Chapter 1. The Deadly Reunion

Selene Cole's POV

Six years ago, I was made the scapegoat—accused of being a traitor.

That night still haunts me.

Here is where my life ends. Now, I am called back—by the man I hate and fear the most. I'm back. With one purpose: to pay back everything that man did to me.

But as soon as I stepped out of the taxi, my eyes locked onto the towering glass facade of the Blackwood Corporation building, and for a moment, I felt my lungs stop working.

I took a slow breath, convincing myself not to falter.

As my footsteps echoed on the marble floor of the lobby, I could see several staff members turning their heads from the corner of my eye. Some were whispering. I could hear their whispers, though faint: Is that her? The girl who stole the company data?

I clenched the strings of my worn hoodie. They never knew the truth. To me, this building wasn't just an office—it was a prison that cursed my name.

"Miss Cole?" The receptionist called out with a thin smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you on the thirtieth floor."

My throat went dry. I nodded stiffly, stepping into the elevator whose coldness pierced my bones. The digital numbers climbed slowly: 10… 15… 20… and each number felt like it was peeling away another layer of my defenses.

When the doors opened, I was immediately greeted by a large conference room. Glass walls, a long mahogany table, crystal chandeliers hanging directly above our heads. And at the far end of the room, he stood.

Lucian Blackwood.

A black suit that fit him perfectly. A watch that was probably worth more than my life. His gaze was piercing, cold, emotionless.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

He didn't smile. Of course not. What came out of his mouth was only sarcasm, his low voice shaking the air.

"I thought you had disappeared," his voice was cold, hitting me without preamble. "But apparently, even fugitives know how to appear before me."

"I... am not a fugitive." My voice trembled instead, this was not my plan. I did not want to appear weak before him, so even though I was trembling, I forced my voice to sound firm. "I didn't do what they accused me of."

Lucian laughed briefly, coldly. "Whatever." He walked closer, his steps calm, controlled. "But today I didn't call you here to relive the past. I have... an offer."

An offer? I squared my shoulders, even though my palms were sweaty. "If this is just to humiliate me again, I'd rather leave."

He stopped a meter away from me, then placed a black folder on the glass table. His push was so light, but the folder felt like it slapped me in the face.

"Open it," he said.

I looked at him suspiciously, but finally opened the paper inside. The first line stabbed me: Marriage Contract.

My heart stopped. "What...?" I looked at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

Lucian leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers. His gaze remained cold. "I never joke about business. You want your family to be safe, don't you?"

I froze. My sickly mother. My little brother who knew nothing. The anonymous threats that had been coming more frequently lately.

I didn't know how Lucian knew about it, but I wasn't surprised because he had many connections to find out.

"Time is running out," he said, glancing at his expensive watch. "You need me. And I... can use you."

"Why... me?" I asked this time cautiously.

"Because you're the only one who can protect me from them," he replied flatly.

I laughed bitterly. I thought there was another reason why he suddenly invited me to this rotten place. It turned out to be just a joke.

"I don't have any experience as a bodyguard," I said sarcastically.

"What I mean is protection from cyber attacks. You know that syndicate. You used to work for me. And most importantly—" his eyes pierced me, "—I can clear your name."

I laughed again. More than that, I wanted to scream. This man—the one who had fired me, who had helped spread false accusations—was now talking as if I were his trump card.

"I don't trust you."

Lucian shrugged. "You don't have to trust me. Just sign the contract."

I stared at him suspiciously. I wasn't the Selene who was easily manipulated anymore.

The memories came flooding back: the night I was framed, when the computer system in my name was hacked, when I was dragged out with looks of disgust.

And now, the same man was offering me marriage as if it were a business deal.

"What's the point of marrying me? You have people more deserving."

"My father." Just two words, but they carried weight. "He won't hand over control of the company until I marry. I need a wife. You need protection. Done."

My blood seemed to rush to my head. I wanted to deny it, but my body was stiff. His words were too logical, too cold.

"What if I refuse?" I asked probingly.

Lucian leaned forward. "Then they will come for you. For your mother. For your little brother. And I won't lift a finger."

I fell silent, my blood seemed to stop flowing. He knew my weakness. He knew how to destroy me—and save me.

Lucian stood up again, taking a small box from his coat pocket. He placed it on the table.

The click of the small box on the table was louder than any words Lucian had ever spoken to me.

The ring sparkled like a threat.

"Marry me, Selene. Six months, without feelings." He laid down his terms like moving pieces on a chessboard. Around us, glass walls and crystal chandeliers made the room look like a classy cage.

I didn't answer right away, but stared at him intently.

I didn't immediately grab the ring. Instead, I slapped him hard.

"That was six years ago," my voice was flat. The pain drove my slap; it wasn't just sudden courage, but an accumulation of feelings demanding recognition.

He didn't back down. Instead, he smiled like a predator who had gotten a new toy.

I realized that it wasn't just me who needed him. He needed me too, which is why he was doing this.

I couldn't let him continue to dominate me. This slap was just a reminder that we were equals, and he couldn't treat me arbitrarily like he used to.

My slap still burned his cheek as I took a breath, forcing my head to weigh the price I had to pay. In my head, I saw my mother's tired face, the piles of bills, Noah peeking every night because he was afraid. Six months—or lose everything.

"Fine," I said, my voice solid as stone.

This wasn't an agreement of love—it was a dangerous step for the sake of my family's safety.

Instead of anger, Lucian smiled thinly as he rubbed the corner of his mouth, red from my slap. Casually, he reached for my fingers and slipped the ring onto my finger.

"I didn't know you had such a unique way of agreeing," he said, his voice as low as a whisper of ownership. He kissed the back of my hand—not a warm greeting, but a seal of approval.

If someone had caught us like this, they would have thought it was a romantic movie proposal scene. But in reality, we were signing a ceasefire agreement without knowing when the real war would erupt.

I lifted my chin, my gaze fixed on him. "Will you really protect them?"

The terror I had been receiving lately was beginning to disturb my younger brother and mother.

His gaze was cold but clear: Only if you are mine.

Amidst the sparkle of the ring and the silence, I knew one thing: nothing would ever be the same again.