Agreement

Dinner ended shortly after.

Selene quietly excused herself first.

She had stayed at the Voss Manor countless times before. Whenever she and Lucien were required to spend the night, they always occupied the master bedroom while Lucien slept in the adjoining guest room.

It had become an unspoken arrangement between them. One they had never broken. So she had no reason to believe this night would be any different.

After entering the room, Selene headed straight for the bathroom.

Warm water washed away the exhaustion of the day, allowing her to finally breathe in peace.

Nearly twenty minutes later, she stepped out, drying her damp hair with a towel draped over her shoulders.

However when she scanned her eyes in the room, she froze.

Lucien sat in the armchair beside the bed. One leg crossed over the other. His suit jacket had been removed, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled neatly to his forearms.

His eyes were fixed on her and his expression unreadable.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, displeasure evident in her tone.

Lucien didn’t answer. Instead, he stood. Walking to her slowly and deliberately.

“Can’t a husband stay with his wife in one bedroom?”

“We already had an agreement.”

“I know.”

His footsteps echoed softly across the room.

“But what if I no longer want to keep that agreement?”

Selene frowned, instinctively taking a step back.

Lucien stopped only a short distance away, his lips curling up into a playful smirk.

“The old arrangement suited you. It didn’t suit me.”

She met his gaze calmly.

“You’re changing the rules.”

“I am.”

“Why? We were fine.”

Lucien let out a quiet chuckle.

“To you maybe. However, recent demands calls for us to formulate a new agreement. One that would benefit us both.”

“What are you saying?” She asked.

She has no idea where this was coming from. If it was because of earlier then she was more than willing to apologize just to stop this.

“My father wants me to stop making the headlines.” He shrugged. “I can do that.” His eyes locked onto hers. “But I can’t do it alone.”

Selene’s brows knitted together.

“I don’t understand.”

“You know exactly what I mean.” 

She continued backing away until her shoulders brushed against the wall.

Before she could move past him, Lucien lifted one arm, resting his hand against the wall beside her. Then the other. Blocking her path.

The room suddenly felt much smaller. Their faces were so close that they could already feel each other’s breathing.

“Lucien…”

“Shhh…” Lucien placed his index finger on her lips as he leaned closer to her, their gaze locked on each other.

Lucien got a whiff of her scent which made his lower half react, his eyes narrowed as his pants got tighter and tighter.

He never really thought of anything explicit between the two of them, since Selene always evaded him every chance she got.

But now… seeing the woman in front of him almost naked, her hair tucked in a pony tail showing her slender neck, her evident collarbones, her captivating eyes that seems to lure you in, and not to mention those red plump lips that were puckering ever so often.

She was beautiful in every way. And yet… because of some stupid agreement he couldn’t touch her.

“I’ve kept my distance for three months.” He muttered, breathing heavily. “I respected your wishes. But tell me, Selene… How long do you expect this marriage to exist only on paper?” He said, his one hand slowly snaking its way to her nape.

Selene flinched feeling his rough hands touching her. 

“We are not getting divorce any time soon. Might as well help each other out in our carnal needs.” He whispered in her ear, making her blood turn cold.

For the first time that evening… Selene found herself at a loss for words.

Just as Lucien leaned closer—

[Bzzz…]

Selene’s phone vibrated on the bedside table.

The screen lit up.

Lucien’s eyes shifted toward the display and his eyes quickly turned sharp seeing the person calling.

It was Stefan.

The ringing continued for several seconds before stopping.

Silence settled between them. When Lucien looked back at Selene, the warmth in his expression had disappeared.

“So…” His voice was calm. “You’re still in contact with him.”

Selene didn’t answer. Her heart started to race. She had to come up with a quick explanation.

“It isn’t what you think.”

A bitter smile crossed Lucien’s face.

“I didn’t ask for an explanation.” He stepped away from her. Straightening the cuff of his shirt as he spoke.

“My father expects us to start acting like a married couple, and that means building a family.” He said with a serious tone, a tone that he rarely used on her.

“I’ll give you one week. One week to decide whether you’re willing to be my partner in this marriage.” He muttered as he walked to the door.

“If not…” He paused his tracks and looked at her over his shoulder, his expression cold and serious. “I’ll withdraw every business investment the Voss Group has in the Laurent Corporation.”

Selene’s eyes widened. “You’d use the company against me?” She gritted her teeth.

“I’m protecting my family’s interests. And so should you.”

She stared at him in disbelief.

“Why are you doing this all of sudden?”

For a long moment, Lucien said nothing. Then he smiled.

A tired, almost empty smile.

“Because I can.” He opened the door. “Think carefully, Selene.” He said one last time before closing the door behind him.

Selene remained standing in the middle of the room, unable to move.

She clenched her fist tightly that it started turning white.

She then heard a message pop on her phone screen and when she looked at it she sighed deeply.

It was her best friend, Mia, inviting her for her birthday party gala with a finger point emoji and a knife emoji, telling her that if she doesn’t go she’s dead.

She shook her head, she can only hope Mia didn’t invite him, but knowing that all elites would be there, the chances of her not bumping into Stefan would be slim.