Reclaimed by the Ruthless Heir

Chapter 7 – Sewing Dreams

Lucien POV

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

It was becoming a problem.

During meetings, I caught myself remembering the way Aria smiled when she forgot to be guarded. At dinner with my parents, I found myself staring at waitresses who looked nothing like her and feeling irritated anyway.

It made no sense.

I barely knew her.

Yet every evening, my car somehow ended up parked outside Rosewood Bistro.

“Pathetic,” Damien muttered from the passenger seat as we arrived again.

I ignored him.

The moment I entered the restaurant, my eyes searched for her automatically.

And found her instantly.

Aria stood behind the counter arguing softly with the chef while holding a small notebook against her chest. Her hair was tied loosely tonight, though strands still escaped around her face.

She looked exhausted.

Beautiful.

Real.

When she noticed me, she froze slightly before quickly looking away.

Interesting.

“She’s trying not to look at you,” Xavier observed with amusement.

“She’s failing,” Theo added.

I walked toward our usual table calmly.

But tonight felt different.

Aria seemed distracted the entire evening.

She nearly bumped into another waitress twice and accidentally gave Damien sparkling water instead of wine.

“She’s nervous around you,” Damien whispered once she walked away again.

I leaned back in my seat silently.

Was that a bad thing?

For the first time in years, someone reacted to me without calculation behind their eyes.

No greed.

No fake sweetness.

No social ambition.

Just nervous honesty.

And somehow, I wanted more of it.

An hour later, the restaurant became quieter as customers slowly left. My friends continued talking among themselves while I watched Aria clean nearby tables.

Then suddenly—

A sketchbook slipped from beneath her tray and hit the floor.

Papers scattered everywhere.

Aria immediately knelt down in panic. “Oh no—”

Before I could think, I was already beside her.

I picked up one of the pages.

And went silent.

A dress design filled the paper.

Elegant.

Sharp.

Powerful.

The lines were confident and detailed in ways that surprised me. This wasn’t some random hobby sketch.

This was talent.

Real talent.

Aria’s face turned pale when she realized what I was holding.

“You don’t have to look at that,” she said quickly, reaching for it.

I moved it slightly out of reach.

“You made this?”

Her embarrassment deepened instantly. “It’s not important.”

“It is.”

She stared at me.

I studied the drawing again carefully.

The gown looked bold and expensive, something women in elite circles would fight to wear.

But beneath the beauty, I noticed something else.

Strength.

Every design she created looked like armor disguised as elegance.

“You designed all these?” I asked quietly.

Aria hesitated before nodding.

“How long have you been drawing?”

“Since I was little.”

“Why fashion?”

Her expression softened unexpectedly.

“My mother was a tailor.” Her voice became quieter. “She taught me before she died.”

Something tightened painfully inside my chest.

I looked at her differently after that.

Not with pity.

Never pity.

Respect.

Because suddenly I understood.

Those designs weren’t fantasies.

They were survival.

Dreams stitched together from grief and determination.

“You should go to fashion school,” I said honestly.

Aria laughed softly, though sadness hid beneath it.

“People like me don’t get opportunities like that.”

People like me.

I hated those words immediately.

As if the world had already convinced her she belonged beneath others.

My gaze hardened slightly.

“Who told you that?”

She looked startled by my tone.

“No one. It’s just reality.”

“No,” I corrected calmly. “That’s what people say when they’re afraid to try.”

Aria stared at me speechlessly.

Then slowly, carefully, she took the sketchbook from my hand.

“You really think they’re good?” she asked quietly.

I met her eyes directly.

“I think one day people will know your name.”

For a second, the entire world seemed to disappear around us.

And in that moment, I realized something dangerous.

I wanted to be there when it happened.