Chapter 3:Owned By Lies
1791 Words
Arielle couldn’t sleep that night.
Her insomnia was getting worse day by day. She took meds, she tried watching videos to waste time, and eventually fall asleep…
But nothing seemed to be working.
Every time she closed her eyes, she could only see the message again.
If you want your uncle to live long and keep his house, you’ll do exactly what I say.
She couldn’t think straight…
She didn't know who exactly this person was.
She thought it could be her stepmother, Juliana, or her stepsister Serena, whose motive was to wipe her off the family tree completely and claim the family’s wealth.
2 weeks later…
That morning
her hands were trembling so badly…
She nearly dropped her toothbrush.
She decided to dress carefully for Valmont Tower- a soft pink blouse, palazzo blue trousers, and low heels. Clothes that made her look competent and innocent.
Not like a traitor.
Her phone buzzed as she stepped into the elevator.
UNKNOWN:
Your task for today is to copy every file Lucien opens.
You will tell me everything Rafeal says about him.
Disobey me, and your uncle loses everything.
You have until sunset.
A picture of her uncle reading a newspaper followed alongside the message.
Her stomach turned violently.
She typed back with shaking thumbs.
ARIELLE:
Please. Leave my uncle alone. I’ll do anything you want.
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
Then:
Good girl.
She nearly vomited
Lucien was already in a foul mood.
Arielle could feel it the moment she stepped onto the executive floor.
Workers scurried like prey animals. Board members quickly lowered their voices as he passed.
And he finally left his office at 9:06 a.m. for the board meeting.
Her pulse spiked so high she tasted metal.
She used the opportunity to enter his office.
The blinds were already down.
“Just files,” she whispered to herself. “Copy the files and leave.”
The flash drive felt impossibly small in her palm. Cheap plastic. Not nearly strong enough to carry the weight of what she was doing– or the consequences if she failed.
Or if he found out.
She quickly saw the laptop on his desk…
There was no password… because no one would dare touch what was his.
She curried over and started copying the files into the flash drive…
The progress bar appeared.
12%
23%
41%
It was moving too slowly. Far too slow
66%
82%
She heard footsteps
Someone was on the floor
Someone was coming this way.
90%
The footsteps grew louder
“Please, please, please…” she mouthed, not even making a sound.
96%
The door handle shifted slightly…. Her heart skipped a beat.
100% — transfer complete.
She yanked out the flash drive so fast it nearly slipped from her fingers. She quickly hid it in her pockets.
Lucien finally opened the door.
She greeted him and tried acting normal.
Not knowing he had already noticed the data transfer alert before he entered the room, but he chose not to stop her.
“You’re late,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “The subway—”
He stood.
He walked towards her.
Slowly.
“You’re lying again.”
Her breath caught.
“You look afraid,” he murmured. “And guilty.”
She flinched.
He noticed.
His eyes darkened.
“Who’s threatening you?”
She couldn’t answer.
“Why are you always trembling?” he asked.
She still couldn’t answer.
All she could hear was the voice of the anonymous character in her head.
“One word and your uncle loses his life and his house.”
Lucien’s hand slid up her arm... Not s****l, but claiming.
“You don’t flinch from me,” he said gently/
“You flinch from someone else.”
Tears burned her eyes.
“Lucien… please.”
He cupped her face.
Gentler now.
Her body suddenly betrayed her.
She leaned into his touch… But quickly pulled away.
“I can’t.”
He stepped back as his jaw tightened.
She quickly ran out of the office.
At noon, Rafeal cornered her in the empty break room.
“You’re not okay,” he said quietly.
She tried to smile.
It all broke.
He closed the door behind him.
The lock clicked.
She was startled.
“Hey. I’m not trapping you,” he said.
Her chest felt heavy.
“I just–” he softened his tone. “I just want to know what's happening to you.”
She turned away.
He stepped closer.
Not touching.
“You went from an innocent cafe girl to emotionally wrecked in just two weeks,” he said.
“That’s not normal.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.”
Tears spilled.
Before she could stop them.
He swore softly and pulled her into his arms.
She collapsed into his chest, sobbing.
“I’m in so much trouble,” she choked.
“I can't get out.”
His arms tightened around her.
“I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, we will fix it. He said fiercely.
She pulled back slightly, still too close.
His face was right there.
Her breath hitched.
His gaze dropped to her lips—just for a second.
Then back to her eyes.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured.
She didn’t.
That was all it took.
The kiss was softer than Lucien’s.
