THE BILLIONAIRE'S PROMISE

The contract

Ariana made it to the bathroom on the thirty-second floor before she completely broke down.

She locked herself in a stall and pressed her hand over her mouth to keep the sobs quiet. Tears ran down her face, smearing her makeup. Her whole body shook.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She'd prepared herself for anger. She'd prepared herself for coldness. But she hadn't prepared herself for the way her heart would break all over again when she saw him. Five years, and Lucien still affected her like no one else ever could.

"Pull yourself together," she whispered to herself. "You're not that girl anymore. You're stronger now."

She took deep breaths until the crying stopped. Then she fixed her makeup as best as she could and walked out with her head held high.

Maya was waiting in the lobby with Ethan when Ariana finally came down.

"How did it go?" Maya asked, taking one look at Ariana's face. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse." Ariana picked up Ethan, holding him close. His small arms wrapped around her neck, and she breathed in his little boy smelling soap and sunshine. "He hates me, Maya. He really hates me."

"Mommy, why are you sad?" Ethan pulled back to look at her face. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No, baby. Mommy's just tired." She kissed his forehead. "Let's go home."

But they couldn't go home. Not yet.

Her phone rang as they walked to the car. Unknown number.

Ariana's stomach twisted, but she answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Ms. Cole." It was Jennifer, Lucien's assistant. Her voice was cold and professional. "Mr. Black wants to see you in his office. Now."

"I just left—"

"He said it's urgent. About the project."

Ariana closed her eyes. She wanted to say no. She wanted to get in her car and drive away and never come back. But she needed this job. The contract with Black Industries was the biggest opportunity her company had ever gotten. If she walked away now, she'd lose everything she'd worked so hard to rebuild.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," she said quietly.

Maya grabbed her arm. "Ari, you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do." Ariana handed Ethan back to her friend. "Can you take him to your place? I don't know how long this will take."

"Of course. But call me if you need backup. I'll come up there and tell that billionaire exactly what I think of him."

Despite everything, Ariana smiled. "I know you would."

---

Lucien's office was on the top floor. Of course, it was.

The elevator ride up felt like it took forever. Ariana's heart pounded harder with each floor that passed. By the time the doors opened, she felt sick.

Jennifer was waiting. She led Ariana down a hallway with windows on one side, showing the whole city below. Everything here screamed money and power, from the expensive art on the walls to the thick carpet under her feet.

"Mr. Black is inside," Jennifer said, stopping at a set of double doors. "He asked not to be disturbed."

That sounded scary.

Ariana stepped inside.

The office was huge. One entire wall was windows, giving a view that must cost millions. The furniture was all dark wood and leather. Everything was neat and organized, just like Lucien himself.

He stood by the window, hands in his pockets, looking out at the city.

"Close the door," he said without turning around.

Ariana did. The click of the lock sounded very loud in the quiet room.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Sit down."

"I'd rather stand."

Lucien finally turned to face her. His expression was hard to read. "I said sit. Down."

There was something in his voice that made Ariana's knees weak. She sat in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk.

Lucien walked over slowly and sat on the edge of the desk, looking down at her. They were close. Too close. Ariana could smell his cologne again, could see the small scar above his left eyebrow that he'd gotten when they were together.

"I've been thinking about our conversation," Lucien said quietly. "About what you said. About Vanessa."

Ariana's breath caught. "Lucien—"

"You didn't let me explain before. You just ran. So now you're going to sit there and listen." His gray eyes looked into hers. "Vanessa came to my apartment that night because she was drunk. She'd been at a company party and got into a fight with her boyfriend. She called me, crying, asking for help."

Ariana wanted to interrupt, but something in his face stopped her.

"I let her in because I thought she was my friend. She was upset, so I gave her a shirt to change into because she'd spilled wine all over herself. Then I made her coffee and called her a cab." Lucien leaned forward. "Nothing happened, Ariana. Nothing. She slept on my couch for an hour, then left when the cab arrived. That's it."

