Chapter 9 Chapter 9.

The day moved like a test.

Lucien took her through the estate, introducing her to the core staff—each interaction more awkward than the last. Francesca had been the warmest. The others were a wall of polite frost.

“You’re not welcome here yet,” Lucien told her as they entered his study. “They’re loyal to me. And you? You’re a stranger with motives.”

“Then why keep me here?”

“Because they’ll learn,” he said. “And so will you.”

He gestured to a sleek wooden cabinet. “Open it.”

Aria approached slowly and opened the doors—rows of photos, files, digital tablets arranged in compartments.

“This is your war,” Lucien said. “Every name in there is connected to Marius Velkoz—your real enemy.”

She froze. That name still sent ice down her spine.

Lucien stepped behind her, voice like silk dipped in poison. “You want revenge? This is where it starts. With knowledge. With control.”

She turned to face him. “And what do you get out of this?”

He looked at her, expression unreadable. “Redemption. Maybe.”

For a moment, she saw something raw in his eyes. Then it vanished.

Aria's eyes scanned the cabinet, her mind racing with the implications. "What do you expect me to do with all this information?" she asked, her voice steady.

Lucien's gaze never wavered from hers. "I expect you to learn, to understand, and to use it to your advantage. You want revenge against Marius Velkoz? This is your starting point."

Aria's fingers trailed over the rows of photos, each one a potential target. She felt a surge of determination mixed with trepidation. "And what's the plan?" she asked, her eyes locking onto Lucien's.

Lucien's expression turned calculating. "We'll start with the basics. You'll study the files, learn the connections, and identify the weaknesses. Once you have a solid understanding, we'll move on to the next phase."

Aria's gaze narrowed. "What's the next phase?"

Lucien's smile was a slow, calculated gesture. "You'll learn soon enough. For now, let's focus on the foundation. You have a lot to learn, Aria."

Aria's gaze lingered on Marius's photo, the flames of her anger burning brighter with each passing moment. She could feel Lucien's eyes on her, watching her every reaction. The air was thick with tension as she stood there, her fists clenched and her jaw set.

"It's okay to be angry, but don't let your rage consume you," Lucien said, his voice low and measured. Aria turned to face him, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and skepticism.

"It clouds your judgement," he continued, his words dripping with a calm, calculated logic. "And when your judgement is clouded, you make the wrong decision."

Aria's gaze softened slightly, her fists loosening as she considered his words. She knew he was right, but it was hard to accept advice from a man with danger, a man from her past.

"Let your rage be a weapon, not a weakness," Lucien added, his words hitting a mark in Aria's mind. She felt a flicker of recognition, a sense that he understood her motivations better than she had initially thought.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Lucien's words made sense. She had let her rage consume her for so long, driving her to make reckless decisions. Maybe it was time to channel that anger into something more productive.

"So you're this wise, I never knew you to be wise," Aria said, rolling her eyes in a attempt to deflect the sincerity of the moment.

Lucien chuckled, a low, husky sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "I've always been this wise," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I was only foolish to you."

Aria's gaze snapped back to his, and she saw a flicker of vulnerability cut across them before they returned to their usual state.

She pulled out a file, dust and mote filling her nostrils. "How long have these been here?" She muttered as she tried to suppress a sneeze.

He chuckled, "that's to show you how much I sneezed while compiling these for you. And now..." he let out a sneeze.

And another one.

"Now it's..." he sneezed again. Two times in a row.

She quickly put the file back in the cabinet and held up the bridge of his nose, slightly tilting his head backwards.

His sneeze ceased and their eyes met. For a moment, the tension between them was palpable. The air was thick with unspoken emotions, and Aria felt a flutter in her chest.

Lucien's eyes, usually cold and calculating, seemed to hold a hint of vulnerability, a reminder of the intimacy they had shared in the past. Aria's gaze lingered on his, and she felt a pang of recognition as past memories crept up.

The sneezing fit had brought them closer, their faces inches apart, and Aria could feel the warmth of Lucien's breath on her skin. She held her breath, unsure of what to do next, as Lucien's eyes seemed to bore into her soul.

The moment stretched out, the silence between them growing thicker, until Lucien finally spoke, his voice low and husky. "So you still do remember," he said, his words barely above a whisper.

He's always been allergic to dust, a faint smell of dust could send him into a sneezing fit. And to intervene, all that had to be done was to hold up the bridge of his nose and tilt his head backwards a little.

Aria's heart skipped a beat as the memories washed over. She quickly released her hold on his nose, her fingers trailing over his face, sending shivers down her own spine. She stepped back, trying to compose herself, but the intimacy of the moment lingered.

"I remember nothing," Aria said, trying to break the tension.

Lucien's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "Thank you," he said, his voice dripping with sincerity.

"Let's get back to work," Aria said, her voice firm. "I have a lot to learn."

Lucien nodded, his expression returning to its usual mask of calm calculation. "Indeed you do," he said. "You may begin."

"After I step out though. You don't want another sneezing fit," he added with a chuckle.

"No, I'll just take the cabinet to my room." She said.

"I'll have someone bring it to you," he said and she nodded.

As Aria stepped out of the study, she felt the weight of Lucien's gaze on her back, an invisible tether that pulled her deeper into the chaos of emotions she'd been trying to ignore. The hallway leading outside felt like a labyrinth, each turn echoing her inner turmoil. Clenching her hands into fists, she tried to push aside the fleeting thoughts of their past—the laughter, stolen moments, and the heart-wrenching betrayal that had separated them.

Francesca was waiting near the door with a folder in hand and a serious look on her face that made Aria wonder if she ever does smile.

“Mr. Moretti’s expectations,” Francesca said, handing over the folder.

Aria opened it and inside she found etiquette rules, daily schedules, weapon handling basics, even how to speak at events. A crash course in becoming Lucien Moretti’s shadow.

“This is ridiculous,” Aria muttered. “I’m not some… Mafia barbie doll.”

Francesca’s voice was clipped. “You’re under his protection. That means being more than just a grieving widow. It means becoming untouchable.”

The words settled deep in her gut.

Untouchable.

Could she really feel that way again?

She closed the folder, her hand trembling.

“Dinner is formal,” Francesca added. “Don’t be late.”

Without another word, she walked away and Aria exhaled heavily. She stepped into her bedroom and just as she sank in bed her phone beeped with a text.

Lazily, she stretched her hand across the drawer and picked it up to find a cryptic message, "I'M COMING FOR YOU."

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