."
Zara walked further in.
Slow.
Observing everything.
Every detail.
Every finish.
Every line.
Lucien didn't follow closely.
He let her move.
Let her judge.
Because this—
This was her test.
She walked into the living area.
Then the glass wall.
Then the view.
The city stretched beneath her.
Like it belonged there.
Like she belonged above it.
Zara's fingers brushed lightly against the marble surface.
Cool. Perfect.
She turned slowly.
Facing him again.
"You bought this," she said.
Not a question.
Lucien nodded once.
"For you."
Silence.
Sienna nearly choked.
Cassian just smiled faintly.
Zara held his gaze.
Longer this time.
Deeper.
Then—
She walked past him.
Toward the stairs.
"Show me the rest," she said.
Lucien followed.
Room after room.
Each one better than the last.
Private cinema.
Indoor pool.
Walk-in closet bigger than most apartments.
And then—
The master bedroom.
Zara stepped in.
Stopped.
The space was…
Perfect.
Minimal.
Elegant.
Luxury without chaos.
The kind of room designed for someone like her.
She turned slowly.
Facing Lucien again.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Zara smiled.
Not wide.
Not soft.
But real.
Just a fraction.
"Acceptable," she said.
Sienna groaned behind her.
"Acceptable?!"
Cassian laughed quietly.
"She's impressed," he translated.
Lucien's lips curved slightly.
He had expected that.
Zara stepped closer.
"You passed this one," she added softly.
Lucien leaned slightly toward her.
"I don't plan to fail the next."
Zara's eyes held his.
"Good," she said.
A pause.
"Because the wedding?"
Her voice dropped slightly.
Dangerous again.
"You won't get a second chance."
Lucien didn't look away.
"I don't need one."
And just like that—
The next battle was set.