Alone In The Crowed
1355 Words
Morning came too quickly.
Aria barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she heard it again
“I’m not a good man.”
It wasn’t just what Lucian said.
It was how easily he said it.
Like it didn’t bother him.
Like it was simply… truth.
“Get ready.”
Her eyes snapped open.
Lucian stood by the door.
Already dressed. Already composed. Already in control.
She sat up slightly. “For what?”
“An event.”
Her brows furrowed. “You didn’t mention anything.”
“I’m mentioning it now.”
Her jaw tightened.
“Try asking next time.”
His gaze flicked to her.
Cold.
“Try remembering your role.”
Aria exhaled slowly, pushing herself out of bed.
“Fine,” she muttered. “What kind of event?”
“A corporate gathering.”
Of course it was.
His world.
Again.
Two hours later.
Aria stood in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her like a stranger she still hadn’t gotten used to.
The dress was elegant.
Too elegant.
It hugged her perfectly, flowing just enough to make her look like she belonged in Lucian’s world.
But she didn’t feel like she did.
Not even close.
“You look like you’re going to a funeral,” Martha said gently from behind.
Aria gave a small, humorless smile. “Feels like one.”
Martha hesitated.
Then stepped closer, adjusting a loose strand of Aria’s hair.
“You’re stronger than you think,” she said quietly.
Aria met her eyes in the mirror.
“I don’t feel strong.”
Martha’s expression softened.
“You don’t have to feel it,” she said. “Just don’t let them see you break.”
The venue was worse than the last one.
Bigger.
Richer.
More eyes.
More judgment.
Lucian’s hand rested lightly on Aria’s back as they entered.
To anyone watching, it looked natural.
Possessive.
Intimate.
But Aria felt it for what it was. Control.
“Stay close,” he murmured.
“Or what?” she whispered back.
His grip tightened slightly.
“Or you’ll embarrass yourself.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I’m not the one who should be worried about embarrassment.”
His gaze flicked to her briefly.
“Lucian.”
Victor appeared, as expected.
Always watching and always there.
“You’re early,” Victor said, his tone light but his eyes sharp.
“I don’t like wasting time,” Lucian replied.
Victor’s gaze slowly shifted to Aria.
“You clean up well,” he said.
Aria resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Thank you,” she replied, her tone polite but distant.
Victor smirked slightly.
“You’ll need it tonight.”
Her stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
But he was already looking back at Lucian.
“Everything is set,” he added quietly.
Lucian gave a small nod.
That was it.
No explanation.
No context.
Just another piece of a puzzle she wasn’t allowed to see.
The night went on.
Conversations.
Introductions.
Judgment hidden behind polite smiles.
And then,
It happened.
“Ladies and gentlemen…”
The room quieted slightly as a man stepped forward with a microphone.
“We all know Lucian Blackwood as a man of power, precision, and control.”
A few chuckles.
Some nods.
“And tonight… we finally meet the woman who managed to do the impossible.”
Aria’s stomach dropped.
No.
No, no.
“His wife.”
All eyes turned.
Directly at her.
Her breath caught.
“Come,” Lucian murmured.
Her head snapped toward him. “What?”
“Smile.”
Her pulse spiked.
“You didn’t tell me about this.”
“I didn’t need to.”
Her chest tightened.
“Lucian.”
“Don’t make a scene,” he said softly.
The warning was clear.
Her feet felt heavy as she walked beside him.
Every step louder than the last.
Every gaze sharper than before.
They reached the front.
The spotlight hit.
Blinding.
Exposing.
“Tell us,” the man continued with a grin, “how did you manage to capture the attention of a man like Lucian?”
A few laughs.
Whispers.
Aria’s throat went dry.
She glanced at Lucian.
He didn’t look at her.
Didn’t help.
Didn’t intervene.
Her fingers curled slightly.
“Luck,” she said finally.
Soft and controlled.
The man laughed. “Luck? I doubt Lucian believes in luck.”
“Then maybe,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her, “he made an exception.”
More murmurs.
More attention.
But it didn’t stop.
“Or perhaps,” another voice added from the crowd, “there’s more to the story.”
Aria froze.
That voice.
Vanessa.
Of course.
Vanessa stepped forward, her smile sweet with sharp eyes.
“People don’t just marry Lucian Blackwood overnight,” she said lightly. “There must be something special about you.”
Her gaze lingered.
Too knowing.
Too curious.
Aria’s heart started racing.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
“Maybe she’s just good at being what he needs,” Vanessa added.
The words sounded harmless.
But the implication wasn’t.
A low murmur spread through the crowd.
Suspicion.
Curiosity and judgment.
Aria turned slightly toward Lucian.
Waiting and hoping he would say something to save her...anything.
He didn’t.
And in that moment, she understood
This wasn’t accidental.
This wasn’t a surprise.
He let this happen.
Something inside her chest cracked.
Not loudly.
Not visibly.
But enough.
Her smile didn’t falter.
But her eyes?
They changed.
“Excuse me,” she said softly.
Then she walked off.
Fast.
Before anyone could stop her.
“Aria.”
Lucian’s voice followed her.
She didn’t stop.
Not until she reached the hallway.
It was empty and quiet.
It felt safe.
Her breath came out shaky.
Her chest tight.
Her hands trembling.
“You embarrassed me.”
Her eyes snapped up.
Lucian stood at the end of the hallway.
His expression cold.
Unforgiving.
A hollow laugh escaped her.
“I embarrassed you?”
“Yes.”
Her chest tightened.
“You let them do that.”
“I allowed a harmless interaction.”
“Harmless?” she repeated, disbelief lacing her voice.
“They were digging into my life like I was some...some...”
“Then you should’ve handled it better.”
The words were cruel.
Aria stared at him.
Really stared this time.
At the man she married.
At the man who didn’t care.
At the man who warned her
and proved it.
“You’re unbelievable,” she whispered.
“And you’re forgetting your place,” he shot back.
Something in her snapped.
Not loudly.
But deeply.
“I am not your possession.”
His gaze darkened.
“You signed a contract.”
“I signed to save my mother,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “Not to be humiliated.”
“You signed to obey.”
The words hit hard.
Her chest rose and fell.
Anger.
Pain.
Something deeper.
For a moment,
Neither of them moved.
Then
Lucian stepped closer.
Slow and deliberate.
“You’re starting to become a problem,” he said quietly.
Her heart pounded.
“And you’re starting to become exactly what I feared,” she whispered back with tearful eyes.
Suddenly.
His phone rang.
He glanced at it.
His expression shifted.
Just slightly.
“Speak.”
A pause.
Then his eyes darkened.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
And hung up.
Something was wrong.
Aria could feel it instantly.
“What is it?” she asked.
He didn’t answer immediately.
“Go home.”
Her brows furrowed. “What?”
“Now.”
His tone left no room for argument.
“This isn’t over, Lucian.”
His gaze flicked to her,
Cold and distant.
“It is for tonight.”
And just like that he walked away.
Leaving her standing there.
Alone.
Again.
But this time,
It wasn’t just humiliation she felt.
It was something worse.
A growing, sinking realization that she was in deeper than she thought.
And whatever world Lucian was part of…
Was about to pull her in completely.
- Writer
