The banquet ended in chaos.
Guests whispered behind raised glasses. Phones buzzed. Daniel Royce stood frozen at the center of the storm, his perfect image cracking inch by inch.
Ariella walked away without looking back.
Her heels clicked against the marble floor, each step steady—even though her heart was racing like she was running from a fire.
You did it, she told herself.
You changed the first move.
The elevator doors slid open.
Just as she stepped inside, a large hand stopped the doors.
Lucien Blackwood.
He filled the space like a shadow—tall, calm, impossibly composed. The soft lighting sharpened his features instead of softening them. His eyes were dark, observant… dangerous.
The doors remained open.
Ariella didn't move.
"You don't usually run," Lucien said quietly. "Especially not after causing a scene."
She met his gaze without flinching. "I'm not running. I'm leaving."
A pause.
Then he stepped inside.
The doors closed.
The silence became heavy.
Lucien turned slightly, studying her as if she were an equation he'd just discovered had a second answer.
"You publicly rejected your fiancé," he said. "You embarrassed the Royce family. You destabilized several business alliances."
Ariella exhaled slowly. "Is there a point to this analysis, Mr. Blackwood?"
His lips curved faintly. Not a smile—something sharper.
"There is," he said. "You just declared war."
Her fingers curled at her sides.
In her past life, she had begged this man for help when Daniel framed her. Lucien had looked at her the same way—cold, detached—and said only one thing:
You chose the wrong side.
This time, she spoke first.
"I know."
The elevator descended.
Lucien's eyes flicked to her reflection in the mirrored wall. "Do you know what happens to people who go to war without protection?"
"They get crushed," Ariella replied.
"Yes."
He turned fully toward her now.
"Unless," he continued, "they belong to someone powerful enough to shield them."
Her heartbeat skipped.
Ariella laughed softly. "And you're offering to be my shield?"
"No," Lucien said. "I'm offering to be your weapon."
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened to the underground parking lot.
Neither of them moved.
"Why?" she asked.
Lucien studied her for a long moment before answering. "Because Daniel Royce is sloppy. And because you're not."
She narrowed her eyes. "That's not enough."
His gaze sharpened. "You already changed fate tonight."
Her breath caught.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "People who do that are rare. People who do it calmly are dangerous."
Ariella straightened. "And what do you want in return?"
Lucien smiled—this time, unmistakably.
"I want you," he said. "On my side."
Silence.
In her past life, Lucien had watched her fall.
In this one—
He was offering his hand.
Ariella looked at it.
Strong. Clean. Steady.
The hand of a man who destroyed enemies without mercy.
"If I say no?" she asked.
Lucien's eyes darkened. "Then Daniel will destroy you slowly."
A beat.
"And if I say yes?"
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Then you'll belong to me."
Ariella lifted her gaze to meet his.
She smiled.
"Fine," she said. "But understand this, Mr. Blackwood."
His brow arched.
"I'm no one's pawn anymore."
Lucien chuckled softly.
"Good," he said. "Neither am I."
She placed her hand in his.
The deal was sealed.
And somewhere above them, Daniel Royce was already realizing—
He had just lost something he would never get back.