Finally, it was over.

Ariella was so exhausted her legs felt like jelly. She was gasping for air, trying her best to pull herself together.

"Happy now?" he murmured next to her ear.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You're the only one who gets to feel satisfied. I don't even have that right," Ariella answered coldly.

She turned to face him, her eyes full of frost. There was a huge red stain on his shirt - clearly wine. So he must've spilled the wine on purpose, used changing clothes as an excuse, and snuck off to the restroom.

Lucian smirked slightly as he adjusted his clothes.

"Good. At least you understand."

"Can this be the end of us now?" Her voice trembled slightly, more from emotion than fatigue. Whatever gratitude she'd felt toward him before had vanished the moment he ignored her will and forced himself on her. All that was left was pain-and resentment.

"Ninety-two days to go."

He remembered it that precisely? Down to the day?

"Now get back out there. The wedding's not going to attend itself."

Without waiting for a reply, he pushed open the restroom door and walked out.

Ariella sank down slowly, squatting until her body stopped shaking and she could stand again. Once she looked decent, she made her way back into the hotel ballroom.

From her seat, she looked up and saw Lucian had returned-shirt changed, back to playing the smiling groom and sipping wine with his bride.

"Hey there, gorgeous. Mind if I sit here? I'm Ryan Sterling. You?" A voice came from beside her-Lucian's younger brother, the infamous playboy.

Ryan had a wild rep-rumor was, if it wore heels and smiled at him, he'd flirt with it.

Ariella raised a finger to her lips. "Shh," she whispered, nodding toward the front.

"Do you take Fiona to be your lawfully wedded wife...?"

"Lucian! You bastard! Get out here!" a woman's voice suddenly screamed from outside the venue, cutting the priest off mid-sentence.

Ariella's heart, knotted tight all this time, lifted-the plan her buddy had helped arrange was happening. Someone else could speak the truth that she couldn't.

All heads turned toward Lucian. You could hear a pin drop; the silence was suffocating.

"Sorry, sir, we couldn't hold her off. She's pregnant. We were afraid of hurting her," the security captain explained, drenched in sweat as he ran in.

"Let her in," Lucian replied calmly.

Boom. That one simple sentence detonated in the crowd like a bomb.

Everyone buzzed with gossip, shocked that the seemingly perfect gentleman could be caught up in something so scandalous.

The elders at the front wore grim expressions, clearly displeased but too polite to say a word.

A heavily pregnant woman, flanked by two security guards, barged into the hall, pointed right at Lucian, and shouted angrily, "Lucian! Didn't you promise to marry me because I'm carrying your baby? And now you're just gonna dump me for someone else? Aren't you worried about losing both lives at once? If you don't stop this wedding now, I'll end it right here in front of you!"

Lucian had never seen this woman before. He'd always kept a clean slate. The moment he heard yelling outside, he knew someone was here to stir up trouble.

Her words hit like a bomb. The crowd instantly broke into whispers, everyone judging him like he was some kind of modern-day scumbag.

Lucian's gaze swept across the woman's face, then moved slowly around the room, pausing on Ariella for a second or two.

Ariella unconsciously tightened her grip around her glass, a slight panic flashing through her mind. 'Could he be suspecting me?'

But Lucian didn't react, standing there calm and composed. His silence and serene expression gradually settled the buzzing crowd.

Beside him, Fiona looked completely unbothered. She still had that soft smile on her face, grace written all over her, like the whole scene didn't even involve her.

"What's your name?" Lucian asked the woman.

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend you don't know me. Like you forgot my name now? It's Zoe!"

"Zoe..." Lucian repeated the name slowly, like he was chewing on something only he understood.

"How long have we been together?" he asked.

"Two years," she shot back without hesitation - clearly rehearsed.

"So I guess we know each other pretty well?"

"Of course we do! I'm literally having your baby. You think I wouldn't know you?"

"Great. Then tell everyone here - I have a birthmark, about the size of a coin. Is it on my right or left forearm?"

"Uh..." That line wasn't in the script. She froze. The pressure in his voice was real, and if it weren't for the fat paycheck waiting, she probably would've bolted right then and there.

Sweat started forming at her hairline. She tried to stay cool, took a few quick breaths, clenched her jaw, and forced out, "Right..."

Lucian calmly rolled up his right sleeve, unbuttoning the cuff and showing his bare arm to everyone.

"Folks, do you see any birthmark on my right arm?"

"I... I got it wrong. It's... it's actually the left," Zoe hurried to fix her mistake, clearly catching on she was being cornered.

"Final answer?"

"Yes!" she said firmly, nodding.

Lucian turned and did the same with his left sleeve, showing it to the entire room - again, nothing.

Zoe's face went red and blotchy, completely lost on how to recover now.

"I'm sure everyone in this room is smart enough to see through this little act," Lucian said, his voice steady but cutting. "It's obvious she showed up just to ruin this wedding. I deeply apologize for the disruption. And more importantly, I owe the biggest apology to my bride, Fiona. Fiona, please believe me when I say - you're the only one for me. Nothing and no one can come between what we have. It's fate that brought us together, and I'll cherish that forever."