"Then why—" Ariana's voice cracked. "Why didn't you tell me this five years ago?"

"Because you disappeared before I could!" Lucien's control finally broke. "I woke up the next morning ready to explain everything, and you were just gone! Your phone was disconnected. Your apartment was empty. It was like you'd never existed!"

"I saw her leaving!" Ariana stood up, her own anger rising. "I saw her wearing your shirt at two in the morning! What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to trust me!" Lucien shouted. "You were supposed to talk to me instead of running away!"

"I was scared!"

"Of what? Me? Did I ever give you a reason not to trust me?"

The question hung in the air between them.

"No," Ariana whispered finally. "You didn't."

The fight went out of Lucien's face. He looked suddenly tired. "Then why did you leave?"

"Because I was pregnant."

The words fell into the silence like stones into still water.

Lucien went completely still. His face turned white. "What?"

"I found out the morning after I saw Vanessa." Ariana's hands were shaking. "I was pregnant, Lucien. And I thought you'd cheated on me. I thought you didn't want me anymore. I couldn't—I couldn't stay and watch you leave me for someone else."

"Pregnant," Lucien repeated. His voice sounded strange. "You were pregnant. With my child."

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell me."

"I thought—"

"You thought wrong!" Lucien's voice rose again. "You made a decision about my life, about my child, without even giving me a chance to explain! You took away five years. I'll never get back!"

"I know," Ariana said, tears streaming down her face again. "I know I should have talked to you. I know I made a mistake. But I can't change the past, Lucien. I can only try to make things right now."

"Make things right?" Lucien laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "How exactly do you plan to do that, Ariana? Give me back five years with my son? Let me be there when he was born? When he took his first steps? Said his first word?"

Each question hit Ariana like a physical blow.

"Where is he?" Lucien demanded. "Where's my son?"

"He's safe. He's with my friend."

"I want to meet him."

"Lucien, wait—"

"I've waited five years already." Lucien's eyes were cold again. "I'm done waiting. You're going to bring him here tomorrow. And then we're going to discuss how this is going to work."

"How, what's going to work?"

"Our arrangement." Lucien stood up, walking around to his desk. He pulled out some papers. "You're going to move into my house. You and the boy. You'll stay there until I decide what to do about this situation."

Ariana's heart stopped. "You can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious." Lucien's voice was deadly calm. "You took away five years of my son's life. Now I'm taking control. You'll live in my house where I can see my son every day. Where I can get to know him. Where you can't run away again."

"That's crazy! I have my own apartment. My own life. I can't just move in with you!"

"You can, and you will," Lucien looked at her with those cold gray eyes. "Unless you want me to take you to court for custody. I have the best lawyers in the country, Ariana. And you kept my son from me for five years. Who do you think a judge will choose?"

The threat was clear.

Ariana felt trapped. "This isn't fair."

"Fair?" Lucien's voice was soft and dangerous. "You want to talk about fair? Nothing about this situation is fair. But you made your choices. Now you live with what happens next."

"I won't let you control my life."

"I'm not controlling your life. I'm claiming what's mine." Lucien handed her the papers. "Read the terms. You'll have your own room. Your own space. But you'll be in my house, under my roof, where I can be part of my son's life. That's the deal."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll see you in court." Lucien's face was like stone. "Your choice, Ariana. But choose carefully. Because this time, you won't be able to run."

Ariana looked down at the papers in her hands. Her vision blurred with tears.

She'd come back to this city to finally make things right. To tell Lucien the truth. To give Ethan a chance to know his father.

But she hadn't expected this.

She hadn't expected to be trapped.

"I need time to think," she whispered.

"You have until tomorrow morning." Lucien turned away, looking back out his window. "Nine AM. Bring the boy. We'll talk then."

It was clearly a dismissal.

Ariana walked to the door on shaking legs. But before she left, she turned back.

"Lucien?"

He didn't look at her. "What?"

"I really am sorry. For everything."

For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, so quietly she almost didn't hear: "So am I."

Ariana left before she started crying again.