Chapter 15: Waiting
613 Words
The next week passed surprisingly quickly.
Aria settled into a strange routine.
Classes during the day.
The mansion at night.
Arguments with Lucien in between.
For some reason, those arguments were becoming her favorite part.
Which was concerning.
Very concerning.
On Thursday evening, Chloe convinced her to attend a student event.
"It's harmless."
Those words should have been a warning.
Because whenever Chloe said something was harmless...
It never was.
Still.
Aria agreed.
Mainly because she was tired of spending every evening inside the mansion.
Even if that mansion happened to contain a certain infuriating billionaire.
The event lasted longer than expected.
Then Chloe wanted food.
Then someone recognized Aria from the gossip blogs.
Then there were questions.
Rumors.
Whispers.
By the time she checked her phone...
Her stomach dropped.
Three missed calls.
All from Lucien.
A fourth notification appeared.
Where are you?
Aria groaned.
She quickly typed a response.
On my way home.
The reply arrived instantly.
Now.
She rolled her eyes.
The man really thought he owned the dictionary definition of bossy.
It was almost midnight when she finally arrived.
The mansion was dark.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Aria sighed with relief.
Maybe he had gone to sleep.
Good.
Because she wasn't in the mood for another lecture.
She pushed open the front door.
Then froze.
The living room lights switched on.
One by one.
Like a scene from a movie.
And there he was.
Lucien Blackwood.
Sitting alone on the couch.
Waiting.
Her heart skipped.
Not because he looked angry.
That would've been easier.
He looked worried.
And somehow...
That was worse.
Much worse.
"You stayed up?"
The question escaped before she could stop it.
Lucien closed the file in his hands.
"You're late."
"That's not what I asked."
Silence.
The billionaire stood.
Slowly.
His gaze never leaving hers.
"Your phone."
Aria immediately looked away.
Oops.
"My phone was on silent."
"I noticed."
Uh-oh.
That tone wasn't good.
Not good at all.
"You called four times."
"Five."
Aria blinked.
"Five?"
Lucien stepped closer.
"Five."
For some reason, the answer made her chest tighten.
Because he had actually been worried.
Enough to call five times.
Enough to stay awake.
Enough to wait.
And something about that realization affected her more than it should.
"You were worried."
The words slipped out.
Lucien immediately looked annoyed.
Which was basically a confession.
"No."
Aria laughed.
"You absolutely were."
"No."
"Lucien."
"No."
She laughed harder.
The billionaire looked offended.
Actually offended.
Which only made it funnier.
Then something changed.
The laughter faded.
The room became quiet.
Neither moved.
Neither looked away.
For a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Aria became suddenly aware of how close they were standing.
Very close.
Too close.
The air between them felt different.
Heavier.
Warmer.
Dangerous.
Her pulse quickened.
Lucien noticed.
Of course he noticed.
The man noticed everything.
His gaze dropped briefly.
To her lips.
Then returned to her eyes.
The movement lasted less than a second.
Yet it changed everything.
The front door suddenly opened.
Both stepped apart immediately.
A security guard hurried inside.
"Sir."
The atmosphere shattered.
Lucien's expression hardened instantly.
"What is it?"
The guard hesitated.
Then handed him a file.
"We found the person who entered Miss Kingsley's dorm room."
Silence.
Aria's heart stopped.
"What?"
Lucien opened the file.
His expression became unreadable.
Dangerously unreadable.
Then he looked up.
Straight at her.
And for the first time since she'd met him...
Aria saw genuine fury in his eyes.
"Get some sleep."
Her stomach dropped.
Because Lucien Blackwood only looked like that when someone was about to suffer.
And whoever had been stalking her?
Had just made a fatal mistake.
- Writer
