THE COLD STARTS TO CRACK

LUCIAN'S POV

The clock on the wall read 7:42. I had eight minutes before I needed to be in the foyer. I stood, buttoned my shirt again, slipped on the navy suit jacket, and checked my reflection in the glass wall. I nodded in approval before walking out of the room.

When I reached the foyer, she was already there. She stood near the front doors, back straight and hands clasped loosely in front of her.

The black dress fit like it was made for her, which it was and the way it hugged every curve on her body ignited something within me. She looked up when she heard my footsteps.

I stopped a few feet away. “You cleaned up fast.”

“You gave me fifteen minutes and a closet full of clothes I didn’t ask for,” she said. “It wasn’t hard.”

I let my eyes move over her once more. “It worked.”

She tilted her head. “High praise.”

“The highest I give on short notice.”

A black Maybach waited outside. The driver opened the car door as we approached. I gestured for her to go in first and she did.

As the car pulled away from the gates, I spoke without looking at her.

“Two of the board members tonight, matter. Harold Vance who controls the pension funds and Margaret Lin handles the investors. They will ask questions about the merger and our… personal commitment.”

She turned her head slightly. “You mean they’ll ask if we’re really sleeping together or just playing house.”

I met her eyes. “They will be more subtle but yes.”

“And what’s the official answer?”

“We’re married. It's a short response but it's believable.”

“Got it.” She nodded.

“You said you’d handle Vivienne if she comes for me.” She said out of nowhere.

“I did.”

“How?”

I looked out the window at the passing streetlights. “You don't have to worry about that.”

Sienna exhaled through her nose. “You have leverage on her?”

“I keep leverage on everyone who’s ever been close enough to hurt the company.”

She didn’t respond right away. When she did, her voice was careful.

“Including me?”

I turned to face her fully.

“You are not an ex, you are a partner. The contract protects us both. I don’t need leverage when we are on the same side.”

Her eyes searched mine for a long second. “Are we on the same side?”

“Until the twelve months are up? Yes.”

She looked forward again. “Then let’s make sure the board believes it.”

The car slowed outside the private entrance of the hall. As we stepped out, I offered Sienna my arm without thinking and she took it. Her fingers rested lightly on the inside of my elbow. It was warm through the fabric. We walked in together with our heads high and a matching pace.

“Mr. Aries, is this a love match?” 

“How did the families finally bury the hatchet?” 

“Mrs. Aries, how does it feel to join the Aries legacy?”

We answered none of the reporters but walked inside instead. Inside the private dining room, the two board members were already seated. Harold stood first then Margaret followed and then the two other board members that were present.

“Congratulations,” Harold said, shaking my hand, then hers. “A bold move__ bold moves win markets.”

Sienna returned his handshake firmly. “Thank you. We’re looking forward to proving it.”

I watched her closely. She didn’t hesitate as she spoke. She didn't even look like the woman that called my house a cage an hour ago. She was flawless.

As we sat, Margaret leaned forward and with the right precision, she spoke. “The street is buzzing with some analytics, saying this is a takeover disguised as a merger.”

I knew how intense it can be with her subtle rings behind words and I had no idea how the night would end with her subtle shades.

“We have the best interest of our individual companies at heart and I believe that is what that matters compared to some analytics,” I responded but Margaret's face was unreadable. 

I had no idea if she was satisfied by my response or if she was cooking more daring questions.

“And you, Mrs. Aries? How involved will you be day-to-day?” Harold asked and the rest of them nodded, satisfied by the question.

She didn’t blink. She just looked straight ahead. “Very. I’ve already reviewed the western division supplier contracts and identified a twelve percent cost reduction with faster delivery. We’ll have a revised proposal on the table by Monday.”

Harold’s eyebrows lifted. “You work fast.”

“I don’t see the point in waiting,” she answered simply.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch. I covered it with a sip of water.

The rest of the dinner passed smoothly with tins of shades disguised as questions, wishing to see a crack between us. Sienna answered when it made sense, deferred to me when it didn’t. She laughed at the right moments, touched my arm once, light and soft.

When dessert plates were cleared, Harold raised his glass. “To the future.”

We all lifted ours. “To the future.”

Sienna’s eyes met mine over the rim of her glass. For a split second the mask slipped, just a flicker of the real her. I held her gaze in mine, longer than I should have.

Later, in the back of the Maybach on the way back home, neither of us spoke for the longest part then she broke the silence first.

“I didn’t embarrass you.”

“No,” I said. “You didn’t.”

She turned her head toward me. “You’re welcome.”

I almost smiled. “Don’t get used to it.”

She looked out the window again. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

The car pulled through the gates and when we stepped inside, she kicked off her heels and picked them up in one hand.

“Goodnight, Lucian.”

“Goodnight, Sienna.”

She started up the stairs and halfway up, she paused and looked back.

“For what it’s worth,” she said, “you’re not as cold as you pretend to be.”

Then she hurried up. I stood there alone,  listening to her footsteps fade.

She was wrong.

I was exactly as cold as I needed to be but tonight, for the first time in years, that cold felt like it was starting to crack.