Claimed Without Touch
987 Words
📖 CHAPTER 5 — Claimed Without Touch
The house felt different after Valeria left.
Quieter.
But not calmer.
Ayla stood in her room, staring at her reflection. She didn’t look like someone who belonged in a place like this.
But she was here.
And whether she liked it or not—
She was being watched.
A soft knock broke the silence.
“Miss Ayla,” a maid said, stepping in slightly. “Mr. Valtieri has arranged for you to go out.”
Ayla turned. “Out?”
“Yes. Shopping. Preparation.”
Preparation.
That word again.
“For what?”
“The wedding announcement,” the maid said gently.
Ayla’s chest tightened.
Right.
This wasn’t just a private arrangement.
It was going public.
“Give me ten minutes,” she said.
—
The car ride was quiet.
This time, two men sat in front.
Security.
Lucien hadn’t come.
Ayla told herself she preferred it that way.
Less pressure.
Less control.
Still—
She noticed.
They arrived at a high-end boutique, the kind of place where everything looked expensive even before you touched it.
The moment she stepped inside, attention shifted.
Staff moved quickly.
Polite. Efficient.
Prepared.
“Miss Hart,” a woman greeted warmly. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Of course they had.
Ayla forced a small smile and followed.
Dresses were brought out. Shoes. Jewelry.
Everything chosen.
Everything decided.
“Do I get a say in any of this?” she asked.
“Of course,” the woman replied.
But the tone said otherwise.
Ayla exhaled softly.
Fine.
She would choose.
Even if it didn’t matter.
Minutes later, she stood in front of a mirror in a fitted dress—elegant, soft, perfect.
And not her.
“You look stunning.”
The voice came from behind.
Familiar.
Ayla didn’t turn immediately.
She met her own gaze in the mirror first.
Then—
She turned.
Valeria.
Of course.
“What are you doing here?” Ayla asked calmly.
Valeria smiled. “I shop here.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Valeria stepped closer.
“I wanted to see how you fit into this world.”
Ayla crossed her arms slightly. “And?”
Valeria’s eyes moved over her slowly.
“You look the part,” she admitted.
A pause.
“But looks don’t last.”
Ayla didn’t react.
“I’m not here to compete with you,” she said.
Valeria tilted her head. “Aren’t you?”
“No.”
“Then you’re naive.”
The word was soft.
But sharp.
Ayla stepped closer.
“Or maybe I just don’t revolve around him like you do.”
That landed.
Valeria’s smile thinned.
“You think this is about obsession?” she asked quietly.
“I think it’s about control.”
A pause.
Then Valeria leaned in slightly.
“You have no idea what he is capable of,” she whispered.
Ayla held her ground.
“I’ve seen enough.”
“Not even close.”
Before Ayla could respond—
A voice cut in.
“That’s enough.”
Both women turned.
Lucien.
He stood near the entrance, his expression unreadable—but his presence filled the room instantly.
The air shifted.
Staff went silent.
Even Valeria straightened slightly.
Interesting.
Lucien’s gaze moved to Ayla first.
Quick.
Checking.
Then to Valeria.
Cold.
“You weren’t invited,” he said.
Valeria smiled faintly. “I don’t need an invitation.”
“You do here.”
The tone was quiet.
But absolute.
Ayla felt it.
That shift again.
Power.
Real power.
Valeria held his gaze for a moment longer.
Then she sighed softly.
“You’ve changed,” she said.
“No.”
Lucien stepped closer.
“I’ve clarified.”
The words carried weight.
Valeria glanced at Ayla.
Then back at him.
“So she’s the reason?”
A pause.
Lucien didn’t answer immediately.
But when he did—
“No.”
Ayla felt something strange twist in her chest.
Then he added—
“But she’s the outcome.”
That landed differently.
Valeria noticed.
Of course she did.
A slow smile returned to her lips.
“Careful, Lucien,” she said. “Outcomes have a way of becoming weaknesses.”
Lucien’s expression didn’t shift.
“She won’t.”
Ayla stilled slightly.
That wasn’t reassurance.
That was certainty.
Valeria studied him for a moment longer.
Then stepped back.
“Enjoy your… arrangement,” she said lightly.
Her eyes flicked to Ayla.
“While it lasts.”
And just like that—
She left.
Silence filled the boutique.
Ayla exhaled slowly.
“Well,” she said, “she’s persistent.”
Lucien didn’t respond.
He stepped closer.
Too close.
His gaze dropped briefly—to the dress she was wearing.
Then back to her eyes.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
The question caught her off guard.
“It’s fine.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Ayla hesitated.
Then—
“Yes.”
A faint pause.
“Then it stays.”
Of course it did.
Ayla crossed her arms slightly.
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Yes, I did.”
Her brows furrowed. “Why?”
Lucien’s gaze held hers.
“Because you’re mine.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Ayla’s chest tightened.
“That’s the contract talking,” she said.
“No.”
His voice lowered slightly.
“It’s a fact.”
Silence stretched between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Ayla swallowed.
“You don’t get to say things like that like they don’t mean anything.”
Lucien studied her.
“They mean exactly what they’re supposed to.”
Her pulse quickened.
And she hated it.
Because part of her—
Understood.
Lucien stepped back slightly.
“Finish here,” he said. “We’re leaving soon.”
Ayla watched him turn.
Walk away.
Like nothing had shifted.
But everything had.
Because now—
It wasn’t just fear anymore.
And that made things far more dangerous.
- Writer
