Episode 11
The following day dawned cloudy, casting a somber grey light over Blackwood Mansion. It felt like the house itself was holding its breath.
Aria sat at the grand dining table, stirring a cup of untouched tea. Lucien was nowhere in sight. Again.
A maid appeared with a tablet in hand and placed it in front of her.
"Mr. Blackwood wanted you to read this, ma'am."
Aria blinked. It wasn't a note. It was a file—secure, encrypted. The screen required her fingerprint.
She hesitated, then placed her thumb on the sensor.
The file opened.
Subject: Aria Elwood – High Risk Target.
Reason: Affiliation with Lucien Blackwood.
Below that—photos. Of her. Leaving the hospital. Walking with Lucien. At the gala. In his car.
Someone had been following her.
She scrolled further.
Threat Level: High.
Suspected Surveillance by: The Ashborne Syndicate.
Note from Security Chief (Zane K): All guards on red alert.
Her blood ran cold.
The Ashborne Syndicate. She'd heard whispers—an underground crime empire, old money and older grudges. Ruthless. Bloodthirsty. Vicious.
And they were watching her.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Heavy. Measured.
Lucien entered.
Aria stood, the tablet shaking in her hands. "You knew I was in danger and didn't tell me?!"
Lucien's face was unreadable. "You are safe. That's all that matters."
"That's not an answer!" she shouted. "Who are these people? Why are they after me?"
He stepped forward. "They're not after you. They're after me."
"Then why involve me?"
Lucien's jaw flexed. "Because the moment you signed that contract and wore my ring, you became a part of my world—whether you wanted to or not."
She took a shaky breath. "Is that why you won't let me leave the house?"
He nodded slowly. "There's a price on your head, Aria. I have enemies who don't fight in courtrooms or board meetings. They burn. Kidnap. Kill. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to scare you. But… they've gotten bolder."
"Why? What did you do?"
Lucien walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "I stole something from them. Years ago. And they've waited… watched. I thought I had them contained. I was wrong."
Aria stepped forward. "What did you steal?"
His voice was quiet. "Power."
She didn't understand. Not fully. But she could see the shadows in his eyes. He wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid for her.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Zane—the head of security—rushed in.
"Sir! We found a device under Mrs. Blackwood's car. GPS tracker."
Lucien's head snapped toward him. "What?!"
Zane nodded. "We also intercepted a communication—Ashborne goons mentioned a pickup. Tonight. 11 PM."
Lucien's fist slammed onto the table.
Aria jumped.
"Double security," he barked. "I want this place on lockdown. No one enters. No one leaves. And bring the dogs out."
Zane nodded and disappeared.
Lucien turned to Aria, his eyes blazing. "You're not going anywhere. Not even to the garden. Understood?"
Aria's lips parted. "Lucien—"
"I said understood?" he growled.
She nodded, stunned. "Understood."
He softened. Just a fraction. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. No matter what it costs."
She swallowed. "Why do they hate you so much?"
Lucien met her gaze. "Because I exposed their empire. Because I took their money and turned it into my empire. Because I showed them a Blackwood doesn't bow to criminals."
He paused. "And because they think hurting you will break me."
Aria's heart skipped.
He stared at her—truly stared—for a long, heavy moment.
Then he left.
—
That night, the mansion turned into a fortress.
Guards patrolled every corridor. Drones buzzed over the rooftops. Attack dogs barked in the gardens. The air smelled of tension.
Aria sat in her room, wrapped in a shawl, staring at the clock.
10:48 PM.
She couldn't sleep. Could barely breathe. Every creak in the floorboards made her flinch.
A soft knock came at the door.
She rushed to open it.
Lucien stood there, dressed in all black, a gun holstered on his side. His hair was tousled. His eyes alert.
"I just wanted to check on you."
She nodded, unable to speak.
He stepped inside and closed the door.
For a moment, they just stood there.
"I don't want to lose anyone again," he whispered.
Aria blinked. "What do you mean?"
He looked down. "The last person who mattered to me—Samantha—was taken by the Ashbornes. She was my friend. A childhood friend. We were like siblings. They kidnapped her to punish me. Tortured her. Sent me the video."
Aria gasped, covering her mouth.
"I promised myself never again. Never let anyone in. Never care." He looked up, his eyes burning. "Then you walked into my life with your fire, your defiance… and now they want you too."
Aria felt a lump in her throat.
"I'm not leaving," she said quietly. "I'm not going to run."
Lucien's expression changed—something raw and broken flickered.
"You should. You should run far away."
"But I won't," she replied.
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then suddenly—
BANG!
The lights went out.
Screams echoed downstairs.
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "They're here."
He grabbed her hand. "Come with me."
Gunshots rang through the hallway.
Lucien pulled her toward a hidden panel in the wall. It opened to reveal a narrow metal staircase.
"Go!"
They ran. Down the stairs. Into a hidden chamber below the mansion.
It was a bunker.
Monitors lined the walls, displaying security footage.
Lucien flicked through the cameras.
Five men. Armed. Already inside the mansion.
"How the hell—"
Zane's voice came over the intercom. "They bribed one of the new guards. Got in through the east corridor. We've got four down, but the rest are converging on them now."
Lucien swore under his breath.
Then he turned to Aria.
"I need you to stay here. Lock the door behind me. Don't open it for anyone except me. Got it?"
Aria nodded. "Be careful."
He stared at her, something unreadable in his eyes.
Then he leaned down—and kissed her forehead.
A soft, warm press. Gentle. Protective.
"I'll come back."
And he vanished up the stairs.
—
Alone in the bunker, Aria stared at the monitors.
Lucien moved like a shadow, a weapon in hand. Fast. Precise. Lethal.
One attacker fell. Then another.
But then—on camera three—she saw it.
A sixth man. Sneaking toward the rear corridor.
Toward the staircase to the bunker.
Her bunker.
Her blood froze.
The man crept closer. Gun in hand.
Lucien wasn't near.
Aria reached for the emergency alarm—too far.
The door handle jiggled.
She backed away, heart pounding.
Please let him come back…
---
To Be Continued…
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