The door clicked shut behind Aria as she stepped back into the room, she stood still in the center of the room, staring at nothing.
The door opened behind her again.
"Still standing?" Sophia's voice came . "That means you're getting stronge then."
Lb cut p in
Aria didn't turn, she listened as the clink of porcelain and the small clatter of the tray being set down interruptes the silence.
"I brought the ginner tea like I said. Just the way you always….."
"Thank you," Aria said.
"You okay?"
"I just need air," Aria replied. Her expression didn't change. "I'm still trying to remember."
Sophia nodded slowly, brushing a curl of hair back from her face. "It's not unusual, you know. Trauma makes memory slippery. But don't push too hard. It'll come back in pieces."
Aria moved toward the table. The tea was in a white ceramic cup, steam moving up gently from it. She picked it up, but didn't drink.
Sophia watched her carefully.
Aria looked at her over the edge of the cup There was abit of silence between them
"I want to see Lucien."
"Mr Lucien?" Sophia repeated
"Yes," Aria said, putting the cup down without tasting it. "The one who had the lake drained. I want to see him."
"…Why?" she asked.
"I need to ask him some questions."
Sophia's eyes flicked to the window, then back again. Her fingers tightened faintly around the edge of her skirt.
"he doesn't usually meet with people directly," she said. "He keeps to his wing. He prefers…."
"I don't care what his preferences are Sophia ," Aria cut in "I'm not asking. I'm telling you. Either he comes to me or I go to him."
There was a long pause.
Then Sophia swallowed and gave a slight nod. "Alright. I'll make the call."
Sophia returned less than ten minutes later
"He'll see you," she said.
"When?"
Sophia stepped inside, closing the door behind her gently.
"Now," she said. "A car is waiting."
Aria arched a brow. "So quick?"
Sophia smiled, a bit . "You're not exactly a stranger to him."
Aria stepped closer. "Then tell me who he is to me. Or better still who he is at all. Because so far, he seems like someone everyone just obeys
"He's the one who brought you here, us rather she said . "This estate belongs to him. He's always been private. But protective, too. Especially of you."
"Protective," Aria echoed. "Is that what we're calling surveillance now? Guards, no phone, no internet. I ask for one thing and they all say the same name."
"It's not like that."
"What is it then?when Sophia didn't answer aria turned to her
"Let's go."
Sophia nodded then moved to the door and opened it
The guard from before stood waiting in the hall but not the same driver. This man was a bit older. On his uniform was a crest Aria hadn't noticed before, dark and subtle on the shoulder.
"This way, Miss Lena," he said
she followed the man down the corridor, her
Behind her, Sophia watched until she disappeared around the corner. The older driver led without any comment
They didn't go toward the main doors. Instead, he turned left at an unfamiliar corridor. The walls here were darker, wood paneled, less adorned. No portraits or windows.
Aria just followed.
At the next corner, a woman in a tailored gray suit stepped out of a recessed door and intercepted them. She was tall and looked elegant , with a tablet held to her her chest.
"Miss Lena," she greeted, nodding once.
Aria met her gaze saying nothing
"Mr. Lucien is prepared to meet with you but There are a few protocols." The woman continued
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Protocol?"
"You'll be escorted to the interior wing," the woman said, stepping into stride beside her. "No phone or recording devices. No attendants either . He prefers private discussion."
"I wasn't planning on bringing a film crew," Aria muttered.
The woman didn't acknowledge her sarcasm. She keyed a few buttons into a wall panel, and a section of the wall split open, revealing an elevator that they got in
Inside, Aria could see herself reflected faintly in the b steel. The face still unfamiliar
The woman turned to her. "When you speak with Mr. Lucien… it's best to be direct. He doesn't respond well to performance."
Aria's jaw tightened a little
"I'm not here to perform."
"Good."
The elevator began its decent down
Then a chime.
The doors opened onto something colder.
Concrete walls, lit from the baseboards upward. No windows. A wide hallway stretched ahead, empty expect for another guard standing beside a glass door.
"This is as far as I can go," the woman said. "He's waiting inside."
Aria stepped forward and the gaurd opend the dor
The room look a bit of a study, books lined one wall. A fireplace glowed with a cackle
And across the room, seated behind a black desk was Mr. Lucien.
He didn't get up just watched at her enter the room
Lucien.
He wasn't just attractive he looked too good to be true. Tall, broad shouldered, dressed in black so perfectly fitted. His presence was oppressive in a very beautiful way, too composed to feel natural. His skin was pale and his dark hair fell neatly across his forehead, just loose enough to seem accidental. His jawline was so sharply cut it could have been sculpted, but his eyes those deep, watchful blue eyes were what unsettled her most.
"Lena," he said, voice low and smooth like "You've come."
Aria blinked, caught for a moment in how his lips moved when he spoke
She shook herself a little and lifted her chin at him
"Where is the lake?" she asked bluntly.
A slow, almost indulgent smile touched his mouth.
"You came here for that?"
"You had it drained. I want it back"
Lucien didn't answer her immediately. Instead, he moved toward the side stood by the fireplace and poured something that looked dark into a glass
He didn't offer her any.
"You fell into it," he said at last, still not looking at her. "You were unconscious and almost dead. It seemed like the right thing to do so I had it drainedd."
"That's not an answer."
Lucien turned to face her fully, glass in hand,
"I don't really owe you one."
Aria stepped forward, her voice tightening. "Then consider this a demand. I need the lake restored. I need the water back."
Lucien tilted his head. "For what purpose leha ?"
"That's none of your business."
Something passed quickly across his face surprise, or irritation maybe? He stepped closer, and for a moment, the scent of him hit her something dark and spicey. She hated that it unsettled her so much
"You think you can just come into my house," he said softly, "and make demands like that?"
Aria squared her shoulders. "You made it my house. Everyone here calls me Lena like I'm supposed to believe it. So if I am Lena then let me act like it."
Lucien stared at her for a long moment
"No," he said. "You can't have the water back."
"Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous. And you nearly drowned. And whatever that place was doing to you I'm not letting it finish the job."
Aria opened her mouth, but before she could speak, he raised a hand.
"And besides," he added, his voice quieter now, almost casual. "You have something else to focus on."
Her eyes narrowed. "What?"
"The wedding."
Her stomach turned. "What wedding?"
"Ours," he said, as if he'd just reminded her of lunch.
"In two days."
Aria stared at him, her voice full with disbelief. "You're joking."
Lucien smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"No. Preparations are already underway. I suggest you take your mind off lakes and start thinking about vows my love"