Chapter 4: The Rules of the Game

The elevator doors slid shut, locking us in.

The moment we were alone, Lucian hit the emergency stop button. The elevator jerked to a violent halt, plunging us into a heavy, suffocating silence. The only sounds were my ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of my heart against my ribs.

"What are you doing?" I gasped.

He didn't answer. He moved with the speed of a predator, grabbing my waist and shoving me back against the mirrored wall. His body pressed against mine, hard and demanding, trapping me completely. Before I could protest, his mouth crashed down on mine, hungry and punishing.

Oh my God.

I moaned, my hands flying to his chest, gripping the lapels of his expensive suit jacket just to keep from collapsing. I knew I should push him away. I had just caught my fiancé cheating on me hours ago. My life was in shambles. But my body was completely betraying me. His tongue swept into my mouth, tasting me, claiming me, and I melted into him like putty in his hands.

He pulled back, his breathing heavy and uneven. His thumb traced my bottom lip, his gray eyes dark with pure, unadulterated lust.

"Are you out of your mind?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

"Probably," he murmured, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver straight to my core. "But you belong to me now."

"I am not your assistant," I argued, trying to find a shred of my backbone.

Lucian let out a dark, dangerous laugh. He hit the button, and the elevator resumed its descent.

We didn't speak as he led me to his black luxury car and drove us to his penthouse. The tension in the car was so thick I could barely breathe. His large, warm hand rested possessively on my bare thigh the entire way, his thumb tracing lazy, torturous circles that made my skin burn and my core clench with anticipation.

When we walked into his massive apartment, I felt completely out of place. It was all glass, black marble, and glittering city lights. It looked less like a home and more like the fortress of a man who ruled the world with an iron fist.

Lucian walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of amber liquid. He didn't offer me one.

"Take a seat, Seraphina," he said, his voice cold.

I sat on the edge of the leather sofa, my hands trembling in my lap.

"I didn't bring you here just to be my assistant," he said, turning to face me.

My heart stopped. "What?"

He walked over and dropped a thick black folder onto the coffee table in front of me.

"Open it."

I reached out with shaking hands and opened the folder. It wasn't an employment contract. It was a marriage contract.

"I need a wife," Lucian said, his gray eyes cold and calculating. "My company is expanding, and the board wants a family man. They want stability. You need ten million dollars to save your father from the Ivanov family. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Are you for real right now? Is he actually serious?

"Are you for real right now?" I gasped, standing up. "You want me to marry you?"

"Fake wife," he corrected smoothly, taking a sip of his drink. "For six months. We play the happy couple in public. You get your money. Your father's debts disappear. Then we divorce."

"This is insane!" I yelled, my mind spinning. "I just caught my fiancé cheating on me with his secretary, and you want me to jump straight into a fake marriage with a stranger?"

"I don't care about your ex-fiancé," Lucian said, his voice turning hard. He set his glass down and stepped closer to me, backing me against the wall. "I don't care about your feelings. I don't care about your heartbreak. Emotions are just distractions."

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"But I do want you," he whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr.

My breath hitched. His hand slid from my chin down my neck, tracing the curve of my collarbone. His touch left a trail of fire in its wake.

"Sign the papers, Seraphina," he murmured, leaning in so his lips brushed my ear. "And I will give you everything you need."

I closed my eyes, a mix of fear and pure, undeniable lust rushing through me. He was a monster. He was blackmailing me. But the way he looked at me made me want to surrender.

He kissed me again, lifting me effortlessly off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my resolve crumbling into dust.

He carried me into his bedroom and laid me on the silk sheets.

Before I could change my mind, he handed me a pen. I scribbled my name on the contract, my hand shaking.

The moment the pen hit the paper, Lucian tossed it aside. He hovered over me, his gray eyes blazing.

"You just made the best decision of your life," he growled.

He ripped my blouse open, the buttons scattering across the bed. I gasped, my back arching as his mouth found the sensitive skin of my neck. His hands were everywhere, rough and demanding, pulling my skirt down my hips.

"Lucian," I moaned, my fingers tangling in his hair.

"You're mine now," he breathed against my skin. "Every inch of you."

But before things could go any further, a loud crash echoed from the living room.

Lucian froze instantly. He pulled away, his eyes snapping to the bedroom door. The lust in his gaze vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous fury.

"What was that?" I whispered, pulling the sheet up to cover my bare chest.

He didn't answer. He reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out a gun.

"Stay here," he commanded in a lethal whisper.

He walked out into the living room. I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I heard Lucian's voice, low and dangerous. "What the hell are you doing here?"

A female voice answered, dripping with venom and icy arrogance.

"I'm your wife, Lucian. Did you really think you could replace me with some cheap little girl?”