Part 07.

Meanwhile, at the Veyron mansion, Violetta looked utterly terrified. Her eyes kept darting around the magnificent building that had now become her place of residence. She tried to find a loophole, a door, or anything that might help her escape. However, her hopes dwindled when she realized just how heavily guarded the mansion was. Guards stood at almost every corner, while Lucian was always nearby, as if he could read her every intention.

“Where are you taking me?” Violetta asked as they walked.

Lucian didn't even turn his head. “To our bridal chamber.”

Violetta immediately stopped walking.

“What?”

“Are you deaf?”

“B-but we're not officially married yet!” she protested nervously. “Why are you taking me to the bridal chamber?”

Lucian finally turned to look at her. His cold gaze made Violetta instinctively lower her head.

“What's wrong with that?” he asked indifferently. “Sooner or later, you'll become my wife anyway.”

“But—”

“No buts.”

Violetta bit her lower lip. “You didn't even ask whether I wanted this marriage.”

“Would your opinion change anything?”

The question left Violetta speechless.

Lucian continued walking without waiting for her answer. “I don't like repeating myself. So stop wasting my time and follow me.”

Violetta had no choice but to follow him with small, hesitant steps. Inwardly, she kept searching for a way to escape. But how could she possibly run away when the man escorting her was none other than Lucian Veyron himself?

After passing through a long corridor illuminated by dim lights, they finally arrived in front of a large door. The two guards standing nearby immediately bowed their heads when they saw Lucian.

“Sir.”

“Leave,” Lucian ordered curtly.

“Yes, sir.”

The two guards promptly stepped away without asking any questions.

Violetta swallowed hard. She stared at the door in front of her before glancing at Lucian, who stood beside her.

“This... is your room?”

Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I would bring you to a servant's room?”

“That's not what I meant!”

“Then don't ask unnecessary questions.”

Violetta let out a restrained sigh. She truly couldn't understand how the man could speak so coldly to other people.

Lucian opened the door before turning to her.

“Why are you standing there? Get inside.”

Violetta didn't move immediately.

Lucian narrowed his eyes. “What are you waiting for?”

“I...” Violetta nervously twisted the hem of her clothes. “I could sleep in another room, couldn't I? I won't bother you.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I decide where you sleep.”

Violetta stared at him with widened eyes. “Do you always make every decision yourself?”

“Yes.”

His brief answer left Violetta at a loss for words.

Lucian stepped closer, causing her to instinctively retreat.

“Listen carefully, Violetta.” His voice was low and threatening. “Starting tonight, you're under my responsibility. Don't do anything that might make me lose my patience.”

“I haven't done anything.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

Lucian opened the door wider.

“Get inside.”

Hesitantly, Violetta stepped into the room.

The moment she entered, she fell silent. The room was far larger than she had ever imagined. Its interior was dominated by black, gray, and dark brown, creating an atmosphere that was both elegant and mysterious. Expensive furniture was arranged neatly throughout the room, while the tall windows offered a view of the mansion's sprawling gardens.

Violetta couldn't help looking around.

He actually has interesting taste.

However, her admiration lasted only a moment before she remembered who owned the room.

Lucian closed the door behind them.

The creaking sound made Violetta flinch.

“Why are you startled?” Lucian asked.

Violetta hurriedly shook her head. “Nothing. I just...”

“Just what?”

“Nothing.”

Lucian watched her for several seconds before taking off his jacket and placing it over the back of a chair.

“Don't even think about escaping from this place.”

Violetta immediately stiffened.

“I have no intention of escaping.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Lucian looked at her as if he didn't believe a single word coming out of her mouth.

“Then you won't mind if I station a few guards outside this room.”

Violetta's expression changed instantly.

“Guards? What for?”

“To make sure you don't do anything foolish.”

“I'm not a prisoner!”

“Then stop acting like a prisoner looking for an opportunity to escape.”

Violetta clenched her fists. “You can't keep me locked up like this!”

“I can do whatever I deem necessary in my own mansion.”

“But I have rights, too!”

Lucian fell silent for a moment. Then he stepped closer until Violetta felt cornered once again.

“If you're so confident about your rights, try escaping.” The corner of his lips lifted slightly, but there was no warmth in his expression. “However, if you dare to do so, you'd better be prepared to face the consequences.”

Violetta stared at him, holding her breath.

“What do you mean?”

“You'll find out if you try.”

After saying that, Lucian turned and headed toward his private study, which was connected to the bedroom.

Violetta immediately took the opportunity to move away.

