LOGINShare
Chapter 3 – The Engagement Contract
Last Updated:
2025-08-10 15:34:00⸻
Lucien Vale stood alone in the vast, sleek expanse of his penthouse, the city sprawling beneath him like a glittering web of ambition and secrets. The skyline was breathtaking — a constellation of steel and glass, alive with lights that never truly faded. But to Lucien, it felt more like a cage. His reflection caught his eye in the floor-to-ceiling windows: sharp jawline, dark hair perfectly styled, and those storm-gray eyes — a storm that no one dared to disturb. Yet behind that perfect façade, turmoil churned beneath the surface. Tonight was the night of the engagement gala. A night meant to celebrate the union of two powerful families, but to Lucien, it was a bitter reminder of how little control he had over his own life. The door to the penthouse opened, and Clara Delacroix entered, moving with the poise and confidence of a queen. She wore a sleek black gown that hugged her lithe frame, her hair swept into an elegant updo, and her eyes glinted with ambition. Clara was the daughter of a media empire — beautiful, ruthless, and as calculating as they came. Their engagement wasn’t born of love; it was a merger — a contract designed to consolidate power and secure the Vale family’s position atop the city’s elite. Lucien knew every clause, every stipulation, every cold word hammered out in legalese. It was a cage made of gold. “Lucien, are you ready?” Clara’s voice was soft but edged with steel as she approached him. He nodded, swallowing the bitterness that threatened to spill over. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Her smile was flawless — the kind that could slice through steel. She took his arm, linking herself to him as they prepared to face the night. Descending into the ballroom, the world shifted. Cameras flashed, champagne glasses chimed, and the murmur of the city’s most powerful swirled around them. Lucien played the part of the perfect fiancé, exchanging pleasantries and smiles, all while feeling the weight of every gaze on him. Clara was a master at this game — every move calculated to perfection. She smiled at the right moments, laughed softly at the right jokes, and planted whispers in the ears of those who mattered most. But Lucien’s mind was elsewhere. He thought of the woman who haunted his memories — the Omega who had vanished before dawn, leaving behind only a trace of her fierce spirit and that unforgettable scent. Serena. Her presence was a flame he couldn’t extinguish. The way she challenged him, the way she made him feel alive in a world that demanded control. She was wild, untamed — everything Clara was not. Yet, he told himself she was gone. Clara leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear. “You’re distracted tonight.” He forced a smile. “Just tired.” She studied him with sharp eyes, but said nothing more. The game had rules, and they both knew it. As the night wore on, Lucien watched Clara work the room — securing alliances, weaving connections, and strengthening the web that held their families together. But inside him, the storm raged louder. No contract, no alliance, could contain the fire Serena had ignited in him. And as the music played on and the champagne flowed, Lucien knew the façade was fragile — and it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down. ⸻
Latest chapter
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 7 – The First Strike
⸻The next morning, Serena woke to the sound of rain against the windows. The triplets were already up—Eli was making a mess of cereal in the kitchen while Aria tried to convince Lila that wearing pajamas to school was perfectly acceptable.It should have been a normal day.But something in Serena’s gut told her that normal was about to vanish.When her phone buzzed, she almost ignored it. The number was unknown. But the message that popped up stopped her cold.Your little secret won’t stay hidden forever.Attached were three photos. Grainy, taken from a distance, but unmistakable. One of her in the park with the children. Another of Lucien crouched beside Eli, helping him with a toy. And the third—her and Lucien in the same frame, both smiling.Her stomach dropped.Whoever sent these knew exactly what they were doing.Across town, in the private suite of a luxury hotel, Clara sipped her espresso and scrolled through the same photos with a satisfied smirk.She’d always been meticulous
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 6 – Three Faces, One Truth
⸻The morning air carried a quiet chill as Lucien stood outside the modest townhouse Serena called home. It was far from the sleek steel and glass of his world—this place had worn brick walls, a small front garden, and the faint scent of lavender drifting from somewhere nearby.He’d barely slept since their meeting at the café. Every nerve in him was wound tight, an Alpha’s instinct screaming to see his offspring, to confirm with his own eyes that they were real.When the door opened, Serena stood there in a soft sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders. There was a guarded look in her eyes, but beneath it… something else.“You’re early,” she said.“I didn’t sleep.”She hesitated, then stepped aside. “Come in.”Inside, the space was warm and lived-in—scattered toys, a blanket draped over the couch, faint crayon marks on the coffee table. Lucien’s gaze moved over it all like a man starved for detail, absorbing every sign of the lives lived here.Then he heard it.The sound of small
