Nine

Lucien’s POV

I could accept anything Aria wanted to do to punish me, anything at all. She could scream at me, slap me, insult me, humiliate me in front of the entire city if she wanted. I deserved it. And I know that. I cheated. I crossed a line that should never have been crossed. I shattered something I shouldn't have, something sacred, something that took two whole years to build.

But her with another man? I can't imagine my woman with someone else.

That was where I drew the line.

She couldn’t just move on. She couldn’t erase two years of our lives like they were nothing. She couldn’t replace me like I was some old jacket she’d grown tired of wearing just because I made one mistake.

Yes, I admit I was wrong. I didn’t deny it for a second. I cheated. I broke her trust. I broke her heart. But I never stopped loving her. I never stopped choosing her in my mind and in my life.

I can change anything but not the love I had for Aria.

And as for the divorce?

She didn’t get to decide that alone.

Marriage wasn’t something you walk away from because of pain. It was something you fight for, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.

And when I treated her like she was nothing, that was never my intention. I didn’t wake up one day and decided to hurt her. I didn’t plan to make her feel invisible. I was drowning in work, pressure, expectations, the weight of an empire on my shoulders and so on.

I didn’t realize I was losing her until she was already gone.

By the time I got into my car, my hands were shaking on the steering wheel.

The agent had sent me the location less than ten minutes ago. I hadn’t even replied. I didn’t need to reply to him since I knew exactly where I was going.

---

I drove to the location the agent sent to me.

The restaurant was like a palace in the heart of the city—glass walls, golden lights, valet-lined entrance, security tighter than my company’s boardroom. It's a restaurant built only by billionaires, celebrities, and powerful people, not some random shit.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I stepped out of the car.

So this was the kind of man she wanted now?

Someone who could afford this place.

Someone she thought was better than me.

As if money had ever been the problem between us.

The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted, heads turned. The manager was so happy to see me in the restaurant.

After all, I was Lucien Volkov. The richest billionaire in the city. The man whose name alone could make stock markets tremble. A few fans rushed toward me, phones already raised, their eyes sparkling with excitement. I forced a polite smile, took two quick pictures, gave them my autograph, and walked past them.

I scanned the restaurant. Every table. Every corner. Every shadow.

Where was she?

Then my phone vibrated, a message from my agent.

Agent: Take the elevator. She’s in the VVIP space.

I clenched my jaw, wondering how he knew so quickly that she was there. How he found her didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the fact that she was in there with another man.

I took the elevator, and immediately I walked out of it, I caught glimpses of couples laughing softly over candlelight dinners. A man feeding his wife dessert, both smiling like the world didn’t exist beyond that moment, their hands entwined and their foreheads touching.

The VVIP space was quieter, more intimate, designed for privacy. Soft music hummed in the background. My eyes scanned the room instantly.

And then I saw Aria.

She was sitting at a table near the window. She looked… radiant. Not dressed extravagantly, she's just effortlessly beautiful. The way she always had been.

And she was smiling. The man sitting across from her had his back to me, broad shoulders blocking my view of his face. He leaned forward slightly, clearly engaged in whatever she was saying.

The anger I’d been trying to suppress came rushing back like a tidal wave.

I didn’t think, I just stormed toward the table and grabbed Aria’s wrist.

“Excuse me?!” the man snapped at me, but I ignored him completely, I'll deal with him later.

Aria didn’t even flinch. She simply rolled her eyes, like my presence was nothing more than an inconvenience.

“Who let this dog inside?” she murmured, loud enough for me to hear.

The word hit harder than any slap ever could.

Dog? Me?

My grip loosened. Did she just say it or I was hallucinating?This was the same woman who used to trace my knuckles when I was stressed. The same woman who used to wait for me no matter how late I came home. The same woman who loved me, I was so fucking shocked.

She wasn’t even scared of me. She wasn't even feeling guilty knowing I saw her with another man.

“Aria,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm even as my blood boiled. “Let’s go home. We need to talk.”

She yanked her hand away from mine like I was contaminated.

“Who are you?!” she shouted coldly. “And what gave you the nerve to hold my hand like that?!”