The next morning, Aria woke to the kind of quiet that didn't feel peaceful.
No footsteps in the hall, no muffled voices from the staff. Just stillness, like the air itself was watching her.
She showered, dressed in jeans and a cream sweater, and headed for the elevator. Celeste had texted late last night, asking if she could meet for lunch. It wasn't a big deal. Just lunch.
The elevator didn't move. The screen on the panel flashed: RESTRICTED ACCESS.
She tried again. Same result.
"Going somewhere?"
She turned. Darius stood at the end of the hall, sleeves rolled to his forearms, coffee in hand. He didn't look surprised to find her there.
"Yes," she said. "Out."
His brow lifted. "Out where?"
"Lunch with my sister."
"That's not on your schedule," he said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.
Her jaw tightened. "Since when does my life run on your schedule?"
"Since you signed the contract." He took a slow sip of coffee. "Any movement outside the penthouse is cleared with me first. Security reasons."
"Security or control?" she shot back.
He didn't flinch. "Both."
Aria crossed her arms. "I'm not a prisoner."
"No," he said, stepping closer, voice dropping just enough to pull the air tight around them. "You're my wife. Which means the risks you take reflect on me. Until I decide otherwise, you don't walk out that door without my say-so."
Her pulse spiked — part fury, part something she didn't want to name. "So I'm just supposed to ask permission like a child?"
"Like someone who understands the stakes," he said evenly. "You think Draven was the only vulture watching us last night? The second you're alone in public, you're leverage. And I don't lose leverage."
She stared at him, the words settling like ice in her stomach. "My sister's not leverage."
"Everything is leverage to the wrong person," he replied.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then Darius stepped past her, pressed a code into the elevator panel, and the doors slid open.
"You can go today," he said, not looking at her. "But next time, you ask."
Aria stepped inside without a word. As the doors closed, she caught his reflection in the mirrored wall — still, unreadable, but with something almost like warning in his eyes.