His heartfelt words earned him a warm hug from Fiona, sealing the moment in front of all their guests.

But just as they embraced, Ariella felt Lucian's gaze slide toward her again - eyes sharp, with a flicker of anger no one else seemed to catch.

The whole vibe flipped in an instant. One second, guests were whispering behind his back, the next they were clapping like crazy. Even his father Thomas Sterling, normally all stoic and serious, gave Lucian a nod of approval.

Ariella had genuinely thought the woman causing the scene would set Fiona off. She pictured Fiona flipping out over a mistress showing up, giving Lucian a slap, storming out. But nope-Fiona had nerves of steel. That kind of calm? Insane.

Now, Ariella just wanted to bolt, but then she heard Ryan go, "Hey gorgeous, why aren't you clapping? Didn't my brother look awesome up there?"

She rolled her eyes at him, totally unimpressed. Awesome, my ass. Her whole plan had blown up. That girl didn't even manage to put a dent in the wedding. Now, she might be in serious trouble.

Sensing the shift, Thomas gave a quick signal, and the head of security swooped in to lead the pregnant woman away. After that little hiccup, the ceremony went on without a hitch.

The second it wrapped, Ariella skipped the food and dipped out fast.

Ryan, still salty about the cold shoulder she'd given him earlier, had been low-key watching her like a hawk-and when she slipped out, he followed.

"Hey, where you off to? I could play bodyguard, you know."

He was Lucian's brother. If Lucian caught her chatting with him, who knew what he'd pull? She remembered once she'd just exchanged a couple words with the delivery guy, and Lucian went off, accused her of being flirty, and ended up forcing himself on her all night long.

"My boyfriend's picking me up. Thanks though," she said, flat as ever.

"Cool. But hey, if you're ever thinking of trading him in, I'm a solid upgrade. People call me prime bachelor material," Ryan said, full of himself.

"I'm not breaking up with him. See ya." Ariella waved casually, her tone still chilly as she flagged down a cab and slipped inside.

Ryan stood there for a beat, staring after the disappearing car. So she wasn't fazed by his looks or his last name? Huh... interesting.

'Little lady, just wait-we're bound to cross paths again.'

Back at the apartment Lucian had set up for her in downtown Marlowe, Ariella beelined for the shower. She needed that water to rinse off not the sweat-but the shame. The memory of him taking her in that hotel restroom clung to her like a stain.

She scrubbed hard, again and again, until her skin turned red-but the ache inside wouldn't budge.

"Ariella, you're not hurting because you loved him. You're hurting because what he did made you feel so damn small." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Tonight, she missed Forrest White more than usual. Deep down, she knew-she still loved him.

As for Lucian... maybe it was just the fact that they'd spent so many nights tangled up like that. Maybe her body had gotten too used to him.

Back then, Dominic told her, "If you want Lucian to love you, then you gotta love him first. And if you don't, just fake it till you make it. Eventually, you'll end up falling for him for real. Once he feels your sincerity, he'll fall for you too."

At twenty, she took those words like gospel. She thought, since she was already his woman, she should try everything to make him fall for her, so they could be together forever.

Back then, Lucian bailed out the Rios family financially and saved her dad from trying to jump off a building. The price? She had to be his woman. In other words, his mistress.

She was young and clueless, with no other options. So she went all in, trying to forget Forrest, carefully watching Lucian's every move, memorizing his likes and dislikes, doing her best to please him.

She thought maybe-just maybe-he had a bit of love for her. Otherwise, why would he keep coming back to her, craving her?

But then she saw how gently he treated Fiona. That's when reality hit. All her efforts and fantasies were just naïve.

That night, she finally saw things clearly. She was done chasing unreachable dreams. From now on, she'd erase him completely from her world.

Ninety-two days. She'd take these three months to rebuild herself. Once she graduated, she'd buckle down and work hard. She'd lift her head up high, walk away from Lucian on her own, and become someone strong enough to protect her family, no longer relying on a man's favor bought with her body.

He got married today. Obviously, he wouldn't care what she was doing. So she spent the afternoon browsing bookstores, picked up a few practical books.

She read the whole evening. The storm inside her finally started to calm.

At 10:30 PM, Ariella took a shower, blew her hair dry, and wrapped herself in a light blanket to sleep.

It'd been nearly two years since she didn't have to worry about being forced to sleep with him in the middle of the night. Tonight, she let herself relax and tried to really rest.

Half-asleep, she felt a strange tingling on her earlobe-kinda ticklish, kinda annoying. She lifted her hand to swat away whatever it was, but it got caught mid-air by a cold, firm grip. Then suddenly, her whole body was pinned under a heavy, muscular frame.

Even in that groggy state, she could feel his fury.

