CHAPTER 7-THE DEVIL’S RULES

The next morning arrived quiet and gray, a thin mist drifting over the garden. Aria woke to the soft hum of rain against the window. For a few blissful seconds, she forgot where she was until she opened her eyes and saw the chandelier, the velvet curtains, the gilded mirror. Reality rushed back. The mansion. The debt. Him.

She sighed and rose from the bed. Madam Rosa had left her a uniform on the chair and a note written in crisp handwriting: Report to the library at eight. Do not be late. The clock read seven forty-five.

The library was enormous-walls lined with books, the scent of paper and smoke heavy in the air. Lucian stood near the window, a black file in his hand, his back turned to her. He didn't speak at first. The silence stretched until Aria finally said, "You wanted to see me?"

Lucian turned slowly, his gaze sharp but unreadable. "Do you know what happens to people who live in my house without understanding the rules?"

She crossed her arms. "You mean prisoners?"

His lips twitched slightly. "Call it what you want. But yes, rules." He placed the file on the desk and opened it. Inside were photographs, names, documents-people she didn't know. "Everyone here has a purpose," he said. "Those who forget it don't last."

Aria met his eyes. "And what's my purpose?"

Lucian studied her quietly, then walked closer, stopping just a step away. "To stay alive. And to stay out of my business."

Her pulse quickened, but she refused to step back. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting."

Aria scoffed. "You act like you're protecting me, but I'm not a child, Lucian. You can't lock me in a cage and call it safety."

For a second, his eyes softened-so faintly she almost missed it. "You think safety is freedom. It's not. It's distance."

"From what?" she asked quietly.

"From me."

The words settled heavy between them. Lucian stepped back, regaining that cold composure she'd come to know. "There are rules, Aria. Follow them. You don't go near the west wing. You don't answer calls you're not meant to hear. And you never leave this house without my permission."

She frowned. "And if I do?"

He leaned closer, voice low. "Then I'll find you."

Her breath caught, but she refused to look away. "That's not protection. That's control."

Lucian's gaze held hers, something dangerous flickering behind it. "Call it what you want. But as long as you live under my roof, you live by my rules."

He turned away, but Aria's voice stopped him. "You think you can control everything. But you can't even control yourself when it comes to me."

He froze. The silence stretched, filled with tension and something raw. When he finally turned back, his expression had changed-colder, yet burning. "Careful," he said softly. "You don't know what you're provoking."

"Then show me," she whispered.

For a moment, it looked like he might. His jaw tightened, his eyes darkened, and his hand almost reached for her-before he stopped himself. Lucian exhaled slowly, forcing his control back into place.

"You don't understand the world you've been thrown into. The men I deal with, the power that runs this house-it kills softness. Don't let it kill you too."

"Then why keep me here?" she asked, voice breaking.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he walked to his desk, picked up the file, and closed it. "Because you're safer in my cage than in anyone else's hands," he said finally.

The words stung more than she expected.

Before she could respond, Matteo entered the room, breaking the moment. "Boss, we have a problem. The Leone shipment-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Aria. "Oh. I see you're... busy."

Lucian shot him a look that said leave it. Matteo smirked slightly. "Don't worry. I won't interrupt your lesson on rules." He stepped aside and added quietly, "She's getting under your skin, brother."

Lucian's glare could've frozen fire, but Matteo only chuckled and left.

Aria took that as her cue to go too, but Lucian's voice stopped her at the door. "Aria."

She turned. He was still standing by the desk, his expression unreadable. "If anyone here threatens you, if someone even looks at you wrong-you come to me."

"Why?" she asked.

His voice was steady, but the faint edge in it betrayed him. "Because I'm the only one who gets to decide what happens to you."

Her heart twisted, torn between anger and something she didn't want to name. "That's not care, Lucian. That's obsession."

He smiled faintly, though there was no humor in it. "Maybe. But obsession keeps people alive in my world."

She turned away before he could see the confusion in her eyes.

That night, the rain grew heavier. Thunder rolled across the sky as Aria sat by her window, staring out at the garden. Ivy had gone to bed, the halls silent. But sleep wouldn't come. She kept thinking about his words, his voice, the way his eyes had burned when she challenged him.

She hated that she cared. She hated that she wanted to understand him.

Somewhere down the hall, a door closed. She peeked out and saw Lucian in the corridor, shirt sleeves rolled up, phone in hand. His tone was clipped, dangerous. "If Marco thinks he can move without me, he's mistaken," he said into the phone. "I'll end him before he even reaches the docks."

The sound of his voice sent a chill through her. That calmness-that quiet promise of violence-was what made men call him the Devil.

When he hung up, he noticed her standing there. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Rain whispered against the windows.

Then Lucian said, "You shouldn't eavesdrop."

Aria met his gaze. "Then stop giving me reasons to."

He stepped closer, and even in the dim light, she could see the tiredness behind his eyes. "One day, you'll learn that knowing too much in my world is a death sentence."

"Then why not let me go?" she asked softly.

His answer came quietly. "Because I can't."

Aria's heart skipped. Lucian brushed past her, but as he did, his hand brushed hers-barely a touch, just enough to leave her trembling.

When he disappeared into the dark, Aria stayed frozen in place, her pulse wild. For the first time, she realized the truth she'd been avoiding since the night he bought her freedom.

Lucian Moretti wasn't just her captor. He was becoming her addiction.