The kiss haunted her.
Aurora couldn't remember the last time her body had betrayed her so completely. It had been instinct—no, something more primal. A reaction she couldn't control. Like her nerves had short-circuited the moment Lucien's lips touched hers.
And worst of all… he knew.
He'd seen the way she melted into him before shoving him away.
Now, he watched her like a predator who'd found the scent of blood.
The following days became a quiet war.
Not of words—but of tension.
At breakfast, he sat across from her with unreadable calm, sipping his coffee, occasionally glancing at her like he could still feel her taste on his tongue.
At night, he no longer avoided her room—he passed by intentionally, footsteps slow, deliberate, pausing just outside her door.
She knew it. Felt it. Sometimes she pressed herself to the other side of the door, just to listen. Just to match the rhythm of his breathing through the silence.
It was madness.
But it was also intoxicating.
One morning, Aurora found herself alone in the garden, hidden among tall rose bushes. She'd started coming there to breathe, to think—away from his shadow.
But not today.
Because Lucien found her.
"You're avoiding me," he said without preamble.
She didn't look at him. "You make it hard not to."
His voice was low. "I kissed you. Not because I lost control. But because I wanted to."
Her fingers curled around the bench. "And you think that gives you permission to keep doing it?"
"No." He paused, then added, "But it means I'm not done."
That made her look at him.
He was standing under the archway, shirt sleeves rolled up, hands in his pockets—controlled, refined, yet his eyes burned with an unspoken hunger.
"You're married to me, Aurora," he said, stepping forward. "You can either keep pretending that kiss didn't happen… or you can admit that you wanted more."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. "I want this marriage to remain exactly what we agreed. Nothing more."
Lucien tilted his head, slowly walking toward her. "But I've changed my mind."
She stood up quickly, fury rising. "That's not how it works!"
"It is," he said quietly, "when one of us realizes the contract was a lie."
She stared at him, stunned.
"I wanted you before you even knew who I was," he confessed. "I didn't want a marriage. I wanted you. The contract was the only way to make it happen."
Her breath caught. "You're lying."
"Am I?" He closed the distance, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "You were untouchable. Polite. Sharp. Always walking away before I could speak. And the day you asked for my help, I saw my chance."
Aurora slapped his hand away. "So I'm just another acquisition to you?"
"No." His eyes darkened. "You're the only one I've ever chased."
That night, she dreamed of him.
Of his lips against her neck. Of his hands sliding over her waist.
She woke up breathless, furious with herself.
She had to get out of the house.
She left early, heading to her old office.
She hadn't been back since the company was absorbed into Hayes International.
Now, everything bore his brand.
Every door. Every email. Every floorboard.
When she entered her old department, the staff stood up, stiff and uncertain. She wasn't their boss anymore. Just a figurehead married into power.
She smiled politely and walked straight into her former office—only to find it already occupied.
The woman behind the desk looked up and froze.
Elise.
The same Elise who'd walked out of Lucien's library in a trail of perfume and smugness.
"Well," she said slowly, setting her pen down. "Isn't this awkward?"
Aurora crossed her arms. "Not at all. I'm exactly where I belong."
Elise smirked. "Are you, though? Because this was your company. And now… it's his. Just like you."
Aurora's voice was ice. "I'd rather be owned by wolves than beg beside snakes."
The door opened.
Lucien stepped in.
And for a moment, the entire room seemed to hold its breath.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, glancing between them.
Elise stood. "Just chatting with your wife.
Lucien didn't even look at her. "Leave."
Her smile faltered. "Lucien—"
"I said, leave."
She hesitated. Then left, heels sharp against the tile.
When the door shut, Lucien turned to Aurora.
"I told her to stay away from you."
"I don't need protection," Aurora said, voice low.
"No," he agreed. "But I want to give it anyway."
She turned to face the window. "Why me, Lucien? Really. You could've had any woman. Why trap me in a marriage?"
He walked toward her, slow and deliberate, like always.
"Because you never looked at me the way they did. Like I was a god or a devil. You looked at me like I was a problem."
Her lip twitched. "You are."
"And you make me want to be your solution."
She faced him. "You're dangerous."
"So are you."
Later that night, she stood in her room, still wearing the dress from the office confrontation, staring at her reflection.
She didn't know who she was anymore.
A savior? A pawn? A woman clinging to the last threads of independence?
She touched her lips.
Still warm. Still aching from a kiss that had happened days ago.
Then came the knock.
She didn't answer.
The door creaked open anyway.
Lucien stepped in, slowly.
"You said no," he murmured. "I heard you."
She swallowed. "Then leave."
"I just want one thing."
He stepped forward and handed her a small folder.
Inside was her father's official debt statement. Paid. Cleared. Stamped.
Freedom.
No strings attached.
She looked up in confusion. "Why are you giving this to me now?"
"Because I want you to know," Lucien said quietly, "that you're not trapped. Not by debt. Not by obligation. You can leave anytime."
Her voice cracked. "Then why are you doing all this?"
His hand rose, trembling slightly, as he touched her cheek.
"Because I don't want you to leave."
Tears stung the corners of her eyes.
"Lucien…"
"Stay. Not because of the contract. Not because I fixed things. Stay because your heart wants to."
She tried to speak—but couldn't.
Because deep down, her heart already had.
That night, she didn't lock her door.
And he didn't come.
But she knew—when he did—it wouldn't be just about desire.
It would be war.
One of surrender. Of pride. Of love, and all the things they never planned.
And she didn't know anymore… if she wanted to win.