Se connecterShare
CHAPTER NINETEEN — A LITTLE VICTORY
Dernière mise à jour:
2026-02-25 13:53:30Aria's POV.
“Lucien!" Seraphina shrieked, standing up. "You can't do this! She’s my friend!"
"Your 'friend' just tried to frame your sister-in-law for a felony, Seraphina," Lucien snapped, his eyes flashing with a cold fire that silenced her instantly. "Go to your room. If I hear another word from you before Monday is over, you’re on the next flight back to Paris. Without your credit cards."
Seraphina burst into tears and ran from the room, her shallow world shattered by the first real consequence she had ever faced.
Jennifer stood there frozen as her face slowly turned pale. She looked at me, her eyes full of pure, concentrated venom. "You think you’ve won, Aria? Helena is waiting for you at that office. She has things on you that a little bit of metadata won't fix."
"I look forward to meeting her," I said, meeting her gaze with an unflinching calm. "But you won't be there to see it. Marcus? The door."
Jennifer was escorted out, her heels clicking frantically an ungraceful rhythm on the marble floor.
Once everywhere was clear, the room fell back into its heavy silence. I felt the heat of Lucien’s presence behind me. He leaned down as his lips slowly brushed against the tip of my ear.
"You handled that well," he whispered. I could hear the ghost of a smile in his voice that betrayed a dark, possessive pride. "I was wondering how long you'd let her bark before you bite."
"You knew?" I asked, turning in my chair to face him as our face drew closer.
"I knew the money was moved the second it happened," Lucien said, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw, his touch lingering on the bruise that was now fading. "I was waiting to see if you’d ask me for help, or if you’d take her head yourself."
"And?"
"And I think I prefer the version of you that doesn't need me to fight her battles," he murmured. He leaned in closer, his forehead resting against mine. The dark intensity in his eyes was breathtaking. "But don't think this means you're safe. My mother is a different beast entirely."
"I know," I said, my hand coming up to rest on his chest, feeling the steady, powerful thrum of his heart. "But I’m not the same woman she met five months ago."
Lucien let out a low, dark chuckle. He straightened up, adjusting his cufflinks with an effortless elegance. "No. You’re much more dangerous now. You’re a Blackwood."
He checked his watch, a heavy, platinum piece that glinted in the light.
"The car is waiting," he said, his expression hardening into the 'Dark Lord' mask that terrified the world.
As we walked out of the penthouse, I felt a strange sense of calm. The traps had been laid, the lines were drawn, and the war was finally here.
We reached the lobby, and as the doors to the armored SUV opened, I saw a black sedan parked across the street. The tinted window rolled down just an inch, and I caught the flash of a camera lens.
They were still watching. The war wasn't just in the boardroom, it was everywhere.But as Lucien’s hand slid possessively around my waist, pulling me into the car, I knew one thing for certain. I wasn't alone in this.
~~~ The drive to Blackwood Industries was conducted in a silence so heavy it felt tangible. Lucien’s hand remained anchored on my waist, his thumb tracing slow, rhythmic circles against my side, a gesture that signified ownership. Outside the reinforced windows, the city blurred into a streak of grey and glass, but inside the SUV, the air hummed with the electric charge of his proximity."They think they are walking into a restructuring meeting," Lucien said, his voice dropping into that smooth, dangerous level he saved for his enemies. He didn't look at me, he was staring at the reflection of the following security cars in the side mirror. "They think they are going to discuss your 'instability' and my 'incapacity' to lead. My mother has gathered the board like a jury for a trial that has already been decided."
I reached out, my fingers sliding into his. His hand was warm, larger than mine, and still bore the faint, jagged marks from the glass he had crushed in the hospital. "Let them think they’ve won. Arrogance makes people messy, Lucien. You taught me that."
He finally turned his head, his silver eyes searching mine. The "Dark Lord" mask flickered for a second, replaced by a look of raw, unadulterated fascination. He leaned in, his lips inches from mine, his breath fanning across my skin. "I’ve created a monster, haven’t I, Aria?"
"No," I whispered, leaning into him until I could feel the steady beat of his heart. "You just gave me the armor I needed to survive the one you already lived with."
The SUV pulled into the private underground bay of the Blackwood skyscraper. A line of men in black suits stood at attention as the door opened. Lucien stepped out first, his height and elegance practically commanding the vast space. He reached back for me with firm hands as he pulled me to his side.
As we moved toward the private elevator, Marcus immediately walked into it with us. The elevator doors shut slowly and as we began our ascent to the top floor, Lucien adjusted his tie in the mirrored wall. He looked perfect, a god of industry and vengeance, ready to protect his own.
The doors slid open. The war had officially moved from the streets to the throne room.
