CHAPTER 57

YOU'RE PREPARING...

The next morning unfolded with a silence that felt different from the cold distance of weeks past. Luke wasn’t avoiding her anymore, nor was he cloaking himself in frost. Instead, the quiet between them carried weight, as though he was deliberately watching how she moved, how she thought, how she reacted to her new reality.

Abigail awoke early, the faint rays of dawn slipping through the curtains. She lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, replaying the night before Luke’s words on the balcony, his insistence that she belonged to him and that the world needed to see it. It made her chest warm, but also restless.

When she finally slipped out of bed, Luke was already dressed. Dark suit, crisp shirt, his watch gleaming under the morning light. He stood by the window with his phone in hand, scrolling through something she couldn’t see.

“You’re awake,” he said, his voice even, not looking up immediately.

She tugged her robe closer around her shoulders. “I couldn’t sleep much.”

Now he lifted his gaze. Those dark eyes caught hers, sharp as always. “Because of yesterday?”

She nodded, then found herself admitting more than she’d intended. “It wasn’t just the things they said. It’s how they looked at me. Like I was… beneath them.”

Luke slipped his phone into his pocket and came toward her with slow, deliberate steps. She had to tilt her head back to keep his gaze when he finally stopped in front of her.

“And did you believe them?” His voice was quiet, but firm.

Abigail shook her head quickly. “No. Not after everything. Not after” She faltered, words catching in her throat.

He didn’t press her. Instead, he brushed a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “Good. Because their opinions aren’t worth the dust on your shoes. You don’t bend for them, Abigail. They bend for you. Even if it takes time, even if it’s slow, they will.”

Her heart swelled at the certainty in his tone. He wasn’t soothing her, he was commanding her to believe it.

After breakfast, Luke surprised her. Instead of heading straight for the office as he usually did, he told her to get ready.

“Where are we going?” she asked, slipping on the dress the housekeeper had laid out.

“To the boutique again,” he said without a glance. “But this time, you won’t just be shopping.”

Confused, she followed him into the car. The drive was brisk, the city buzzing outside their tinted windows. When they finally pulled up in front of one of the most prestigious designer houses in town, Abigail’s brows rose.

Inside, Luke handled everything with his typical efficiency. Staff scrambled to attend to him, bringing out exclusive collections, shutting down the entire floor so he and Abigail could have privacy. But what startled her wasn’t the wealth on display it was the way he guided her through it.

“This one,” he said, gesturing toward a sleek gown. “Not for now, but for when the club hosts their next event.”

“And this,” he continued, pointing to a tailored suit-dress set. “For when you’ll be expected to speak. You’ll need something strong.”

Abigail blinked. “Speak? At the club?”

“Not immediately,” Luke said, studying her with the intensity that always made her fidget. “But it will come. And when it does, you’ll be ready.”

She touched the fabric, her fingers trembling slightly. “You’re… preparing me.”

His lips curved faintly. “I don’t prepare anyone. I prepare what’s mine.”

The words sank deep, sending a shiver through her.

Hours later, when the fittings were over, they sat briefly in the boutique’s private lounge. Abigail sipped tea while Luke went through a few papers his assistant had delivered. But she couldn’t stop glancing at him, wondering at the sheer certainty he carried.

“Luke,” she finally said.

He looked up, one brow raised.

“Why me?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. “You could have anyone someone who already knows how to move in these circles, someone who wouldn’t need so much… shaping.”

His gaze sharpened, and for a long moment, he said nothing. Then he set the papers aside, leaning forward just slightly.

“Because,” he said slowly, “I don’t want someone already shaped. I want someone who can stand because I put her there. Do you understand, Abigail? This” he gestured between them “isn’t about convenience. It’s about choice. Mine.”

Her chest tightened. She had no answer, only the rush of emotions crashing through her. Gratitude. Fear. Longing.

That evening, back at the estate, Abigail sat alone in her room for a while, reflecting. She remembered the girl who had walked into this marriage with nothing but uncertainty, who had thought she was merely signing her name on a one-year contract. Now, things had shifted. She wasn’t just Luke’s wife in name, she was being molded into something else entirely.

But for all his control, she also knew one thing clearly: Luke would never allow anyone to claim power over him. Not the women at the club, not his rivals, not even her. If he yielded, it would only ever be because he chose to.

And strangely, that thought didn’t scare her anymore.

It thrilled her.

***

Later, as she prepared for bed, there was a knock at her door. She turned, expecting perhaps a servant, but it was Luke. He didn’t ask permission before stepping inside.

“You’re still awake,” he said, eyes flicking over her.

“So are you,” she countered softly.

He walked closer, stopping by her bedside. For a moment, his hand hovered over her cheek but didn’t touch. His restraint was palpable, almost heavier than if he’d actually kissed her.

“Get some rest,” he said at last. “Tomorrow will be another test.”

“Another club meeting?” she asked.

“No,” his voice dipped lower, “a dinner. With the Lois family.”

Her breath caught. That meant Carmen would be there, the one woman who had spoken for her, however indirectly.

Luke’s eyes lingered on her face, steady and unreadable. “Don’t falter, Abigail. Not once.”

And with that, he turned and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts heart racing, mind restless.

That night, Abigail lay awake long after the lights were out. For the first time, she realized that her journey wasn’t just about surviving Luke’s world. It was about learning to thrive in it, even when it terrified her.

And somewhere deep inside, a spark of determination began to take root.

Because if Luke wanted her to stand beside him… then she would.

On her own terms, too.