Chapter 11 – A Dangerous Difference
658 Words
Lucien POV
The dinner should have made me happy.
Instead, it made me restless.
For the first time in years, I found someone whose company I genuinely enjoyed. Someone who didn't care about my last name, my money, or the influence attached to the Devereux family.
And that was exactly why I knew this wouldn't be easy.
I sat in the backseat of my car, staring out the window as the city lights blurred past.
Aria's smile lingered in my mind.
The way she talked about fashion.
The way her eyes lit up when she spoke about her dreams.
The way she tried to hide her struggles while pretending everything was fine.
I liked all of it.
More than I should.
"You're smiling."
I looked up.
Damien was staring at me from the opposite seat.
"I am not."
"You are."
"No."
"You look ridiculous."
I sighed.
Across from him, Theo adjusted his glasses.
"You know this is going to become a problem, right?"
I frowned.
"What is?"
"The waitress."
The word immediately irritated me.
Not because it described Aria.
Because it reduced her to only that.
Theo noticed my expression and raised an eyebrow.
"See? That's exactly what I mean."
Xavier leaned forward.
"Lucien, we're not saying she's a bad person."
"But?"
Damien sighed.
"But your family will lose their minds."
Silence filled the car.
Because they were right.
My mother had spent my entire life planning my future.
Every school.
Every internship.
Every business opportunity.
Every social event.
Everything was carefully selected.
Including the women she believed were suitable for me.
Daughters of politicians.
Heiresses.
Socialites.
Women from powerful families.
Not a struggling waitress living paycheck to paycheck.
My jaw tightened.
"I don't care."
Theo laughed quietly.
"You say that now."
"I mean it."
"You might," he replied. "Your parents won't."
The conversation ended there.
But the warning remained in my head long after I returned home.
The next evening, I arrived at Rosewood Bistro earlier than usual.
The moment I stepped inside, my eyes searched for Aria.
And found her.
She was laughing.
A genuine laugh.
Not the nervous smiles she usually gave customers.
She stood near the counter talking to Mia, completely unaware that I had entered.
For a moment, I simply watched.
Then something shifted.
A black luxury car stopped outside the bistro.
I recognized it immediately.
Damn.
My mother's driver.
A few seconds later, Beatrice Devereux stepped inside.
The entire restaurant seemed to freeze.
Customers recognized her instantly.
Even the staff looked nervous.
My mother rarely appeared anywhere without purpose.
And judging from the cold expression on her face...
She had one tonight.
Her eyes swept across the restaurant before landing on me.
Then they moved to Aria.
Slowly.
Critically.
I saw Aria straighten instinctively beneath that gaze.
She had no idea who my mother was.
But she could feel the judgment.
Most people could.
"Lucien."
My mother's voice was calm.
Too calm.
I stood.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
She looked around the bistro with obvious disapproval.
"This place again?"
I remained silent.
Her attention returned to Aria.
The atmosphere instantly became uncomfortable.
"Who's she?" my mother asked.
The question sounded innocent.
It wasn't.
I glanced at Aria.
She looked confused.
Uncertain.
And suddenly I hated that she had been dragged into this.
"Her name is Aria."
My mother's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A friend?"
I held her gaze.
"Yes."
The answer wasn't enough.
We both knew it.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then my mother smiled.
A cold, practiced smile.
"I see."
But I knew that look.
And so did my friends.
Because the second Beatrice Devereux became interested in something...
Trouble always followed.
As I watched Aria return to work, unaware of the storm approaching her life, one thought settled heavily inside me.
For the first time, I wasn't worried about what my family thought.
I was worried about what they might do.
- Writer
