The world learned quietly.
There was no announcement, no press conference, no formal declaration. Adrien Moreau did not make spectacles of his personal decisions. He simply allowed the information to surface in the way his power always did, indirectly, through channels that mattered.
Selene felt it before she understood it.
It began with the way the house changed its posture around her. Guards who had once barely acknowledged her presence now inclined their heads when she passed. Doors opened faster. Hallways cleared. Conversations stopped the moment she entered a room. Even Camille's demeanor shifted, not in warmth, but in precision. Selene was no longer simply contained. She was recognized.
The title followed her like a shadow.
Wife.
She sat in the sitting room that overlooked the eastern gardens, her hands folded tightly in her lap, watching sunlight spill across trimmed hedges and stone paths. Outside, the world appeared calm. Inside, everything felt sharpened.
Camille stood near the door, tablet in hand. "You will accompany Mr. Moreau today," she said.
Selene looked up slowly. "Where?"
"A board luncheon. Private. Restricted."
Selene's chest tightened. "Why would he take me there?"
Camille's gaze flicked to her ring. "Because you are no longer invisible."
The words settled heavily.
Selene had known this moment would come. Adrien had warned her in his own way. Protection came with exposure. Ownership was only effective if others recognized it. Still, the idea of stepping beyond the mansion's walls felt like walking into a trap with her name etched on it.
"What do I wear?" Selene asked.
Camille gestured toward the wardrobe room. "Something that reminds them who you belong to."
That phrasing sent a shiver down Selene's spine. The dress was black. Not soft black or romantic black. It was structured, severe, cut to emphasize restraint rather than allure. Long sleeves. High neckline. Fabric that moved like liquid shadow when she walked. Camille fastened a simple clasp at the back, her hands efficient, impersonal.
"No jewelry," Camille said. "Except the ring."
Selene stared at her reflection. The woman looking back felt unfamiliar. Poised. Composed. Dangerous in a quiet way. She looked like someone people would be afraid to touch.
Adrien was waiting by the front entrance when she arrived.
He wore a charcoal suit this time, crisp and immaculate. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes tracked her instantly, assessing. When he spoke, his voice was low.
"Good." That was all. No compliment. No reassurance. He offered his arm. Selene hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking it. The moment her hand rested against his sleeve, the shift was immediate. Guards straightened. Doors opened. The house seemed to exhale as Adrien guided her forward.
The car ride was silent.
The city beyond the tinted windows looked different now. Streets she recognized passed by, but they felt distant, unreal. She wondered how many people walked those sidewalks unaware of the world she had been pulled into. How many lives continued untouched while hers had been rewritten overnight.
The building they arrived at was discreet. No signage. No spectacle. Just stone, glass, and controlled access. Men in suits waited inside, their attention snapping toward Adrien the instant he entered.
And then they saw her.
Selene felt it in the air. The pause. The recalibration.
This was not curiosity. This was calculation.
Adrien's hand settled at the small of her back, firm and unmistakable. A silent message to everyone watching. Mine.
Introductions were brief.
No one asked her name. They did not need to. They knew who she was by where she stood.
They spoke to Adrien, but they watched Selene. Their gazes were not leering. They were assessing, respectful and cautious. Like men standing too close to a loaded weapon.
Lunch was served in a private room.
Selene sat at Adrien's right, her posture straight, her expression neutral. She listened as discussions unfolded around her. Infrastructure. Shipping lanes. Security investments. Words layered over intentions she did not fully understand, but she recognized the power beneath them.
Adrien spoke rarely. When he did, the room shifted to accommodate him. At one point, a man across the table smiled at Selene.
"You are new," he said lightly.
Adrien's fork paused.
Selene answered before he could. "I am."
The man inclined his head. "You must forgive us. We were unaware Mr. Moreau intended to marry."
Adrien's voice cut in, calm and cold. "My personal life is not subject to approval."
The smile vanished and Silence followed.
Selene felt something tighten in her chest. Not fear but Something else. Awareness.
They finished the meal without further incident, but the message had been delivered. She was not a rumor. She was not temporary. She was Adrien Moreau's wife, and the room had felt the weight of that truth.
Back in the car, Selene finally exhaled. "They were afraid," she said quietly.
Adrien glanced at her. "They were cautious." "Of you."
"And of you." She turned to him. "Why me?"
The question hung between them, raw and unguarded. Adrien's gaze returned to the road. "Because you survived long enough to matter."
That was not an answer but it was honest.
When they returned to the mansion, the atmosphere had shifted again. Word had traveled. Phones had buzzed. Decisions had been adjusted.
Selene felt it in the way the staff moved. In the way Camille's gaze lingered longer than before.
Later that evening, Selene stood alone in the library, her fingers tracing the spines of books she would never read. The house felt heavier now. More watchful.
Adrien entered quietly.
"You handled yourself well today," he said.
She did not turn. "Was that a test?"
"Yes."
She faced him. "Did I pass?"
His eyes held hers. "You didn't embarrass me. You didn't flinch. You spoke when necessary and stayed silent when it mattered."
She swallowed. "Is that all it takes to be your wife?"
Adrien stepped closer. "It takes far more."
Her pulse quickened. "Then why parade me in front of men who would tear me apart if given the chance?"
"Because now they know they cannot." He said.
She folded her arms. "You turned me into a shield."
"No," he corrected. "I turned you into a warning."
The words settled deep.
Selene looked down at the ring again. At the symbol of everything she had lost and everything she had gained.
"I don't know who I am anymore," she said quietly.
Adrien's voice softened, just slightly. "You are becoming someone who survives this world."
"And you?" she asked. "What are you becoming?"
Something flickered behind his eyes. Regret. Resolve. Something darker.
"Someone who will not lose you."
The honesty in his tone unsettled her more than threats ever could.
As he turned to leave, Selene spoke again. "Adrien."
He paused. "They will keep coming," she said. "Won't they?"
"Yes."
"And you will keep fighting."
"Yes."
She drew a breath. "Then I need to learn how to stand beside you without being a weakness."
Adrien looked at her for a long moment. Then he said, "That is the most dangerous thing you could ask for."
He left her alone in the library, the weight of his world pressing closer than ever.
Outside, the city moved on but inside, Selene understood something new, she was no longer just protected. She was marked and the world had noticed.