Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she sat in front of a restaurant on the street. The sound of the doors opening and closing scattered her thoughts. 

  It was unreal to think that her father had just thrown a flower vase at her after she found out that he was in on the plan to kill her.

  She gulped, bile tasting in her throat. Tears rushed out of her eyes and she placed her head on her laps, crying bitterly. The day got worse than it already had been and rain started pouring heavily.

  Dahlia didn't move, she sat down there, letting the rain drench her, all of bitterness, all of her anger. Here, she count scream and no one would hear her because of how heavy the rain was. This was her perfect place.

  The rain suddenly stopped above her and her anger intensified. Even the sky couldn't understand her predicament and just let it fall? But when she raised up her head to rant, her eyes came in contact with him. He was holding an unwanted umbrella over her head.

  Like cloud sync, her brain retrieved all of the memories and she realized where she'd seen him. On the TVs, on the tabloids, in the prison. He was everywhere.

  Lucien Black.

  "Ms Vexley." He called her name in velvety voice, "Get out of the rain."

  "Who are you to tell me what to do?" She didn't care if he was Lucien –arrogant– Black, he couldn't order her around, not in her most shitty moment.

  He stared at his watch again, like he was in time control. "Do you plan to stay here?"

  "Yes, I do. Why won't you just leave me alone? Can't you see I want to be left alone?!" She screamed out, "And please, take your stupid umbrella over my head." She didn't want him to see her crying. And the rain would do the job.

  He obliged, pulling the umbrella over his own head and letting the rain drench her.

  "Leave." She looked away.

  "I'm trying to get into the restaurant." He said nonchalantly.

  "Then do."

  "Eaten yet? If not, you need more energy to cry." He said and walked in. Dahlia took a minute to understand he was inviting her. Her stomach rumbled just in time, but the appetite wasn't there. She didn't want to eat. 

  A glance at the woman in the restaurant and she made up her mind, walking into the restaurant. She pulled out a seat opposite him and he stared at her.

  "You eat at restaurants like this?" She asked quietly. It was a low class restaurant, located somewhere at the end of the street, far away from her family's– Chris Vexley's house. They were no longer her family. However, she was in front of the restaurant because she had realized she had no place to go. No friends, nothing. She sat in front since it had a porch and she could probably pass the night there when it got quieter. 

  "No. But I can't walk around in the rain." He said, pulling out a tissue. "Clean your face, you look crazy." 

  "I haven't had a bath in two days. And a clean bath in a year." 

  He stares at her blankly, unsure of what she wanted him to say to that revelation.

  She stared at him, midway of cleaning her face. "Don't you want to know what happened? Or you are just comfortable sitting with an ex convict in public?" She asked.

  He glanced at the food being placed in front of him and back to Dahlia. "You think?" 

  "Yes."  She muttered, picking up her spoon. "Thank you for the food. I have nothing to pay you back." She said and started eating before he could change his mind.

  "A marriage proposal." He suddenly said and Dahlia coughed out the food she'd already eaten. It scattered all over Lucien's suit and he let out a low curse, anger flashing in his eyes.

  "I'm...so sorry." Dahlia shook her head. "What you said was just shocking to me. You shouldn't have said that while I was eating." 

  "Are you blaming me?" He raised a brow.

  "No. I'm apologizing." She shrank back into her seat. 

  Lucien pulled out multiple tissues, cleaning off the stains on his suit. 

  Dahlia went mute, eating as though nothing happened before. He watched her, like a predator monitoring a prey and she felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

  "Can't you stop watching me and eat?" She asked.

  "I'm not hungry."

  "Then why did you come here?" She asked.

  "I have something for you."  On cue, the secretary who'd come with him in the hospital appeared again.

  "If you want me to sign that stuff–" 

  "You want revenge, Ms Vexley. I can give you that." His secretary pushed a new file towards her. The title was written in large bold fonts 'MARRIAGE AGREEMENT.'

  "Is this a joke?" She asked.

  "The moment you sign this, you become Dahlia Black and you'd leave your husband." 

