"What do you say, bellissima?"
"Stop calling me that, Arius."
"Over my dead body, wife."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Lucian West was in desperate need of a job to pay for her mother's loan. When she finally gets the job, her boss offers h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
--- 《♡°♡°♡°☆°♡°♡°♡》
LUCIAN
“You know why."
The words didn’t fade with the music.
They lingered
The applause around us swelled as the song came to an end, but Arius didn’t step back immediately. His hand remained at my waist, fingers splayed possessively against the bare skin of my back, as if he was reminding the entire room who I belonged to.
Or maybe reminding himself.
Cameras flashed. People smiled. We looked perfect.
Engaged.
In love.
Untouchable.
His thumb brushed against my spine once before he finally straightened, guiding me off the dance floor with a hand that was steady—too steady.
But the second we cleared the crowd— He didn’t stop walking.
“Arius—”
“Not here.” His voice was low. Controlled. Tight.
He led me past clusters of guests, past glittering chandeliers and velvet-draped walls, until the noise of the ballroom dulled behind heavy double doors.
The balcony was quiet.
Cold night air rushed against my heated skin.
Only then did he let go and I turned to face him.
“You don’t get to do that.”
His eyes darkened. “Do what?”
“Act like I’m yours.”
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut.
“You are,” he said.
The night air felt thinner suddenly. Harder to breathe.
I stared at him, searching his face for the usual calculation. The distance. The reminder that this was business.
But there was no mockery in his eyes. No strategy.
Just something dark. And raw.
“You don’t own me,” I said, even though my voice lacked its earlier bite.
Arius stepped closer. “I never said I did.”
“You dragged me off that floor like I was misbehaving.”
His jaw tightened. “You were provoking me.”
A small, incredulous laugh escaped me. “Provoking you? Arius, this is supposed to be fake.”
