Lior turned to study Lucien's profile, noting the tension in his jaw. "Ethan Cross. He mentioned some research opportunity."
"Research." The word came out flat, like he was testing its weight.
"In oncology. With Dr. Harrison's lab." She kept her voice casual, but something in Lucien's stillness made her pulse quicken.
The silence stretched between them as Manhattan blurred past the windows. Lior found herself watching his hands, the way his fingers drummed against his thigh in a rhythm that seemed just slightly too controlled.
"Is the Chen-Nakamura dinner that important to you?"
"It is important," he said.
"I figured, given the theater production happening at home."
"Theater production?"
"Mrs. Chen's been preparing since yesterday. I've never seen so much food for four people."
Something that might have been amusement flickered across his features. "Mrs. Chen takes these things seriously."
"Good thing. I have no idea how to host a dinner party for billionaires."
"You won't have to do anything except be yourself."
Lior raised an eyebrow. "Be myself, or be the version of myself you need for this deal?"
The question seemed to catch him off guard. He studied her face with the same intensity he'd probably used to evaluate merger documents.
"Is there a difference?"
"I don't know yet."
As they turned into the drive of Sterling Heights, Lior could see lights blazing in every window. The house looked like it was preparing for a state dinner rather than a simple business meeting.
Marcus opened her door, and she stepped out into the evening air, already able to smell something incredible drifting from the kitchen windows.
"Mrs. Chen's outdone herself," Marcus said with obvious pride. "She's been coordinating with the chef since noon."
Inside, the house hummed with quiet efficiency. Staff moved through the halls carrying linens, adjusting flowers, polishing surfaces that already gleamed. The dining room had been transformed into something that belonged in a magazine - crystal and silver catching the light from the chandelier, arrangements of white orchids creating an atmosphere of understated elegance.
"Lior!" Mrs. Chen appeared from the kitchen, her usually calm demeanor showing just a hint of the controlled chaos behind her. "Perfect timing. I wanted to check about the wine selection with you."
"With me?" Lior blinked in surprise. "I don't know anything about wine."
"You know what you like. That's enough." Mrs. Chen was already guiding her toward the kitchen. "Mr. Pembroke has excellent taste, but sometimes men forget that dinner is about more than just business."
The kitchen was a symphony of organized chaos. The chef Lucien hired for business meetings directed his team with military precision, while Mrs. Chen oversaw every detail with the eye of someone who understood that perfection was the only acceptable standard.
"Try this," Mrs. Chen said, handing Lior a small spoon with what looked like a reduction sauce. "Too much wine, or just right?"
Lior tasted it, considering. The flavor was complex, rich without being overpowering. "It's perfect. What is it?"
"Reduction for the lamb. The chef was worried it might be too bold for traditional tastes."
Lior found herself drawn into the rhythm of preparation, tasting, offering opinions that Mrs. Chen seemed to value. It was different from the formal dinners she'd imagined - less about showing off wealth and more about creating an atmosphere of comfortable sophistication.
"Mrs. Pembroke." One of the staff members approached hesitantly. "Mr. Pembroke asked me to tell you that the guests will arrive at seven. He suggested you might want to prepare."
Right. She wasn't actually helping with dinner - she was the decoration. The thought stung more than it should have.
"Of course. Thank you."
Upstairs, Lior's bedroom felt like a sanctuary away from the controlled chaos below. She could still hear the distant sounds of preparation, but up here, surrounded by the soft grays and creams that had become familiar, she could almost pretend this was normal.
Her closet, still impossibly large, held clothes she was still getting used to. Everything fit perfectly, everything was beautiful, and it felt like it belonged to someone else.
She reached for a simple black dress - classic, appropriate, safe.
"Not that one."
Lior turned to find Lucien in her doorway, still wearing his business suit but with his tie loosened. He moved into the room with the easy confidence of someone who belonged everywhere he went.
"It's a perfectly good dress."
"It's boring." He moved past her to the closet, his fingers skimming across fabrics with surprising familiarity. "Chen and Nakamura aren't just evaluating the business deal. They're evaluating us. As a couple."
"And what exactly are we supposed to be?"
He pulled out a deep green dress with clean lines and a neckline that was sophisticated without being revealing. "This one."
"I can dress myself."
"I know. But I also know what impression we need to make." He held the dress up against her, studying the effect in the mirror. "Chen has three daughters. All educated, all successful. He'll respect intelligence, but he'll also notice if you look like you don't take this seriously."
The logic was sound, even if his presumption irritated her. "And Nakamura?"
"His wife runs an art gallery in Tokyo. She has impeccable taste. He'll notice details." Lucien's eyes met hers in the mirror."
Lior took the dress from him, feeling the weight of the fabric. It was beautiful, she had to admit. More sophisticated than anything she would have chosen herself.
"I'll change."
"I'll wait."
There was something in his tone that made arguing seem pointless. Lior disappeared into the bathroom, grateful for a few minutes alone to process the evening ahead.
The dress fit like it had been made for her, which it probably had been. The color brought out her eyes, and the cut was flattering without being obvious. She looked like someone who belonged in Lucien's world, someone who could hold her own at a billion-dollar dinner.
When she emerged, Lucien was standing by the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out at the gardens. He'd changed into a fresh shirt, charcoal gray that made his eyes look almost silver.
"Better?" she asked.
