Chapter Three

Morning arrived without softness.

Seraphina woke to pale light slipping through sheer curtains and the distant hum of the city below. For a few seconds, she forgot where she was—until the unfamiliar weight of silence pressed in and reality settled back into place.

The penthouse.

The contract.

Lucien Blackwood.

She sat up slowly, pushing the covers aside. Her room was immaculate, untouched, as if she were a guest in a luxury hotel rather than a wife—contractual or otherwise. The memory of Lucien standing in her doorway the night before returned with unsettling clarity. The tension in his voice. The restraint. The way his eyes had lingered as though he were fighting something he refused to name.

Lock your door. Every night.

She glanced at the lock now, still turned.

A strange mix of relief and disappointment settled in her chest.

After a quick shower, she dressed in one of the outfits prepared for her—a tailored cream dress that fit her as if it had been designed with her measurements in mind. That realization alone unsettled her. Too much thought had gone into this. Too much preparation.

She stepped into the main living area to find Lucien already awake, seated at the long dining table with a tablet in front of him and a cup of untouched coffee at his side. He looked exactly as he had the day before—controlled, composed, unreadable.

Except for his eyes.

They lifted the moment she entered, scanning her with a precision that made her acutely aware of every inch of herself.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Morning,” he replied, neutral.

Helena appeared almost instantly, setting a light breakfast in front of Seraphina before disappearing again. No questions. No commentary. Just efficiency.

They ate in silence.

Seraphina stirred her tea, the faint clink of the spoon sounding louder than it should have. “What happens today?” she asked finally.

Lucien didn’t look up from his tablet. “Today, we become believable.”

Her fingers tightened around the cup. “Meaning?”

“There’s a charity luncheon at noon,” he said. “Cameras. Board members. Press. It will be your first public appearance as my wife.”

The word still felt foreign. “What do I need to do?”

Lucien set the tablet aside and finally met her gaze. “Stand beside me. Smile when appropriate. Don’t contradict me in public.”

“And if I disagree with something?”

“Then we discuss it in private,” he said. “Later.”

She raised a brow. “So my opinions are classified information?”

“For now,” he replied calmly. “Yes.”

Irritation flared, quick and sharp. “You didn’t buy my silence, Lucien.”

“No,” he agreed. “I rented your discretion.”

The words hit harder than she expected.

Lucien stood, straightening his cuffs. “A car will take us in thirty minutes. Be ready.”

He turned to leave, then paused.

“And Seraphina,” he added without facing her, “don’t mistake distance for indifference. I’m very aware of you.”

Then he walked away.

She stared after him, pulse unsteady.

The luncheon was held in a grand hall overlooking Central Park, filled with polished smiles and quiet power. Seraphina felt the shift the moment they entered—heads turning, whispers rippling through the room.

Lucien’s hand settled at the small of her back, firm and steady.

“Relax,” he murmured near her ear. “They can smell discomfort.”

She forced a smile. “You sound experienced.”

“I am.”

They moved through the crowd with practiced ease. Lucien introduced her as his wife, his tone possessive but measured. Each time someone congratulated them, his grip tightened slightly, as though reinforcing the claim.

She noticed it every time.

At one point, a woman approached—elegant, striking, with a familiarity in her eyes that made Seraphina’s stomach tighten.

“Lucien,” the woman said smoothly. “You didn’t tell me you were married.”

Lucien’s expression cooled by several degrees. “Isabelle.”

So this was her.

“Seraphina,” Isabelle continued, turning to her with a polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re… unexpected.”

Seraphina met her gaze calmly. “So I’ve been told.”

Lucien’s fingers flexed against her back, subtle but unmistakable.

Isabelle laughed lightly. “Well, Lucien has always had a talent for surprises.”

“Yes,” Seraphina said. “He does.”

The silence that followed was sharp.

Lucien cleared his throat. “If you’ll excuse us.”

They walked away without waiting for a response.

“You handled that well,” he said once they were alone near the terrace.

“Should I have done something differently?” she asked.

“No,” he replied. “You were composed. Confident.”

She glanced at him. “You didn’t mention your ex would be here.”

“I didn’t think it relevant.”

She scoffed. “Everything about this is relevant.”

Lucien turned to face her fully, his gaze intent. “Listen to me. The world we’re stepping into is predatory. People will test you. Push you. Try to expose weaknesses.”

“And you?” she asked. “Are you testing me too?”

A pause.

“Constantly,” he admitted.

Something about his honesty unsettled her more than a lie would have.

By the time they returned to the penthouse, Seraphina was exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with the day’s events and everything to do with the emotional vigilance required to survive them.

Lucien removed his jacket, loosening his tie as he moved toward the bar. “Drink?”

She hesitated. “No.”

He poured one anyway, then paused and set the glass aside. “Good choice.”

She turned toward him. “Do you enjoy this? The control?”

Lucien studied her carefully. “I enjoy certainty.”

“And people?” she pressed. “Do you enjoy owning them?”

His jaw tightened. “Careful.”

“I’m serious,” she said. “This arrangement—does it make you feel powerful?”

Lucien took a slow step closer. “It makes me feel safe.”

The admission caught her off guard.

“Power attracts chaos,” he continued quietly. “I eliminate variables.”

“And I’m a variable?” she asked softly.

He stopped inches away from her. “You’re the only one I can’t calculate.”

Her breath hitched.

The air between them felt charged, heavy with something unspoken. She could feel the heat of him, the restraint vibrating just beneath the surface.

“This is dangerous,” she whispered.

“Yes,” he agreed. “Which is why we don’t cross the line.”

She swallowed. “What line?”

Lucien’s gaze dropped to her lips, lingered there. “The one we won’t be able to come back from.”

Her heart pounded. “Then step back.”

He didn’t move.

Instead, he reached up slowly, deliberately, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her skin—barely a touch—but it sent a jolt straight through her.

“For appearances,” he said hoarsely. “There’s a camera in the hall.”

She nodded, though her body screamed otherwise.

He stepped away.

The moment broke, leaving behind a silence louder than before.

That night, Seraphina stood in her room, staring at her reflection. She barely recognized the woman looking back at her—elegant, composed, married to a man who made her feel seen and erased all at once.

A soft knock sounded at her door.

She froze. “Yes?”

“It’s me,” Lucien said.

She hesitated, then unlocked the door.

He stood there, tension evident in every line of his body. “I won’t come in,” he said. “I just—needed to say something.”

She crossed her arms, bracing herself. “What?”

“You were right today,” he said quietly. “This… isn’t about ownership.”

Her chest tightened. “Then what is it about?”

Lucien met her gaze, his mask slipping just enough to reveal something raw beneath. “Fear.”

Before she could respond, he turned and walked away.

Seraphina closed the door, her heart racing.

She locked it.

But as she lay awake in the dark, one truth settled heavily over her—

The lines were already blurring.

And neither of them was strong enough to pretend otherwise for long.