Warmer and somehow harder to resist
She gasped into his mouth. Her hands clutched his jacket.
He groaned softly, pushing her back against the wall.
His thigh slowly slid between her legs.
She moaned.
Her body arched into his.
His hands slid to her waist, then lower.
He grabbed her hips.
“You’re killing me,” he whispered.
She whimpered.
Then reality crashed back.
She shoved him away.
“I can’t,” she sobbed.
His face fell.
“What? Why?”
“I can't do this… to Lucien,” she whispered.
“He doesn't own you.” Something dark crossed his eyes
“He thinks he does,” she said brokenly.
And that was the worst part.
That afternoon, the anonymous figure sent another message.
UNKNOWN:
You’re getting too close to Rafeal.
That’s not part of the deal.
Her blood ran cold.
ARIELLE:
How do you know—
Another message
A photo from inside the break room.
Of Rafeal kissing her.
Her knees nearly buckled.
Smile for the cameras,
The message read.
Now do your job.
That evening, Lucien invited her to the penthouse for a meeting.
Not a request but a summons.
She almost didn't go.
But the unknown number sent one last text.
You will sleep with him tonight.
Make him obsessed.
You're a beautiful girl…
Or you and your uncle lose everything bit by bit.
Her hands shook so violently she could barely zip her dress.
She thought to herself… “How do I do this… this is so wrong.”
Her uncle noticed her recent behavior and finally spoke out.
“Arielle, are you doing okay? You seem different… your behavior and everything,” he asked in a worried tone.
She looked over to him… with a smile, trying to cover up her sadness.
“Don't worry about me, Uncle… I’m doing well… it's just office stress,” she said as she stormed out of he house in a hurry.
Lucien’s penthouse overlooked the entire city.
Showing how much power he holds.
Low lights, slow music, and champagne already poured.
The setting looked more like a dinner date than an official meeting.
He looked at her
His gaze dragged over her slowly… memorizing every inch.
“Did you wear that for me?” he asked.
“Yes,” her throat tightened.
He slowly walked towards her…. His every step was slow, controlled.
She didn't move either.
He stopped in front of her… they were just inches apart.
His fingers slid along her jaw, tilting her face up.
Her breath hitched.
“Don't look away,” he murmured.
His gaze dropped to her mouth.
The tension snapped tight between them.
He leaned in... not fast but at a calculated precision.
His lips finally touched hers… it wasn’t soft, but it was controlled hunger.
She exhaled shakily against him.
He tilted her head, kissing her again… deeper now… letting the pressure build.
Every shift of his lips felt deliberate and measured, like he was savoring instead of taking.
Her hands curled into his shirt, gripping without realization.
He pulled back just enough that their lips still brushed when he spoke in a low and uneven voice.
“Careful,” he murmured. “I won't stop if I keep going”.
She melted instantly.
Her body responded like it had been starving.
He backed her toward the couch. He kissed her neck, her collarbone, her shoulders.
Her breathing turned ragged. His hands slowly slid under her dress. Gripped her thighs, lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Moaned into his mouth.
He carried her to the bedroom, laid her down as he stared at her.
He felt too familiar.
“You’re going to get what you came for, especially when you came to me dressed like that,” he said softly.
“You’re mine,” he continued.
She should have said no, but she didn’t.
Then she suddenly remembered the warm hands on her waist in a dark hotel room. The way a stranger had looked at her like she was the only thing in the world.
It hit her, Lucien was the stranger she had a one-night stand with four years ago.
He froze.
He noticed the birthmark on her collarbone.
Small. Crescent-shaped… impossible to miss once noticed.
Confirmed. “You remember,” he said quietly.
“I… I don’t–” but she did.
“Oh my God,” she breathed…. “It was you.”
“I wondered how long it would take,” he said.
Her mind spun. “You knew? All this time, and you didn’t say anything?”
“You were mine for one night,” he said softly. “I don't intend to lose you again.”
He kissed her… hungrily…
Their clothes disappeared.
His mouth worshipped her skin.
Her body arched and begged.
She cried out his name.
He took her slowly… deeply and possessively.
She clung to him. He whispered her name like a vow.
When it was over, she lay shaking beneath him.
Tears slide silently into her hair.
He brushed them away.
“Why are you crying?”
She forced a smile.
“Happy tears.”
He didn’t believe her, but he didn’t push. He pulled her into his chest, and she let him.
Across the city, the anonymous character watched the live feed.
Satisfied.
“Perfect,” he murmured.
- Writer