"What are you doing here? It's your wedding night..." she began, but the rest of her words got smothered by his wine-scented kiss-rough and urgent.

Ariella snapped awake. She stared at that gorgeous face she'd once stared at a million times before, totally thrown. He actually left his bride on their wedding night... for this?

But Lucian wasn't giving her a second to react. His kisses were wild and angry, stealing her breath, bruising her lips until they turned red and swollen.

"Tell me, did you set up that Zoe at the wedding? Let's see how you like being punished for it..."

She didn't even have the energy to respond to his question-her mind was filled with one thought only: he really shouldn't be here, not tonight. It was their wedding night for god's sake, and yet he came to her... leaving Fiona alone like that felt too cruel.

She pushed him off with all her strength, breath coming out in sharp bursts as she snapped, "Seriously? Don't you feel guilty to Fiona? If you don't love her, then don't marry her. But you did, and now you ditch her on your wedding night? That's just low!"

Lucian didn't force her. He just stood there quietly, watching her closely like he was trying to read her mind-figure out what exactly was going through that little head of hers.

"So, are you jealous or just feeling bad for her?" he asked, calm as ever.

"Jealous? Who am I to be jealous? I'm just the bonus prize thrown in with your investment in FortuneRise Inc.. What right would I have to be jealous of your wife? I just... I feel sorry for Fiona. She's always had everything-spoiled like a real princess. This will break her heart."

He smirked, lips curling with that familiar sarcasm. "And aren't you a pampered princess too? Still ended up being my secret lover, didn't you?"

Ariella's eyes dimmed. That word-lover-hit like a slap. He wasn't wrong. That's exactly what she was. She just didn't want to admit it.

"I did this because I had no other choice. I had to save my dad... But Fiona doesn't owe you anything. Treating her like this-it's not right. She's..."

Her voice faltered. She couldn't even finish.

Something about her words irritated Lucian more than he expected. To hide the mood swing, he frowned and cut her off.

"You've always been obedient these past two years. So why are you pushing back tonight, and twice? Is this about me not marrying you? Still mad over that?"

"No!" she snapped, shaking her head hard. She already looked pathetic as it was, no way she'd let him see the hope she'd once had.

"If you weren't aiming for the Sterling name, why send someone to crash my wedding?"

"I didn't!"

"You want me to spell it out for you, huh? Show you proof? Do you really need me to?"He paused, gaze sharpening.

"Let's just say - if the right people saw the evidence, FortuneRise Inc. might start reconsidering their investment."

He didn't break eye contact, his stare cold and sharp.

And just from the flicker in her gaze, he knew it-it really had been her. A scheming, restless little thing.

"...Fine. I did it. It was me. Please, just don't mess with FortuneRise Inc.'s investment."

"Well, at least you admitted it. Since you messed up, you gotta pay the price," he said slowly, like he was already thinking of how to make her pay.

"What do you want then? You said if I admitted it, you'd keep your hands off the FortuneRise Inc. investment!"

"Chill, I won't touch FortuneRise Inc.," he said, all casual.

"I just want you to have my baby." He said it like it was no biggie, like asking someone to pass the salt.

Ariella just stared at him, totally thrown. She repeated it, not sure she even heard him right.

"You said... you want me to have your baby?"

"Yeah."

"But our deal only has three months left. Babies aren't exactly express delivery. Or are you planning to keep this thing going even after that?" Ariella knew there was no point pushing him, so she kept her voice calm, trying to stay logical.

"Time's not the issue. You have the baby, maybe I can make you the second Mrs. Sterling. Not as high up as Fiona, of course, but mother of my kid, you'll still get respect in the Sterling family. Endless pocket money, fancy status."

Ariella looked at him like she didn't even know who he was anymore. The way he made it sound, like she was just in it for money or status, was seriously insulting.

Forget being any kind of Sterling-wife, mistress, whatever. She didn't even want to be in the same room with him.

She scoffed, the anger bubbling up as she forced a smile. "Should I be thanking you for such a 'generous' offer?"

That smile, the one he thought was her true self. He was convinced she'd been scheming from day one, eager to stick around for the perks.

"What do you think, babe? Women would kill for a spot in the Sterling family. I'm giving you the chance to live the dream. Of course you should thank me," he said, smirking.

"Too bad, Lucian. I don't want to live in your dream." Her voice was scornful now.

"I crashed the wedding because I didn't want my friend marrying a hypocrite. As for me, I'd rather marry a beggar, or stay single for life, than tie myself to you." There was no mistaking the disgust in her tone.

The look on her face said it all-pure rejection. Lucian couldn't believe it.

Was she really that repelled by him? Or maybe it wasn't hate...it was just him not being able to figure her out. That was what hooked him. Maybe she was playing the long game-aiming for the top spot.

"So, having a baby's off the table?" he said flatly.

"Absolutely."

"Fine then," he replied coolly.

"But you broke our deal today. That comes with a price-I'm adding another six months to our agreement." His voice made it clear-no discussions, no negotiations.