Falling for Lucien

CHAPTER ONE Celeste POV The first thing that hit me was the light—harsh, white light that burned through my eyelids and sent a sharp pain down my temples. I blinked against the glare of it splashed across my face. For one disoriented second, I thought I’d fallen asleep at my desk again, likely dreaming of something overly dramatic after one too many late-night business reports. But the bright flashes didn’t stop, instead they just kept pulsing the hot flashes of light from what seemed to be cameras, which was absurd since I was supposed to be at home. A wall of noise surrounded me. Voices, murmurs, questions thrown like little darts just looking for where to land and wreck havoc, I flinched. My first coherent thought was—why the hell am I not in bed? I should’ve been at home, curled up in an oversized shirt with the empty bowl of instant noodles I had finished earlier while, binge-watching my favorite series Empire of Glass. I had just reached a good episode—the one where Celeste Arden’s engagement to Adrian Valen got publicly destroyed. The whole scene had made me wince even on screen, her glassy smile, the press tearing her apart, the cruel elegance of her downfall. It had been interesting and annoying, mostly because we shared the same name and I would never have let anyone bully me that way. I had raged for a good ten minutes on all the things I would have done differently and fell asleep at some point through the movie. But now… Now I was here, in wherever this strange place was supposed to be. My eyes adjusted slowly, to the lights and I realized the cameras weren't as bright as I thought they were. I was standing under a chandelier that was so massive it looked like a cluster of frozen suns. The air smelled faintly of champagne, expensive perfume, and a lot of rich people arrogance. Behind the camera's were a sea of reporters crowded before me, thrusting their microphones into my face. “Miss Arden, how do you feel about the engagement realignment?” “Did the Valen family inform you beforehand?” “What does the Arden board think about your father’s silence?” Their words hit me in shards. “Arden.” “Engagement.” “Valen.” No, that couldn’t be— I looked down at myself. A floor-length gown of ivory silk hugged my body, the kind of couture I would never buy even with a year’s worth of bonuses. Diamonds winked at my wrist, my nails were manicured, pale pink and trembling. The reflection on a nearby camera lens caught my eye—and my blood froze in my veins. That face definitely wasn’t mine. The woman in the reflection had soft dove-gray eyes framed by lashes too long to be natural. Her hair was an elegant shade of ash-brown, pinned in waves over one shoulder. Her lips were glossed rose, trembling slightly. Celeste Arden. I blinked rapidly but the image did not disappear. s**t something had to be wrong with me right, I pinched my upper arm jerking at the pain. The realization hit me like a physical blow. I wasn’t just in the show. I was in her, this Celeste Arden by some magic was me. My stomach twisted as the chaos of the ballroom intensified. I remembered every detail of this episode—how it went from humiliation to complete social destruction. This was the moment Robert Valen, the family patriarch announced that the engagement between Celeste and Adrian was “reassigned” to his adopted son, Lucien Valen. It was known as the infamous Glass Heiress Scandal and the scene that ended her life. “Miss Arden,” a voice barked from the front row, “do you have any comments about your broken engagement? About Mr. Adrian Valen’s relationship with Miss Elara Wynn?” The name cracked through my head like thunder. Elara Wynn. The woman who had stolen Celeste’s fiancé. I caught sight of her in the crowd— seeing her in the flesh seemed to be way better than just watching it in the TV screen. She was gorgeous and dressed in a simple champagne silk dress. She looked like she didn't want to be here, her hand rested delicately on Adrian Valen’s arm, whose golden-brown hair caught the light like a halo. Adrian himself looked every bit the golden heir flawless, guilty, and utterly spineless for the male lead. He wouldn’t even meet my gaze. My breath hitched as the reporters crowded closer, the air becoming stifling. I stumbled a step back, my mind racing on what I could do to get out of here now. In the show, this was when Celeste– the original host had broken—crying on stage, begging Adrian for an explanation, making the scandal ten times worse. The world had called her “pathetic” for days after her death. I was definitely not crying for Adrian's attention but I couldn't storm off the stage blindly either. I swallowed hard, straightened my shoulders, and lifted my chin looking over the heads of the people in the room to find an exit. I turned my head slightly and saw him. Lucien Valen, the villain and my new fiance. He was exactly like he was in the show, tall, severe and dressed in all black. His silver eyes glinted like forged metal, unreadable but cutting straight through me. One hand rested loosely in his pocket, with the other tapping rhythmically against a champagne flute. The adopted son, I hadn't watched the soap to the end but I knew that Lucien wasn't really a bad catch he was the Valen family’s hidden weapon. The man the media called “The Devil’s Bedmate.” In the show, he had been —ruthless, efficient, utterly emotionless. He threatened and if that didn't work out then he wasn't above using torture. Celeste had feared him and so she stayed away, staring at him though I could see the appeal, as our gazes locked, I saw something flicker behind that cold amusement—curiosity. Flashbulbs fired like gunshots pulling my attention back to the spectacle I was still a part of as the reporters screamed my name. Adrian’s mouth fell open to say something when an arm clamped around his and mine and pulled us both forward. “ What do you want–” Adrian hissed, his annoyed tone dying down when he saw his father. Elara stiffened beside him as Robert glared over at them before turning to face the reporters. “ Gentlemen and ladies I'm here to answer your questions” he mumbled softly.