The car slowly stopped by the roadside. Lyra paused for a moment before finally opening the door. Lucien's assistant had already opened it for her. She stepped out calmly, but her eyes immediately scanned the surroundings.
Rows of street vendors stretched along the road. Small lights hung above simple tents, and the aroma of various foods mixed in the air, spicy, savory, sweet, and warm. The atmosphere was lively, in contrast to the silence inside the car earlier.
Lyra frowned slightly. She did not expect the president director of a major company to bring her to a place like this.
Lucien stood beside her, slipping one hand into his trouser pocket. "If you don't want to eat here," he said casually without looking at her, "we can just make another appointment."
His tone was light. But to Lyra, it was clearly a challenge.
She glanced at Lucien from the side. The man's appearance was quite different from earlier at the office. The sleeves of his navy shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the firm lines of his arms. The top two buttons were left open, making him look more relaxed, and somehow, more dangerous.
Lyra raised one eyebrow.
"After lunch," she said calmly, "would you be able to spare some time to review our company's proposal?"
She gave a faint smile a forced professional smile.
Lucien turned his head, glanced at her, then smirked. "We'll see how hard you try."
The tone was light, but clearly condescending. And for Lyra, that was not an answer, it was a provocation.
Lucien started walking, followed by his assistant. Lyra followed as well, while her own assistant trailed behind.
Along the way, various food stalls caught their attention. Some sold seafood, grilled bread, quick pasta, and various local snacks. A few looked tempting, but Lucien kept walking without stopping.
Lyra could only follow, as if the entire game was fully controlled by the man. Finally, Lucien stopped at a stall filled with striking red colors. Hot steam rose from a large pan, while the sharp aroma of chili immediately filled the air.
"Spicy food has been trending lately," Lucien said casually. He glanced briefly at Lyra. "And this is your favorite food, isn't it?"
Without waiting for an answer, he immediately placed the order.
"Two. The spiciest level."
Lyra narrowed her eyes. She could already guess where this conversation was heading.
Lucien turned to face her, his smile faint but meaningful. "If you can beat me eating this," he continued softly, "I'll consider signing the cooperation contract immediately."
The sentence fell lightly, but the impact was clear. This was not an ordinary lunch, it was Lucien's retaliation against her.
Lyra frowned as she remembered that Lucien could not eat spicy food. "You eat spicy food?" she asked, her tone filled with doubt. "Since when?"
An old memory surfaced instantly. Back then, they were still in school. Lyra had once played a prank on Lucien with extremely spicy food. She clearly remembered how Lucien had insisted that spicy food was just a bluff, but five minutes later, he almost lost control. His face turned red, his eyes watered, and the entire class witnessed his crushing defeat.
It even became the talk of the entire school for weeks. Lucien Whitmore, who was always perfect, lost to Lyra Valtieri because of spicy food. Even though Lyra had warned him at the time, Lucien had not cared at all.
And since then, Lucien had never touched spicy food again. At least, that was what Lyra remembered. But now, the man stood there casually, challenging her with a confident expression.
Lucien leaned slightly forward, the distance between them only an inch. His voice was low, almost like a whisper meant only for her.
"A lot of things have changed in six years, Lyra."
His gaze remained fixed, not shifting in the slightest.
"You're the only one who's still too confident you can win."
Lyra held her breath for a moment. "Does it have to be spicy food?" she asked hesitantly.
Lucien caught the hesitation clearly. He studied the woman in front of him a little longer. The Lyra now was very different. In the past, she would have accepted the challenge without thinking. Back then, her emotions were always obvious. Now, she looked calm.
"You can refuse," Lucien replied casually. "I can also cancel today's discussion."
Lyra pressed her lips together. "You're doing this on purpose."
Lucien gave a light shrug. "I just want to see how serious you are."
Their order arrived. Steam rose from the bowl in front of them. The bright red color was almost blinding. The sharp aroma of chili pierced the air.
Lyra swallowed slowly. Lucien rolled his sleeves higher, his relaxed attitude somehow making the atmosphere more oppressive. "Go ahead," he said shortly.
Lyra took a deep breath and picked up her spoon.
The first bite entered her mouth.
Hot.
Spicy.
Burning.