However, before Lucian disappeared behind the study door, he spoke again.

“Don't touch my belongings. Don't leave without permission. And don't make me warn you a second time.”

Violetta closed her eyes for a moment, suppressing her irritation.

What an insufferable man! Does he think he's a king?

But all she said was a quiet, “Fine.”

Lucian didn't respond. He simply entered his study and closed the door.

Violetta let out a long breath once the man was no longer standing in front of her.

“Oh, God... how am I supposed to survive in this place?” she muttered.

She walked around the room, trying to calm herself. Although the place was luxurious, to her, it felt like a gilded cage.

“I have to find a way to get out of here,” she whispered to herself. “I can't keep living with that terrifying man.”

Violetta glanced at the bedroom door.

“But there are guards everywhere. If I'm caught, he'll definitely get angry.”

She bit her lip before shifting her gaze toward the large window.

“Through the window?”

Violetta immediately shook her head.

“No, it's too high. I could get hurt before I even make it out of the mansion.”

She sighed in resignation.

“Why does my life have to turn out like this?”

.

.

Night fell deeper.

Violetta sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped together. For some time now, she had sensed that something was strange about the Veyron mansion. It was far too quiet. There were no servants' footsteps, no guards passing outside the bedroom, and not even the faintest sound of conversation.

She turned toward the door to Lucian's study.

“Where is everyone?” she murmured.

Violetta stood up and approached the door. She pressed her ear against it for a moment, trying to hear something from the other side.

There was no sound.

“Lucian hasn't come out either,” she whispered. “Is he still working?”

She glanced toward the bedroom door before looking back at the study.

“If everyone is busy and Lucian isn't here, isn't this the perfect opportunity to escape?”

Hope began to flicker in her eyes.

Violetta slowly made her way toward the bedroom door. She tried not to make a sound, even holding her breath as her hand reached for the doorknob.

“Come on, Violetta. You can do this,” she whispered, encouraging herself. “You just need to get out of this room. After that, find a way to the gate.”

She carefully turned the doorknob.

The door opened slightly. Violetta immediately peered into the corridor. There wasn't a single person in sight. A small smile appeared on her face.

“Success!”

She opened the door wider and cautiously stepped outside. However, after taking only a few steps away from the room, Violetta suddenly stopped. An unfamiliar scent filled the air.

The scent was so strong that it became difficult for her to breathe. Thick Alpha pheromones spread throughout the corridor, creating an oppressive sensation that made her body feel heavy.

“Ugh...” Violetta clutched her chest. “W-what is this?”

She tried to draw a breath, but the air seemed to catch in her throat.

“I can't breathe...”

Her legs wobbled. She grabbed the wall to keep herself from falling.

“What is happening?” she whispered in panic. “Why is this happening all of a sudden?”

The pheromones grew even stronger, as if they were locking her body in place and making it difficult to move. Her heart pounded wildly as fear gradually took hold of her mind.

“No... not now...”

Violetta tried to step backward, but her legs felt weak.

Then, a figure emerged from the slowly opening door of the study.

“Lucian...” Violetta murmured.

The man stepped out slowly.

However, something about his appearance was different.

His normally cold eyes had turned a blazing red. His gaze looked wild, while the Alpha pheromones radiating from his body made the air around them even more suffocating.

Violetta froze. “Lucian... what's happening to you?”

The man didn't answer. He simply stared at Violetta with an expression she couldn't decipher.

Violetta hurriedly took a step backward. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lucian remained silent.

“Lucian?” she called again, her voice trembling this time. “Can you hear me?”

The man let out a low growl.

The sound startled Violetta so badly that she pressed her back against the wall.

“Don't come any closer!”

However, Lucian seemed not to hear her warning. He continued advancing, growling menacingly like a starving wolf that had just found its prey.

Violetta shook her head frantically. “No... don't...”

She tried to move her legs, but her body seemed unwilling to cooperate. “Why can't I move?”

Lucian came closer.

Violetta began to cry. Cold sweat dampened her temples and back, while her breathing grew increasingly erratic.

“Lucian, please...” she sobbed. “Don't do anything to me.”

The man stopped just a few steps away from her.

Violetta looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “I won't try to escape again. I promise. So please, don't hurt me.”

Lucian tilted his head slightly. His gaze swept over Violetta's face before finally settling on her eyes.

A sweet scent slowly emerged amid the thick Alpha pheromones filling the corridor.

Lucian suddenly fell silent. He inhaled once more, trying to identify the scent that felt so familiar.

These pheromones...