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 5 – Whispers in the Dark
⸻The city night was restless, a shifting sea of headlights and murmurs that drifted through the towering glass of Lucien Vale’s penthouse. He stood alone in his office, a tumbler of amber whiskey untouched on his desk, his mind tangled in the storm Serena had left behind.Triplets.He hadn’t been able to focus since the gala. Every deal, every call, every meeting blurred into meaningless noise compared to the truth that now echoed in his skull. He had children—three of them—and Serena had kept them hidden.A mix of anger and longing knotted in his chest. He didn’t know if he wanted to shake her for vanishing or pull her into his arms and demand to know everything.But the one thing he knew? He wasn’t going to let her disappear again.The quiet click of stilettos broke through his thoughts. Clara entered without knocking, her long black gown sweeping over the polished floor, the faint scent of jasmine announcing her presence before her voice did.“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said, h
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 4 – The Unexpected Encounter
⸻The city was a maze of lights and shadows, a sprawling world of secrets hiding beneath every polished surface. For Serena, stepping back into this realm was like walking through a ghost she thought she’d buried deep in her past.She had no choice but to come to the city for a crucial meeting—a rare chance to secure a freelance contract that could provide for her and the triplets. The thought of Lucien Vale never crossed her mind—until she walked into the grand ballroom of the Vale Corporation’s gala.The room shimmered with opulence: crystal chandeliers cast fractured light across the marble floors, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and whispered negotiations. Serena kept her head low, wrapped tightly in a dark coat, determined to blend into the crowd like a shadow.But fate had other plans.Her breath caught the moment their eyes met across the room—Lucien’s storm-gray gaze piercing through the noise and th
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 3 – The Engagement Contract
⸻Lucien Vale stood alone in the vast, sleek expanse of his penthouse, the city sprawling beneath him like a glittering web of ambition and secrets. The skyline was breathtaking — a constellation of steel and glass, alive with lights that never truly faded. But to Lucien, it felt more like a cage.His reflection caught his eye in the floor-to-ceiling windows: sharp jawline, dark hair perfectly styled, and those storm-gray eyes — a storm that no one dared to disturb. Yet behind that perfect façade, turmoil churned beneath the surface.Tonight was the night of the engagement gala. A night meant to celebrate the union of two powerful families, but to Lucien, it was a bitter reminder of how little control he had over his own life.The door to the penthouse opened, and Clara Delacroix entered, moving with the poise and confidence of a queen. She wore a sleek black gown that hugged her lithe frame, her hair swept into an elegant updo, and her eyes
The Silent Pulse Of Fire. Chapter 2 – The Secret
⸻The sterile white walls of the clinic felt colder than the autumn wind outside. Serena sat on the hard plastic chair, the silence in the room pressing down on her like a heavy fog. The small paper cup of water trembled in her hands, forgotten as her thoughts raced faster than her heartbeat.Triplets.The word echoed in her mind, surreal and overwhelming. Three lives growing inside her — each a fragile spark of hope and fear tangled together. Serena’s breath hitched, her gaze dropping to the smooth curve of her abdomen that was still hidden beneath her loose blouse.How had a single night, a moment she thought she could erase from her memory, changed everything so irrevocably?She swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the secret settle deep in her chest. The secret she had to protect with every fiber of her being.Memories flooded in unbidden. The way Lucien’s storm-gray eyes had held hers like a challenge, the rough brush of his hand along her waist, the heat of his lips against her
You may also like
Mark Of The Alpha King
~S.Y939.7K viewsRejected By My Mate
LorreignneScarr1.4M viewsHis Little Wolf
becky j554.5K viewsAlpha Killian
Jane Doe1.5M viewsThe Alpha Prince's Fierce Bride
Zoia Zatserkovna6.3K viewsSinfully Bound by the Alpha
Revelle103 viewsCraved By The Alpha Beast
Melody R.525 viewsAlpha Damien's Contracted Luna
Liz Gray135 views
