Episode Four
899 Words
The Marriage Proposal
The room fell silent.
Amara could hear nothing except the frantic pounding of her own heart.
Nikolai Volkov.
The name carried a weight that made even Lucien's men uneasy.
She looked from one face to another.
No one seemed surprised.
Only worried.
And that terrified her.
"What exactly is wrong with this man?" she demanded.
Nobody answered.
The blond man shifted uncomfortably.
Her father stared at the floor.
Lucien remained expressionless.
The silence stretched.
Finally, Amara snapped.
"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!"
Lucien's dark eyes settled on her.
"You don't want to know."
"I think I do."
His jaw tightened.
"No."
The word came out sharp enough to cut glass.
Amara stepped closer.
"You don't get to decide what I know."
A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
"And you don't understand the kind of people we're dealing with."
The room grew tense.
Neither of them looked away.
Finally, Lucien sighed.
A rare sign of frustration.
"Nikolai Volkov is the head of the Volkov Bratva."
Amara frowned.
"The Russian syndicate?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Lucien's expression hardened.
"He doesn't negotiate."
The blond man folded his arms.
"He doesn't forgive either."
Amara looked between them.
"You're making him sound like a monster."
Nobody laughed.
Nobody disagreed.
Her stomach twisted.
Lucien walked toward the window.
Rain continued to pour outside.
The flashing lights from his security team illuminated the darkness.
"Nikolai has spent years building power."
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
"Money means nothing to him. Fear is his currency."
Amara swallowed.
"And he wants me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
This time, it was her father who answered.
"Because of your mother."
The words hit like a slap.
Amara froze.
"My mother?"
Every muscle in her body stiffened.
Her mother had died when she was twelve.
The subject was practically forbidden in the Rossi household.
"What does my mother have to do with any of this?"
Her father's face filled with guilt.
A guilt she had never seen before.
Everything inside her began screaming that she wasn't going to like the answer.
"Tell me."
He looked away.
"Years ago, before I met your mother, she was connected to the Volkov family."
Amara stared.
"What?"
"Not directly."
His voice cracked.
"But her family was."
The room seemed to tilt.
Nothing made sense.
"My mother never mentioned that."
"She wouldn't have."
"Why?"
"Because she spent her entire life trying to escape it."
Amara felt her breath catch.
Escape.
The word echoed in her mind.
"What are you saying?"
Her father looked like a man walking toward his own execution.
"I'm saying that Nikolai believes something belongs to him."
Fear curled inside her chest.
"What?"
Her father's answer shattered the room.
"You."
Silence.
Dead silence.
Amara laughed.
A sharp, disbelieving sound.
"That's ridiculous."
Nobody joined her.
Nobody even smiled.
The laughter died instantly.
"You can't be serious."
Her father closed his eyes.
"When your mother disappeared from their world, certain arrangements were broken."
"What arrangements?"
No one answered.
And somehow that was worse.
Amara's pulse quickened.
"What arrangements?"
Lucien spoke.
"Marriage."
The word struck like lightning.
Everything inside her froze.
"No."
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"No."
"He believes an old agreement gives him a claim."
"That's insane."
"It is."
"Then why are we even discussing it?"
Lucien finally turned toward her.
His expression was colder than ever.
"Because men like Nikolai don't care what's legal."
The truth landed hard.
Power.
Fear.
Violence.
Those were the only laws that mattered in their world.
Amara backed away.
Her mind spinning.
Her entire life felt like a lie.
Her mother.
Her family.
The danger surrounding her.
Everything.
Then another realization hit.
A terrible realization.
Slowly, she looked at Lucien.
Understanding dawned in his eyes.
"You figured it out."
Her voice trembled.
"The marriage."
Lucien remained silent.
"The reason you came tonight."
Still silent.
"The reason you wanted seven days."
The knot in her stomach tightened.
It wasn't revenge.
It wasn't punishment.
At least not entirely.
Lucien wanted something.
Something important.
And suddenly she knew exactly what it was.
"You want me to marry you."
The room fell quiet.
No one denied it.
No one needed to.
Lucien took a step forward.
His gaze never leaving hers.
"Yes."
Her heart thundered.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Lucien wasn't surprised.
"You don't have a choice."
Rage exploded inside her.
"The hell I don't."
"You do not understand the situation."
"And you think marrying you solves it?"
His face remained unreadable.
"Yes."
She stared at him.
Then laughed.
A bitter laugh.
"That's the worst proposal I've ever heard."
To her surprise, the corner of his mouth twitched.
The smallest hint of amusement.
Gone almost immediately.
"It wasn't a proposal."
His voice dropped lower.
"It was a warning."
The room went cold.
Lucien stepped closer until only a few feet separated them.
His dark eyes locked onto hers.
"If Nikolai gets to you first..."
His jaw tightened.
For the first time since meeting him, she saw genuine anger.
Not directed at her.
At someone else.
Someone dangerous.
"When he comes," Lucien said quietly, "there won't be a second chance."
Amara swallowed hard.
The air suddenly felt too thin.
Too heavy.
Too real.
Then Lucien delivered the words that stole the breath from her lungs.
"Marry me, Amara."
His voice was calm.
Certain.
Terrifying.
"And I'll make sure Nikolai Volkov never touches you."
- Writer
