Episode 16
The Black Rose Gala had come and gone, but the aftermath still echoed like a phantom in Aria's chest.
Lucien had kissed her in public. Claimed her in front of the city's most powerful eyes. And just like that… the line between fake and real had blurred.
But behind closed doors, he was once again ice.
She hadn't seen him in two days.
Not during breakfast.
Not in the hallways.
Not even when she passed by his study at night.
It was as if Lucien Blackwood had vanished into the shadows that raised him.
And Aria?
She was unraveling.
---
Monday Morning
"Ma'am, Mr. Blackwood has asked you to attend the art charity auction tonight. Blackwood Enterprises is one of the sponsors," the butler informed her as she pushed around her untouched breakfast.
Aria blinked. "He's not coming?"
"He will arrive later. You are to represent him until then."
"Right," she murmured. A mannequin in a gown. A prop in his empire.
As she walked back to her room, she paused in front of the one door he had always warned her about.
Lucien's private study.
Her fingers itched.
Her mind whispered:
> Just a peek.
But her memory echoed his words —
"You break the contract… you don't leave alive."
She stepped back.
Barely.
---
The Auction
The ballroom glittered with wealth.
Gold chandeliers. Velvet curtains. Champagne that cost more than her entire month's salary.
Aria stood by the showcase of rare art pieces, her black satin dress hugging her frame, her hair pinned like a sculpture. She was a masterpiece made for display — perfect, untouchable, silent.
Women glanced.
Men stared.
And then, she heard the hush.
Lucien had arrived.
The crowd parted like waves before a storm. In a dark three-piece suit, no tie, open collar — he was magnetic. And beside him walked a woman.
Tall. Blonde. A face carved by money and pride.
Lucien didn't look at Aria once as he passed her.
But the woman did — and smirked.
> This must be the wife.
The one who sold herself for a hospital bill.
---
"Who was that with Lucien?" Aria asked the butler on the ride home.
"Ms. Celeste Van Harlow," he replied flatly. "Heiress to the Van Harlow shipping dynasty. She and Mr. Blackwood were once engaged."
Aria's throat tightened.
> Of course they were.
Perfect match — icy empires and colder hearts.
Back at the mansion, Lucien didn't speak a word to her.
But as she passed his study that night, she paused.
The door was slightly open.
The light was on.
Inside, she could hear his voice — low, rough, angry. Talking on the phone.
"She's just a contract, Gerald. Don't start imagining things."
Silence.
Then—
"No. She means nothing to me. You know that."
Her knees buckled.
She backed away.
The door creaked.
And Lucien stepped out.
They stared at each other.
His expression didn't change.
"You were listening," he said, his voice quiet.
Aria's lips parted, but nothing came out.
"Don't confuse a kiss with affection, Aria. You were a necessity. You still are."
Then, without another word, he walked past her.
And this time, she didn't cry.
---
Two Days Later
The mansion had a room at the end of the hall that was always locked. But this morning, the housekeeper forgot to close it.
Aria pushed the door open.
And found…
A room frozen in time.
Dusty shelves. Faded photographs. A little rocking chair. A child's toy box.
She stepped inside, breath hitching.
There was a picture on the wall — a woman with haunting blue eyes and a child in her arms.
Lucien's eyes.
Was this…?
"Get out."
His voice was a gunshot behind her.
Aria turned, startled. "I— I didn't mean to—"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
His eyes burned with something she hadn't seen before — not just anger. Fear. Grief. Rage.
She stumbled out. The door slammed shut behind her.
---
That Night
He came to her room.
Not as a CEO. Not as the Devil.
But as a man whose shadows were bleeding.
"I lost her when I was twelve," he said quietly, leaning against her doorframe.
"My mother. She drowned. They said it was suicide. But I remember her screaming that someone was coming for us."
Aria sat in silence, heart aching.
"I built everything to find out who they were," he added. "And when I found them… I destroyed them."
"Lucien…"
"I'm telling you this," he said, eyes piercing hers, "because you need to stop digging. Don't touch what doesn't belong to you. Don't open doors you don't understand."
"But I want to understand you," she whispered.
He stepped forward.
"No, Aria. You want to save me. But some of us are beyond saving."
And just like that… he left.
---
The Next Day: A Mysterious Letter
A letter arrived in Aria's room, slipped under the door.
No name. Just a red wax seal.
She opened it.
> "If you want to know the truth about Lucien Blackwood,
come to the old cathedral. Midnight. Alone."
– A Friend
Her fingers trembled.
Was it a trap?
Or was it the beginning of the truth?
She stared at the ring on her finger.
The weight of her choices.
Of secrets.
Of shadows.
And knew — she had to go.
Even if it cost her everything.