His brows furrowed.

Why do I feel as though I've smelled this scent before?

Lucian closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control his wild instincts. However, the stronger the sweet scent became, the harder it was for him to keep his thoughts clear.

Where have I smelled it before?

A vague image surfaced in his mind. Something from the distant past, a memory that had long been buried and that he had failed to recover for years.

Lucian slowly opened his eyes. His gaze returned to Violetta.

The girl was still trembling before him, far too frightened to understand what was happening.

“Who are you, really?” Lucian murmured.

Violetta looked at him in confusion. “W-what?”

Lucian stepped closer again. “Who are you really, Violetta?”

“I... I don't understand what you mean.”

“Don't lie to me.”

“I'm not lying!”

Lucian growled softly. He raised his hand, causing Violetta to instinctively close her eyes and turn her face away.

“Don't!”

However, instead of doing anything to hurt her, Lucian fell silent as he caught the sweet scent once again.

The scent was unlike any Omega pheromones he had ever encountered.

There was something about it that gradually calmed his wild instincts, as if it could soothe the part of him that had never been under control.

Impossible...

Lucian looked at Violetta, his gaze changing.

How can her pheromones do this?

For years, not a single Omega had been able to calm his restless instincts like this.

Yet the girl standing before him...

Violetta, whom he had considered nothing more than an unimportant replacement bride, was the only one who could bring his mind back to clarity.

“Violetta...” he called softly.

The girl opened her eyes slightly. “What?”

Lucian stared at her as if trying to find the answer to a riddle that had haunted him for a long time.

“Where did you get this scent?”

Violetta shook her head in confusion.

“I don't know! I haven't done anything!”

“Then why do your pheromones make me feel this way?”

“I don't know!” Violetta sobbed again. “I don't even know what's happening to you!”

Lucian fell silent.

For the first time that night, he realized just how terrified the girl was. Violetta's face was pale, her eyes were filled with tears, and her entire body was trembling.

However, before Lucian could say anything, his wild instincts surged once again.

He reached out, touched Violetta's chin, and lifted her face so she would look at him.

Violetta immediately tensed.

“Lucian, what are you going to do?”

The man didn't answer.

He simply stared at Violetta's lips for a few seconds before suddenly pressing a kiss to them.

Chu...

Violetta's eyes widened.

She had never expected Lucian to do that.

As soon as the man pulled back slightly, Violetta immediately shoved both hands against his chest.

“Stay away from me!”

Lucian staggered half a step, more out of surprise than because her push had truly moved him.

Violetta immediately covered her mouth with one hand.

“What are you doing?!” she snapped, her voice trembling. “Why did you suddenly kiss me?”

Lucian stared at her without blinking.

Violetta stepped backward, trying to put some distance between them.

“Don't come any closer! I won't let you do that!”

For a moment, Lucian said nothing. He seemed genuinely shocked by her rejection.

Then his jaw tightened.

“You just pushed me?”

Violetta swallowed nervously. “I... I just don't want you touching me!”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Of course I do!”

“And you still dare to reject me?”

Violetta looked at him with tear-filled eyes, but this time, she didn't lower her head.

“Just because you're an Alpha, do you think you can do whatever you want to me?”

The question left Lucian speechless.

Violetta continued, even though her voice was still trembling.

“I was forced to marry you. I was brought to this mansion without being given a choice. But that doesn't mean you can treat me however you please!”

Lucian stared at her sharply.

“So now you're daring to lecture me about what I can and cannot do?”

“I'm only telling the truth!”

“How dare you.”

“I don't care!” Violetta cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I'm afraid of you, but I still don't want you touching me without my permission!”

Silence settled over the corridor.

Lucian had never imagined that an Omega would dare speak to him like that, especially when his Alpha instincts were spiraling out of control.

All this time, Omegas had competed for his attention. Many hoped to earn a place by his side, and some were even willing to beg for the smallest touch from him.

But this girl was different. Violetta didn't merely reject him. She had even pushed him away without hesitation.

Lucian clenched his fists, his pride wounded by a rejection he had never imagined he would receive.

“You're the first Omega who's ever dared to reject an Alpha like me,” he growled in a low voice.

Violetta wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

“Then consider me the first.”

Lucian narrowed his eyes.

“What did you say?”

Violetta swallowed her fear before repeating in a softer voice, “I don't want you to touch me.”

Lucian stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to understand both the courage and the fear reflected in her face.

Then he asked in a cold voice that sent a shiver down Violetta's spine.

“Violetta Laurent?”