He turned, and for a moment his carefully controlled expression slipped. Something raw flickered across his features before he recovered.
"Turn around."
The zipper. Right. Lior turned, lifting her hair away from her neck. She could feel him approach, his presence behind her even before his fingers found the zipper.
He pulled it up slowly, his knuckles brushing against her spine. The touch was careful, methodical, but there was something deliberate about the pace that made her skin prickle with awareness.
"Hold up your hair. " he said, his voice rougher than it had been moments before.
She started to move it, but his hands were already there, gathering the dark strands and lifting them away from her neck. His fingers lingered at her nape, and she could feel his breath against her skin.
"There."
But he didn't step back immediately. In the mirror, she could see him watching her.His eyes had darkened. The space between them felt charged, dangerous.
"How do I look?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.
"Just so. You fit everything perfectly."
Her cheeks burned, a sudden, furious heat spreading across her skin. The innocent words twisted in her mind, morphing into something insidious. Fit perfectly everything. His world. His plans. And the unsettling, invasive implication of her body. Her breath hitched, trapped in her lungs, as his gaze held hers, acknowledging the unspoken meaning. It was a cocktail of shame, fury, and a terrifying, unwanted awareness of his command.
A soft knock at the door interrupted the moment. Marcus's voice came through the wood.
"Sir? The guests have arrived."
Lucien stepped back, the spell broken. "We'll be right down."
Lior smoothed her dress, checking her reflection one more time. The woman looking back at her was composed, elegant, every inch the successful wife of a billionaire. She hardly recognized herself.
"Ready?" Lucien offered his arm.
"Yes."
They walked downstairs together, and Lior was struck by how natural it felt. The weight of his arm under hers, their steps matched automatically.
In the foyer, two men waited with Marcus. Robert Chen was smaller than she'd remembered, with silver hair and kind eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. Kenji Nakamura was taller, impeccably dressed, with the bearing of someone accustomed to being the smartest person in the room.
"Gentlemen," Lucien said, his voice carrying the easy confidence of a man completely in his element. "I'd like you to meet my wife again,Lior."
"Mrs. Pembroke." Chen stepped forward with a warm smile, taking her hand in both of his. "What a pleasure to meet you again. Lucien has told us so much about you."
"All good things, I hope." Lior found herself smiling back, genuinely warmed by his manner.
"He mentioned you're pursuing medical studies," Nakamura said, his accent barely noticeable. "A challenging field."
"It is, but it's also incredibly rewarding. There's something satisfying about solving puzzles that actually matter to people's lives."
"Like running a business," Chen said with approval. "Though I imagine the stakes are more immediate in medicine."
"In some ways. But I think both require the same fundamental skills - attention to detail, ability to see patterns, willingness to make difficult decisions under pressure."
Lucien's hand found the small of her back, a gesture that looked affectionate but felt like approval.
"Shall we go to dinner?" he suggested.
The dining room looked perfect, dim light softening the formal elegance into something warmer. Mrs. Chen had outdone herself - every detail was flawless without being showy.
As they settled into their seats, Lior found herself directly across from Nakamura, with Chen to her left. The arrangement felt strategic, giving her the opportunity to engage with both men equally.
"This is beautiful," Chen said, looking around the room. "You have excellent taste, Mrs. Pembroke."
"Actually, I can't take credit for this. Mrs. Chen - our housekeeper - coordinated everything. She has an incredible eye for creating atmosphere."
"A wise woman knows when to delegate," Nakamura observed. "And when to take credit for choosing good people."
The first course arrived - something delicate and perfectly presented. Lior had worried about making conversation with men whose business interests were so far outside her experience, but she found herself genuinely enjoying their company.
Chen talked about his daughters, all of whom had chosen demanding careers despite having the option to live comfortably without working. Nakamura discussed his wife's gallery, his obvious pride in her success making him seem more human than his formal demeanor suggested.
"You know," Chen said as they moved to the main course, "when Lucien first told us about this partnership, I was concerned about the cultural differences. Three very different approaches to business, three different perspectives on what constitutes success."
"And now?" Lior asked.
"Now I think those differences might be our greatest strength. Fresh perspectives, new ways of looking at old problems." His eyes moved between her and Lucien. "Sometimes the best solutions come from unexpected combinations."
Lior felt Lucien's attention sharpen beside her. This was important, she realized. Not just polite dinner conversation, but a real evaluation of their partnership potential.
"In medicine, we call that interdisciplinary collaboration," she said. "Bringing together different specialties to solve complex cases. The cardiologist sees the heart, the neurologist sees the brain, but sometimes the solution requires understanding how they interact."
"Exactly." Nakamura leaned forward with interest. "And in technology, we're seeing the same principle. The most innovative products come from combining expertise that traditionally stayed separate."
"Like what?" Lior found herself genuinely curious.
"Medical devices, actually. Combining diagnostic imaging with artificial intelligence, or surgical robotics with real-time data analysis. The future of healthcare is going to be built on these kinds of partnerships."
Lior's pulse quickened. This was her territory, the intersection of medicine and technology that fascinated her most. "The diagnostic applications alone could revolutionize oncology treatment. Instead of waiting weeks for pathology results, imagine having real-time cellular analysis during surgery."
"You've thought about this," Chen observed.
"It's hard not to, when you're watching patients wait for answers that could determine their entire future. Time is everything in cancer treatment."