Episode Five
779 Words
His Offer
Amara couldn't breathe.
The words echoed through her mind like a curse.
Marry me.
Lucien stood before her, calm and unyielding, as though he had simply offered her a business contract instead of her future.
A future she had never wanted.
A future she had never imagined.
She stared at him.
Then shook her head.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Firm.
Defiant.
Lucien's expression didn't change.
"I expected that."
"Then you already know my answer."
She folded her arms across her chest.
"I'm not marrying you."
The blond man near the door muttered something under his breath.
Lucien ignored him.
"You think this is about what you want."
Amara laughed bitterly.
"Isn't it?"
"No."
The room grew colder.
"This is about survival."
Her temper flared.
"Stop saying that."
"It's the truth."
"No."
She stepped closer.
"You keep acting like you're doing me a favor."
His gaze darkened.
"You have no idea how much trouble you're in."
"Then explain it."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Then Lucien reached inside his jacket.
Every muscle in Amara's body tensed.
Instead of a weapon, he pulled out a thin brown envelope.
Her father immediately looked away.
A bad sign.
A very bad sign.
Lucien placed the envelope on the desk.
"Open it."
Amara frowned.
"What is it?"
"Answers."
Her pulse quickened.
Slowly, she picked up the envelope.
The paper felt old.
Worn.
Like it had survived years of being hidden.
With trembling fingers, she opened it.
Several photographs slid onto the desk.
The moment she saw them, her world stopped.
Her mother.
The pictures were all of her mother.
Younger.
Beautiful.
Smiling.
But she wasn't alone.
In every photograph stood a young man beside her.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Dangerously handsome.
His arm wrapped around her waist.
His eyes fixed entirely on her.
As though she was the only thing he saw.
Amara's stomach dropped.
"Who is this?"
No one answered immediately.
She already knew she wasn't going to like the answer.
Finally, Lucien spoke.
"Nikolai Volkov."
The room spun.
Amara looked at the photograph again.
The man didn't resemble the monster everyone described.
He looked charming.
Confident.
Human.
"That's impossible."
"It isn't."
She flipped through the remaining pictures.
Family gatherings.
Vacations.
Celebrations.
Nikolai appeared in all of them.
Her mother looked happy.
Happy enough to break Amara's heart.
Because she had never seen these pictures before.
Not once.
Not in twelve years.
"Why do these exist?"
Her father's voice cracked.
"Because your mother was supposed to marry him."
The words hit harder than anything else.
Amara froze.
"No."
"Yes."
The photograph slipped from her fingers.
It fluttered onto the desk.
Her father looked sick.
Ashamed.
Broken.
"Your mother disappeared before the wedding."
Amara's chest tightened.
"Disappeared?"
Lucien crossed his arms.
"She ran."
The room fell silent.
The truth settled over her like chains.
Her mother hadn't simply left that world.
She had escaped it.
And now somehow—
The past had come back for her.
A knock sounded at the study door.
Everyone turned.
One of Lucien's soldiers entered.
His face was pale.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"What happened?"
The soldier swallowed.
"Boss..."
Lucien's expression hardened.
"What is it?"
"We found something at the front gate."
The room instantly tensed.
The soldier stepped forward.
Holding a small black box.
Amara felt dread crawl up her spine.
"What is that?"
The soldier carefully placed the box on the desk.
No one touched it.
No one moved.
Lucien slowly opened the lid.
Inside was a single white rose.
Its petals stained with blood.
Amara's stomach turned.
Beneath the flower lay a folded card.
Lucien picked it up.
The moment he read it, something dangerous flashed across his face.
Anger.
Pure anger.
"Lucien?"
He didn't answer.
"What's wrong?"
Still nothing.
Finally, she snatched the card from his hand.
Her eyes scanned the message.
Then her blood ran cold.
Little Sparrow,
You have your mother's eyes.
I look forward to seeing them again.
— Nikolai
Amara felt the room tilt.
The note slipped from her trembling fingers.
He knew.
He knew exactly who she was.
And somehow...
He was already watching.
Lucien's voice cut through the silence.
Cold.
Deadly.
"Pack your things."
Amara looked up.
The softness that had briefly appeared in his eyes was gone.
Replaced by something far darker.
Something lethal.
"Why?"
Lucien's jaw clenched.
"Because you're leaving tonight."
A chill raced down her spine.
"Leaving for where?"
His gaze locked onto hers.
"The Moretti Estate."
The realization hit instantly.
She would be living with him.
Under his roof.
In his world.
And judging by the look in his eyes...
The war between Lucien Moretti and Nikolai Volkov had officially begun.
- Writer