  "I'm not divorced." She stated as a matter of fact.

  "You'll soon be. If you sign a divorce paper, I'll have them sent to Draven Marrow as soon as possible. Since the world doesn't know about your marriage, it'll be easier."  Lucien said.

  "What is all this? Who said you could take account of my life the way you wish?"

  "I'm only telling you to apply wisdom. You want to take revenge on those who wronged you, your family. To do that, you'll need my help. Which I'm willing to provide to you, on one condition, marriage."

  Dahlia pushed the tray of food from her front and got up. "Thank you for the offer. But I'm not interested." She stated clearly and started to walk away.

  "The moment you get out of that door, you'll probably be dead."

  She halted in her steps. Lucien pushed his chair backwards, getting up and walking towards her.

  "It'll be classified as a hit and run accident. Evelyn made sure of that."  He said.

  Dahlia's face lost color. "How do you know all these?"

  "There are very few things I don't know about you, Ms Vexley." He stared at her, "So what will it be? Marry me and get everything you ever wanted. Fame, money, power, revenge."

  "What do you get in return?" She asked.

  He smirked. "You."

"Me?" Dahlia scoffed lightly as she clamped her hands on her waist. "Are you seriously kidding me?!"

  "I'm not." Lucien glanced at the document. "There are two ways for you, Dahlia. Sign these documents right here and now, or you walk out and simply die the way your family wants you to. Oh," He pocketed his hands, looking up with a smirk, "And Vivi too."

  Dahlia's face went pale at the mention of Vivi's name. "What are you going to do to her?"

  "Nothing much. Probably remove her from the hospital I placed her in." 

  "You took her to the hospital?" Her eyes softened, turning glassy within a second.

  "They wanted her dead, Dahlia. Because she knows the truth. Does that adds something?" His eyes narrowed at her. 

  She bit her lips, raising her head proudly while fighting back her tears. "You have to give me everything I need." She muttered.

  "As long as you sign the contract. I have what it takes to protect and take care of you." He replied.

  She swallowed heavily, shunning the thought that wondered what he needed her for. Her fingers were shaky as she picked up the pen and firstly, signed the divorce agreement.

  She moved it and then stared at the Marriage Agreement, her heart beating fast and heavy with each passing second. This was going to be her choice and she hoped she wouldn't regret it.

  She rushed her signature over the agreement and looked at Lucien. His eyes were sharp as he stared right back at her.  She expected a word from him but he didn't say a thing. Instead, he handed the two documents to his secretary who walked out instantly.

  "Let's leave."

  Dahlia looked at the food. "I'm not done–"

  The sound of the door closing signified that Lucien left already. She took one more spoon of the food, filling her mouth before she rushed after him. 

  She got into the car, her cheeks swollen and Lucien stared at her, shock written all over his face.

  "Hmm...I haven't...eaten much when you decided we should–"

  "Swallow your food first before speaking, Dahlia." He said, obviously irritated and she went mute, as she chewed the remaining one.

  "It's not my fault..I'm just so hungry and you didn't let me eat much." She said after she swallowed.

  "Jayden already informed the cook. So you would have something to eat when you get home. After you bath." The word after was unnecessarily sharp.

  It didn't matter to Dahlia though. She already knew she stunk and she also couldn't wait to bath. "Who's Jayden?" She asked instead.

  "My secretary."

  "Oh, that guy who does whatever you say?" She asked.

  He stared at her blankly.

  "I'm sorry."

  "What happened to you putting your bag underneath?" He glanced at her seat and she bit her lips.

  "I lost my bag. I threw it off yesterday or something." She confessed.

  He didn't say a word in reply and the rest of the journey was quiet as he worked on his laptop, the driver driving quietly.

  Dahlia watched the city unfold before her and she took a deep breath, as the driver moved past the bustling city. It was night time and everywhere was damp from the short but heavy rain, and for some reasons, the weather felt like her life. Gloomy.

  Her eyes suddenly widened when the driver turned into a street. "You live here?! Glass estate?" She gasped.

