Beneath HIS EMPIRE

chapter 1

"Guilty." The word chased me out of Courtroom 14. I shoved the doors open and cameras blinded me. “Selene! Did you fake the mayoral evidence?” “Was it about the money?” I didn’t answer. My teeth were clamped so tight my jaw hurt. My heels hit the courthouse steps and I nearly slipped. These heels cost two months rent. Now they were just stupid.

A bus tore past and muddy water hit my jeans. Cold. Wet. I didn’t wipe it. My thumb was already shaking too bad to work. My phone buzzed. Unknown number. Fifth call in ten minutes. I answered. “If you’re another reporter, I already said no comment.” “You missed two loan payments.” Not a reporter. The guy’s voice was flat. Bored. “Tomorrow night, we collect collateral.” My stomach dropped. “I asked for another week.” “You already used three.” The call ended. Just like that. No threats. No shouting. Men like that never needed volume.

I shoved the phone in my pocket and crossed the street fast. Cold air cut through my coat. My chest still felt tight from the courtroom. From three hours ago when a judge called me reckless. Unethical. From the giant screen across the street still flashing my face: BREAKING NEWS: JOURNALIST FABRICATED EVIDENCE IN MAYORAL SCANDAL. I should’ve seen it. The leaked documents. The anonymous source who vanished. The evidence that disappeared from police records overnight. Someone set me up. I just couldn’t prove it.

A black SUV idled outside my building. Tinted windows. Engine running. Too expensive for this street.

The back door opened. A guard stepped out first. Big. Dark coat. Earpiece. He scanned the street. Then he came out. Lucien Armand. Lucien Armand. For one stupid second, I forgot every problem I had. The Lucien Armand? The billionaire whose face lived on magazine covers and business news? The man who could buy half this street without checking his bank balance? My stomach tightened. Why was he here? Had somebody decided ruining my career wasn't enough? I took one slow step back.

Rain ran down his dark hair. He didn't wipe it. He stood perfectly still while the city rushed around him. His guards watched everyone else. He watched only me. Not like a man meeting a stranger. Like a man confirming I was exactly where he expected me to be.

I stopped three feet away. “You’ve got the wrong address.” “No,” he said. “I don’t.” I crossed my arms. “If this is about the article, your company wasn’t even in it.” “I know.” That made it worse. He glanced at my building. Cracked windows. Flickering sign. Peeling paint. Then back at me. “You’re behind on debts.” My face went hot. “Did you come here to watch me bleed?” “No.” “Good. I only take humiliation from people I can sue.”

His mouth almost moved. Not a smile. Something colder. “You still fight after a public execution. I noticed.” He looked at my hands. I’d curled them into fists without realizing. “You fight dirty too.” A guard held an umbrella over his head. Rain hit my face. Soaked my coat. Lucien stayed dry. I hated him for that. "What do you want?" He didn't answer immediately. His eyes stayed on mine long enough to make the silence uncomfortable. "A contract." I frowned. "What kind of contract?" "A marriage contract." I blinked. "For six months."

For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. Rain dripped off my hair and onto my face. I wondered if I'd hit my head outside the courthouse. "You're serious?" "Yes." "Why me?" "Because by tomorrow, saying no will no longer be your choice." I searched his face for the punchline. There wasn't one. He stepped closer. Not touching. But close enough that I had to tip my head back to look at him.

"By tomorrow you'll choose between me and the men who want your brother’s scholarship gone." My stomach dropped. "You know about my brother?" "I'll clear your debts. Your brother stays in school. In return, you marry me for six months." I stared at him. "You know about my debts. Who are you? And how do you know so much about my life?" His gaze never left mine. "I never waste my time on strangers."

My hands went numb. “You knew my father?” “Yes.” Too fast. Too sure. I gripped my coat until the zipper dug into my palm. "Then you know he left me nothing except collectors at my door." His eyes held mine. "You're wrong." A black car rolled to a stop across the street. Tinted windows. It didn’t park. It just... watched us. Lucien’s eyes snapped to it. So did his guard’s. “Who are you expecting?” I asked. “No one.” Lucien didn’t believe himself either.

I looked over his shoulder. The driver wasn’t getting out. Just sitting. Watching. Lucien grabbed my arm. Firm. Not hurting. “Inside the vehicle. Now.” His voice was low. Urgent. My phone buzzed again. A new email preview flashed on my lock screen. Anonymous sender. Subject: WE HAVE THE BANK FILES. Then another. YOUR BROTHER’S TUITION. CANCELLED EFFECTIVE TOMORROW.

Everything went cold. Except the rain. Except my heart. Lucien kept his body between me and the street. His guards moved to block the view. “They’re going to erase you,” he said quietly. “Not with bullets. With your name.” He held up his phone. A draft article was already live on a gossip site. SELENE : FRAUD, DEBT, AND NOW DESPERATE. Publish in 10 minutes.

The guard handed Lucien a folder. He opened it once before turning it toward me. It was me. Walking into court that morning. Red ink stamped across the bottom. SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH. I looked up. "What truth?" For the first time since we'd met, something hardened in Lucien's eyes. "Get in the car, Selene." "Now."