Chapter 5: Step In
Lucien's POV
Sofia Di Luca.
His mistake from three years ago.
The one who never knew how to stay dead.
"You weren't invited," Lucien said coldly.
Sofia didn't flinch. "You never returned my calls."
"You weren't supposed to find this place."
"I didn't. One of your guards sold me the address. Loyalty's cheap these days."
Aria stood perfectly still, her fingers tightening at her sides.
Lucien took a step toward Sofia. "Get out."
Sofia laughed. "After I give you my gift?"
She reached into her purse.
Lucien's hand was already near his gun.
But it wasn't a weapon.
It was a small vial of clear liquid.
"What the hell is that?"
"Just something to make you sleep a little," Sofia purred. "To remind you what losing control feels like."
Then she lunged.
Lucien caught her wrist—but she was faster than she looked. A single scratch—barely visible—landed across his forearm.
He shoved her hard.
But the drug was already entering his bloodstream.
His limbs went heavy.
His breath slowed.
"Shit," he whispered.
Sofia smiled wickedly. "Goodnight, Lucien."
The last thing he saw was Aria stepping between them, eyes wide—not with fear, but fury.
Then darkness took him.
Aria's POV
Lucien collapsed like a giant falling in slow motion—one hand catching the edge of the desk before his knees buckled. His head hit the hardwood with a dull, sickening thud.
Sofia stood over him, panting. Her smile wide. Wild.
"You didn't even fight it," she murmured. "That's disappointing."
Aria didn't move.
Not for a second.
She was weighing a thousand decisions in her mind—every outcome, every path.
She had two choices.
Run. Pretend to be the helpless bride. Call for help, act like she had no part in any of this.
Or—
Take control.
Her heartbeat was thunder in her ears.
She made her decision.
Aria moved faster than Sofia expected.
The heel of her palm struck the woman's chest, pushing her back. Hard.
Sofia stumbled, caught off guard. "What the—?"
"I should kill you," Aria hissed, grabbing Lucien's gun from his side holster. Her hands shook—but only a little. "But I'm not him."
Sofia's eyes narrowed. "You're not Isla."
Aria's lips twitched.
"No. I'm not."
Sofia lunged again—but this time Aria pulled the trigger.
Not at her. At the wall.
The crack of gunfire froze Sofia in place.
Aria leveled the weapon at her head. "Try me again and I won't miss."
Sofia's smirk faltered.
"Smart little mouse," she whispered. "You're not as breakable as you look."
"No," Aria said. "I'm worse."
Sofia backed toward the door. "This isn't over."
"Get out," Aria said, voice low. "Now."
And this time, she did.
---
Minutes Later
Aria dropped to her knees beside Lucien. He was unconscious, his skin a shade paler than normal. His breathing was shallow. His pulse weak—but there.
She didn't panic.
She pulled his phone from his pocket, scanned his thumb to unlock it, and called the first name in his emergency list: Nico.
"Emergency" she said when he picked up. "Lucien's been drugged. Don't ask how I have his phone. Just come. Now."
Nico's voice was tight. "Where are you?"
"His private wing. Alone."
A pause. "You armed?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"Help is coming."
She hung up, then cradled Lucien's head in her lap, her fingers gently brushing the hair away from his brow.
"You're not as invincible as you pretend," she whispered.
But something strange twisted in her chest.
He looked younger, unconscious like this. Human. Not the predator he usually was. Not the man she'd been raised to fear.
Just a man. Drugged. Betrayed.
And she had protected him.
She didn't know what that meant yet.
---
Lucien's POV
Consciousness returned like a slow drag through broken glass.
His muscles were weak. His thoughts sluggish.
But his senses?
Sharp as ever.
He didn't open his eyes yet, not fully. But he heard her breathing. Felt the weight of her presence beside him.
Soft fingers brushed his temple.
Not out of pity.
Out of choice.
She didn't leave me.
His lashes fluttered.
And when he opened his eyes—
She was there.
Not Isla.
Her.
The wrong bride.
Or maybe… the right one.
"You're awake," she whispered.
Lucien stared up at her, mind already turning like spinning knives.
"You're not Isla," he said hoarsely.
"You already know".Aria replied.
Lucien scoffed."Seems you are the petite girl you pretend to be."
"You would've killed me."
That shut him up.
Aria looked down at him. No smile. No fear. Just… truth.
"And I'm not here to die."
Lucien blinked slowly. "Who are you, really?"
Aria stood, setting the gun on the table beside them. "Your wife."
She stepped toward the door, paused, and looked over her shoulder.
"And the last mistake you'll ever underestimate."
Then she disappeared into the hall, just as Nico and two Moretti guards stormed the room.
---
Later That Night
Lucien sat up in bed, the drug finally fading from his system.
He was quiet.
Still.
Thinking.
Aria Monroe.
She wasn't what he expected.
She wasn't soft.
She wasn't safe.
She wasn't Isla.
And now?
He couldn't stop thinking.
"Who is Aria."