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.

Ariella opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, trying to earn a reduction on the six-month sentence.

But pride got the best of her. Rather suffer a few more months than say one soft word to that hypocrite.

"As you wish!" she ground out the words through clenched teeth.

"You don't sound thrilled. Shouldn't you be thanking me for giving you more time to make me fall for you?" Lucian lifted her chin, locking eyes with her, his gaze piercing.

Truth was, extending the deal wasn't just about wanting more time with her body - though that was part of it. What really got under his skin was how this girl had been at his side for nearly two years, and he still couldn't catch her slipping.

No way he was gonna let that stand. As the new head of the Sterling family, he couldn't lose to a rookie like her.

Lucian lived for this kind of game. His plan? Make her hate him to the core, make her fall stupid in love, and then get all her secrets.

And in the end... crush her. Make her pay for every bit of deception.

"I used to be grateful to you..." Ariella's eyes were clear, no sign of lying.

She wanted to explain herself, but only got halfway before the look in his eyes shut her up.

"Go on. Why stop now?"

"You wanted me just to satisfy your appetite, didn't you? There's no point in talking-we both know words don't mean anything between us." Her tone was flat, even a bit dismissive.

That triggered something in him. Again.

He shoved her onto the bed, hands rough as he started yanking at her thin nightgown.

Ariella grabbed his wrist tightly, panicked. "Easy! Stop tearing my clothes-I gotta pay for those."

"Oh? You broke because I didn't give you cash?" He suddenly froze, staring at her like he'd caught her red-handed.

He'd given her a card before, set a spending limit-yet she never used it. Even the slippers, towel, toothpaste, and toothbrush she used, she paid for herself.

He'd assumed she had some pride, but now... maybe not?

Ariella looked at him like he was speaking another language. Honestly, it felt like they operated in different realities. Or maybe he was just clinically insane. Guy twisted everything she said.

Her reaction made Lucian lose his cool again. This time, with a sharp tear, her nightgown went, followed by her silk underwear.

"Can we not do this tonight? I don't want Fiona to hate me," she muttered.

"You don't get to say no!"

She bit her lip hard, refusing to give in, no matter how much it hurt.

Just hold on...

She shut her eyes tight, enduring everything in silence.

When it was over, she slowly got up to take a long shower.

But before she could, Lucian zipped up and shoved her back down on the bed.

She was naked. He looked completely put-together.

The world was never fair.

Her face was flushed from their intimacy, but there was no joy in it-only misery. It annoyed him more than he expected.

He'd meant it as punishment, but seeing her that way made something twist in him. He'd wanted her to feel good in the end. Too bad she clearly didn't care.

"Was it really that awful for you? Then why try to seduce Ryan? You know the guy only thinks with what's below the belt."

"When did I ever seduce him?" she shot back, frowning.

"I saw it! Don't play with fire. Stay the hell away from him!" His voice was low and threatening.

They had a deal: during the agreement period, even holding hands with another man was off-limits-because he had a cleanliness thing.

Yet he could mess around with his wife and still treat Ariella like this? She had boundaries too!

"Don't worry," Ariella replied coolly.

"If there's nothing else, I'm taking a shower and going to bed. You can see yourself out." As she stood, he caught her and pushed her back down again.