FOURTEEN MINUTES

SEINNA'S POV

Back at the hospital, I sat with my mum again and held her hand while she slept. The machines kept their steady rhythm. For the first time in weeks, I felt a small crack of relief. The bills would be paid. The surgery would happen but the price was my freedom for a whole year, handed over to a man who looked at me like a necessary inconvenience.

The sound of my phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts and as i stared at the screne, i saw it was Asher calling.

"What the hell, Sienna? I just got a call from Damien. You're marrying Lucian Aries?"

"I didn't have a choice," I said softly. "Mom's surgery is set and the company gets the cash it needs. It's only for twelve months."

He cursed under his breath. "That family has been trying to bury us for years. He's not doing this out of kindness. Watch your back."

"I will. I always do."

Later, Maya texted me a string of shocked emojis. "Babe. Lucian Aries??? The hot but terrifying one? Tell me everything."

I typed back, "He cold and arrogant. He thinks he can control me but I signed for mum."

Her reply came fast. "I'm coming over with wine tonight. You're going to need it before you move into the ice palace."

I almost smiled. At least I wouldn't face this completely alone.

That night in my tiny apartment, I packed a suitcase and stared at the city lights outside my window. Tomorrow, the world will know and the headlines will be screaming about the rival families finally uniting. Lucian probably thought I'd be easy to manage, like a quiet, grateful, and obedient lady but he was wrong.

I was going to protect my family, do the job, and walk away in exactly one year with my heart and my pride intact. Lucian Aries could keep his control. I wasn't giving him anything else but as I turned off the light, his face stayed in my mind. Those sharp gray eyes, the way he watched me like he was already planning three moves ahead.

A small, unwelcome thought slipped in but I shook it off. This might not be as simple as either of us wanted.

The black SUV pulled up outside my apartment building at exactly 2:47 p.m. I knew because I had been staring at the clock on my phone for the last twenty minutes. My suitcase was already by the door like a prisoner waiting for transport.

The driver popped the trunk and stood beside the car in a dark suit with his hands clasped behind his back and  eyes forward in a professional manner. I dragged the suitcase down the narrow stairs myself with no help offered. Fine. I didn’t want it anyway.

The ride to the mansion took forty-three minutes. I counted every one of them. We left the city behind, passed gated communities with ridiculous names, then turned onto a private road lined with tall pines. When the iron gates finally opened, I almost laughed out loud.

The house wasn’t a house. It was a fortress pretending to be elegant with black-framed windows and sharp angles.

It had no warmth, no flowers, not even colours and no sign that anyone actually lived here and enjoyed it. The driveway curved in front of double front doors that are tall enough to make me feel small.

The driver opened my door. “Miss Calloway. Mr. Aries is waiting inside.”

Inside, the foyer was colder than the air outside. Marble floors, high ceilings, a chandelier that looked like it cost a fortune. There were no photos and just like the outside, there were no colours.

Lucian appeared at the top of the curved staircase, wearing a blue shirt with sleeves rolled to the forearms now, revealing corded muscle and a watch that probably had its own zip code. He descended slowly, deliberately, like he was giving me time to take him in.

“Welcome home,” he said.

I lifted my chin. “This isn’t home. It’s a very expensive cage with good lighting.”

One corner of his mouth moved just barely. “You will find your things have already been taken to the east wing. Your suite is separate from mine with connecting door locked amd the key stays with you.”

“Thoughtful,” I muttered.

He gestured toward a hallway. “I’ll show you the main areas you’ll actually use. Kitchen, living areas, office wing, gym. The rest of the house is mostly for show.”

I followed him because standing in the foyer staring felt worse than moving. The kitchen was massive, white marble, black cabinets and professional-grade appliances. A long island sat in the center like a runway.

“You cook?” I asked.

“No. There’s a chef who comes in the mornings and evenings. If you want something outside those hours, the pantry and fridge are stocked. Help yourself.”

I opened the fridge just to see. It looked like a magazine spread with fresh produce, labeled containers, bottles of water with foreign names. “You really live like this every day?”

He leaned one hip against the island. “You’ll get used to it.”

 It felt like I had been a pauper all my life.

Next he led me through a formal living room I would never sit in, a media room I didn’t care about, and finally to the office wing. Two large offices faced each other across a glass corridor. One was clearly his, dark wood, leather, shelves of books that looked untouched. The other was empty except for a sleek desk, new computer, and a single orchid in a white pot.

“That’s yours,” he said, pointing at the empty room. “You’ll have full access to the company servers starting tomorrow.”

I crossed my arms. “You’re moving fast.”

“The merger announcement drops in… he checked his watch “...fourteen minutes.

 “Fourteen minutes until my name was tied to his in headlines, contracts, and history.”