  Lucien didn't even look at her and she turned her eyes back to the place, watching.

  "Riches definitely have levels. My father tried so hard to get a place here. He saved so recklessly that we'd starve some days. Even the company got some problems cause of that. He'd cut on the necessary finances and try to manage everything." She said, "When he finally got the money, there was something he didn't have." She went mute for a minute and Lucien's hands hovered over the keyboard. He still didn't look up or look at her as she turned.

  "Connections."  She muttered. "You have to be well connected to get a house here." She said.

  "I can't relate with your story. I didn't think anyone would ever starve to live in this place." He muttered.

  "But the payment is so high, how did you–"

  "My grandfather owns the place, Dahlia. You don't even that simple fact?"  He asked.

  "What?" She blurted out.

  "Your parents have a company. They should teach you, number one, to not talk so much. Number two, to memorize the names and faces of people who could potentially change your destiny. Didn't they teach you?" Lucien asked.

  Her face went pale. "My sister was meant to–"

  "Just because your sister was groomed to take over the company doesn't mean you should sit idle. Little wonder they easily coerced you into taking the blame for an embezzlement you know nothing about."

  "I know it was my father who did it." She said quietly, like she was meant to not talk.

  Lucien looked up at her at this moment. "Do you know why he did it?"

  She shook her head and he scoffed lightly. "Get down." 

  She realized the car has stopped and she watched as he came down from the car, getting into the building. 

  Glass estate was given to the place, because almost all the houses were glassy. It was extremely beautiful with tinted glasses which you cannot see the interior of the house. She took a deep breath, her hands shaking as she walked after Lucien into the large mansion.

  Her house with Draven and her father's house put together, could not afford this place. The truth is, in Glass Estate, you could only make a one time payment, but her father didn't get all the money, so he wanted to use connections to pay twice.

  Unfortunately, he didn't have one. He tried to had to look for the money and when he finally did, there was not a space left. Things had gone bad with his attitude that week.

   "Welcome home, Mrs Black." A couple of voices greeted and Dahlia freezed.

  Mrs Black?

  Her?

  Dahlia Vexley?

Lucien stared at her from the stairs, whole Dahlia looked around at the group of workers.

  "Come upstairs." He said calmly and Dahlia immediately followed after him, happy to get away from the crowd.

  "Why do you have so many guards and househelps?" She asked.

  "The househelps only come once a week. The guards doesn't come into the house." He replied and pushed a door open.

  "This is your room."  He replied. She stared at the large room and looks at him.

  "Is this one of the perks of marrying you?" She teased. 

  His face remained neutral, not a single smile or amusement at what she'd said. She pursed her lips, "Thank you."

  Lucien walked into the room and placed a card on the drawer. She stared at the card and back at him.

  "Use the card to get whatever you need." He said and walked back to the door, "My grandparents would be here by tomorrow. Prepare to meet them." With that, Lucien left the room.

  Dahlia picked the card up, staring speechlessly at it. He was giving her a black card to get whatever she wanted.  She sighed deeply, was this the payment for herself.

  "What do you get in return?"

  "You."

  The sound of his voice in her memory sent a shiver down her spine. 

  "What does he want me for?" She muttered quietly.

  *****

  "Where's she?!" Evelyn screamed out crazily as she stared at the doctor.

  "Ma'am. We were asked to move her to another hospital. You sent men to pick her up." The doctor said helplessly. Confusing was written all over his face as he stared at Evelyn.

  "I sent what?" She grabbed him by the collar. "Find Vivi or else, you are dead." She threatened and pushed him off her, picking her bag from the floor as she walked away.

  The vibration of her phone disrupted her and she angrily picked the call without even checking.

  "What!"  She barked.

  "Evelyn, Dahlia just sent me a divorce paper." 

  "Dahlia did what?" She asked in surprise.

  The car came to a stop in front of Draven's mansion and Evelyn crazily rushed into the house.

  "What did you say?"

  "Dahlia sent–" 

  She grabbed the paper from his hands, cutting his words short as she read through every line in the document.