It felt like fire spreading instantly through her entire mouth. But she didn't stop. She swallowed, then took another bite. Her hand trembled slightly, yet she forced herself to remain calm.
Lucien watched her without comment. His gaze was flat and unreadable.
Lyra kept eating. Slowly, but without stopping. Sweat began to form at her temples. Her breathing grew heavier, yet she continued until she finished everything.
Her bowl was empty.
She set her spoon down slowly.
Lucien was still watching her.
"Tomorrow," he finally said, his tone even, "come to my office. We'll sign the contract right away."
Lyra lifted her face. "Really?"
Lucien stood. "I never take back my words."
Lyra forced a smile. "Alright. See you tomorrow, Mr. Whitmore."
Lucien only gave a brief nod, then turned and walked away.
Lyra was still standing there.
Waiting.
Until Lucien's car completely disappeared from her sight.
A few seconds passed, and her face began to turn pale.
"M-Ma'am… are you alright?" her secretary asked softly.
Lyra didn't answer. Her body started to sway.
Her secretary immediately caught her before she fell. "Ma'am!"
Lyra weakly gripped her arm. "Don't tell Luke…" she whispered faintly.
"Ma'am—"
But Lyra had already closed her eyes.
The day changed. Lyra still came to the Luxora Holdings office. Her steps looked calm, but her body was still slightly trembling. Her face was pale despite being covered with light makeup.
"Are we really going in?" her secretary whispered worriedly.
Lyra didn't turn. "We've already come this far."
"But the doctor said you need to rest."
"I'm fine."
"You still look very pale, Ma'am."
Lyra took a long breath. "We're just signing. After that, it's done."
The elevator doors opened.
They walked toward the director's office.
Her secretary was still whispering, "Ma'am, if you faint again—"
"I won't faint," Lyra cut in softly.
The door opened.
They entered.
Lucien was sitting behind his desk, focused on the documents in his hand. He didn't look up immediately. Only the sound of footsteps filled the room.
Lucien's secretary stepped back after letting them in. "Excuse me."
Lyra stood still. Lucien finally removed his reading glasses. He stood, then walked toward them.
"You arrived on time," he said casually.
Lyra nodded. "I'm never late."
Lucien studied her face for a moment. "You look pale."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
Lyra gave a faint smile. "Let's just talk business."
Lucien didn't respond. He simply pointed to the sofa. "Sit."
They sat facing each other. Lyra's secretary handed the proposal to Lucien's secretary. But Lucien didn't even glance at it. Instead, Lucien's secretary handed a folder to Lyra's secretary.
Lyra frowned. "What is this?"
Lucien leaned back casually. "Our cooperation contract."
Lyra took the document and opened it. For the first few seconds, she remained calm. But the more she read, the deeper her frown became.
She lifted her face. "This… isn't a typical cooperation contract."
Lucien crossed his legs. "It isn't."
Lyra read through the points again. Luxora Holdings would enter as the main investor for the restructuring of Valtieri Group. The funds provided would be used to save the nearly failed project and cover short-term debt.
In return, Luxora would obtain a temporary 35% share in the new joint project. Valtieri would retain primary operational control. After three years of stability, Luxora would exit with investment profit. Valtieri would regain full control without having to repay the invested funds.
Lyra could still accept that. But the next page made her stop.
A marriage contract.
Lyra slowly lifted her face. "Are you serious?"
Lucien looked at her without expression. "Yes."
"Why is this included in a business contract?"
"Because this isn't just a project partnership."
Lyra closed the document. "I don't understand."
Lucien answered calmly, "Your company is losing market confidence. Investors are pulling out because they see unstable leadership."
"I know that."
"If Luxora only enters as a regular investor, the market will still consider this risky."
"Then?"
Lucien leaned forward slightly. "If we get married, we become one family entity. That means a strategic merger. Market confidence will return much faster."
Lyra fell silent.
Lucien continued, "Investors don't just look at numbers. They look at stability. Our marriage will be seen as a long-term alignment of interests."
"You want to use marriage as a market signal?"
"Exactly."
Lyra stared at him for a long moment. "This is crazy."
"It's efficient."
"You could just buy shares directly."
"I don't want to take over your company."
Lyra narrowed her eyes. "Then why?"
Lucien answered without hesitation, "I want to bind the cooperation without taking control."