Latest chapter
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX — THE MATRIARCH'S SUBTLE REGRET
Aria's POVThe morning sun filtered through the high-performance glass of the medical wing, turning the sterile room into a soft, hazy gold color. Lucien was still asleep, his breathing deep and even for the first time in hours. I hadn't moved from his side. My head was rested on the edge of his mattress, my hand still tucked firmly in his.The quietness was shattered by the sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps in the hallway. These weren't the silent, tactical steps of Chen or Marcus. They were deliberate and commanding.The door slid open, and Helena Blackwood stepped inside.She wasn't wearing her usual structured boardroom armor. Instead, she wore a simple black silk wrap, her silver ha
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE — A LOVE MEAL
Aria's POVI sat by Lucien’s bed for hours, my hand locked in his. The nurse’s words looped in my mind, Genetic. Chronic stress. Alcohol. I looked at his pale face. This man, who moved mountains to keep me in a gilded cage, was crumbling from the inside out. Every time I had fought him, every time I had looked at him with cold suspicion, I had been pushing him closer to this bed. The guilt was like a heavy weight in my chest, heavier than the wooden box still tucked in my jacket.I didn't want to ask about Vane anymore. I didn't care about the boy on the beach or the "J" on the compass. Not right now. I just wanted the man in front of me to breathe without a machine.Around 4:00 A&z
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR — UNFORSEEN DISCOVERY
Aria's POVI stood outside the glass doors of the private medical suite, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Lucien’s chest. He looked fragile, pinned to the bed by plastic tubes and glowing wires. The high-tech hum of the monitors felt like a countdown I couldn't stop.Marcus stood by the door, his arms crossed over his chest. His suit jacket was off, his shirtsleeves were rolled up, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a man who had been at war for forty-eight hours straight."He’s stable," Marcus said, though his voice lacked its usual iron. "But the doctors say the next few hours are critical. The strain on his heart was too much."I turned to him, the wooden box with the silver compasses still heavy in my pocket. "Marcus, talk to me. What really happened? You said it was the mission, but I saw the scars. That wasn't just shrapnel. That looked like a lifetime of trauma."Marcus tightened his jaw. He looked at
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE — THE UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE
Aria's POVLucien was still standing by the darkened television, his silhouette cast in jagged red by the emergency lights. He looked like a king standing amidst the ruins of his palace. His chest was heaving, his hand still white-knuckled around the grip of his gun."Lucien?" I stopped in my tracks as I called out.My voice was cold, filtered through the new layer of distrust I felt. I still had the wooden box tucked behind my back, the silver compasses biting into my palm. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to demand the name of the boy in the photo.But Lucien didn’t turn around.He stayed frozen, staring at the black screen where Vane’s face had been moments ago. Then, a strange sound came from him, a harsh, wet wheeze that sounded like air being forced through a crushed pipe.His gun slipped from his hand. It hit the thick carpet with a dull thud."Lucien!"My suspicion vanished, replaced by the sharp, electric jolt of my
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO — STRANGER
Aria's POVThe library was too cold. The air felt thin and clinical, like everything else in the high-tech prison Lucien called a home. I stood against the mahogany shelves, my fingers tightening around the small wooden box. Inside, the silver compasses clinked. The sound was soft, but in the dead silence, it sounded like a warning.I turned the bent compass over and I felt the tiny, jagged engraving on the back.J & A.The letters were old and faded. A was for Aria. That was me. But the J was like a hole in my life. My mind searched for a name, a face, or a voice but I found nothing. The amnesia was a solid wall, cold and unyielding.Lucien had told me I was alone. When I woke up in that hospital bed, he was the only thing I had. He told me my parents were dead. He said I had no siblings. He said he was the only anchor I had left in a dangerous world.Liar.The thought didn't come from my brain. It came from my
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE — THE SHADOW AT THE DOOR
Aria's POVThe silence following my question was more than just an absence of sound, it was a physical weight. Lucien’s hand, usually an immovable anchor of strength, was trembling against my waist. The "Dark Lord" who had just dismantled a boardroom full of predators looked like he was staring at his own executioner."Lucien," I repeated, my voice dropping to a whisper as I searched his face. "Who is Vane? Why are you reacting like this?"He didn't answer. He couldn't. He looked at Marcus, a silent command passing between them that I couldn't decipher. Without a word, Lucien hauled me toward the private elevator, his stride frantic and disjointed.As the doors hissed shut, plunging us into the high-speed descent, Lucien finally turned to me. His eyes were no longer silver, they had darkened to something terrifyingly black."Vane is a ghost I thought I had buried, Aria," he rasped, his voice sounding like grinding stones. "
Vous vous intéresseriez aussi à
Sir Ares, Goodnight!
Yan An1.1M VuesThe Day I Kissed An Older Man
Cher the Cherished1.0M VuesI Kissed A CEO And He Liked It!
LiLhyz1.5M VuesI Want You Back
Meminger528.7K VuesBetrayed, I Become The CEO'S Contracted Bride
Fried Tomato In Oyster Sauce355 VuesLove, Obsession, Torture
Laine Martin172 VuesWhere The Autumn Wind Blows
Amanda Pearson34 VuesRisky Desires: Dark Erotic Short Stories.
Estrella Writesss322 Vues