  "How dare she?" She muttered, her face in pure anger. 

  "What are we going to do?"

  "You are not signing it. Not until we squeeze her dry. Some of her shares are still in her name." Evelyn snapped.

  Draven's face lost all color. "I already did. This is a photocopy of the original." 

  "What?" Evelyn raised he brow. "Why would you sign it?"

  "What did you expect me to do? A man appeared from nowhere with guards in my living room and forced me to sign. Did you want me to fight them?" He shot at her.

  Evelyn folded the paper and threw it angrily at him. "Are you daft! Why would you take such decisions without informing me first!" She screamed.

  "What..was I meant to do..." Draven muttered and she sighed, her hands sinking deep into her hair as she sat on the chair.

  "Who's behind Dahlia?" She whispered. "I won't let you win." 

  ****

  "The foods have all been prepared for a week and have been set in the fridge. I hope you would be able to find everything since we wouldn't be here until next week." The head of the helps said and Dahlia nodded her head.

  "Don't worry. Anything I can't find, I'll ask Lucien." She waved them off.

   The helps looked at each other and stared back at her.

  "Alright ma'am." The lady replied. "It's nice to know that you and Mr Black gets along." She smiled.

  Dahlia's lips widened into a forced smile. Get along? She and Lucien? It was impossible.

  She walked out of the kitchen to meet him coming down from the stairs, still in his suit and tie.

  "Are you going somewhere?" She asked. "It's really late." Dahlia pointed at the clock.

  He looked at his watch like she  hadn't shown him the time just now. "I'll be back." He said calmly and walked past her.

  "But it's...." The door shut, before she could end her sentence, "10pm already." She muttered, breathing out slowly.  She'd have to get used to it.

  The next morning, Dahlia woke up pretty early. Knowing Lucien's grandparents were visiting had made her sleep pretty bad yesterday. She was meant to act like a wife and she didn't know if they would accept her. 

  From what's she heard and read last night about Eric and Liana Black. Eric was the definition of a toxic grandfather and a perfect businessman who would do anything to uphold his business. Rumours had it, that he prepared an engagement for Lucien with an anonymous lady from a top family like theirs. But Dahlia didn't know the lady and frankly, she didn't care. Even if Lucien had someone be loved outside, she wouldn't. Because this was strictly business and she was going to adhere to the rules she'd made up. 

  No falling in love.

  No interfering in his life.

  After the revenge, then, probably, this deal would be off. She stared at herself in the mirror, taking a deep breath.

  "I'm not sorry, Evelyn. I trusted you, but you guys brought this upon yourself. And revenge is not a choice anymore. I need it.....to stay alive." Her hands flickered down her neckline as she stared at herself in the mirror.

  She was Dahlia....

   The surname didn't matter right now.

  A knock was heard on her door and she walked towards it, pulling it open.

  "A copy of the divorce papers. It is signed." Lucien said, raising his head up. Then he stared at her for a second. Her face, her dress and the way her eyes were sharp as she stared back at him.

  "You look human." He said.

  She rolled her eyes. "That's an evil thing to say."

  "Not really, considering how ghostly you looked yesterday and the day before." 

  Her lips twitched slightly in a smile as she stretched her hands. "The papers." She said.

  He handed it over to her and stretched his second hand. "A new phone. You'll need it." He said.

  "Thank you." She nodded her head slightly.

  "Come downstairs. I hear the sound of my grandparents' car." He said and made to walk away, but she suddenly grabbed his hand.

  "Do you think they would like me?"

  "It is not your job to be liked, Dahlia." He stared at her hand and she immediately left him. He walked away instantly.

  She took a deep breath, dropping the file and phone on the bed, before she walked out of the room and down the stairs.

  The door opened and Eric and Liana walked in. 

  "Lucien." Liana walked towards him, giving him a slight hug, which Lucien reciprocated with a slight grunt.

  "Aria is here too." Liana smiled as Eric went to sit on the couch, without even speaking to Lucien.

  "Who's Aria?" Lucien asked.

  "Your fiancée."

  Dahlia's hands tightened.