The Man Everyone Feared
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The taxi came to a slow stop in front of Blackwood Manor.
Aria stared through the window, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
The estate looked less like a home and more like a palace.
Towering iron gates stretched open as security guards inspected every vehicle entering the grounds. Beyond them stood a breathtaking mansion surrounded by manicured gardens, sparkling fountains, and rows of luxury cars that probably cost more than she would earn in a lifetime.
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“Miss?” She blinked.
“We’re here.” Aria swallowed hard before paying the fare.
For a second, she considered asking him to turn around.
This was a mistake.
A girl like her had no business being here.
Not in a borrowed dress.
Not in worn-out heels she had polished twice before leaving home.
She took one deep breath and stepped out.
Almost immediately, Daniel appeared at the entrance.
“Good evening, Miss Bello.”
“You were expecting me?”
“We’ve been expecting you since six-thirty.”
Her cheeks warmed.
“I’m five minutes early.”
Daniel smiled politely.
“Mr. Blackwood is never late.”
Neither, apparently, were his guests.
Inside, the mansion was breathtaking.
Crystal chandeliers hung from impossibly high ceilings.
Paintings lined the walls.
Fresh white lilies filled the air with a delicate fragrance.
Even the silence felt expensive.
As Aria followed Daniel through the grand hallway, she noticed the staff.
Every maid.
Every butler.
Every security guard.
Each one greeted Daniel with a respectful nod.
The house ran like a perfectly synchronized clock.
No one spoke unless necessary.
No one wasted a single movement.
“Does Mr. Blackwood always live like this?” Aria asked quietly.
“He values discipline.”
“I’d call it intimidating.”
Daniel chuckled.
“So does everyone else.”
They stopped in front of a pair of massive wooden doors.
Daniel turned to her.
“Mr. Blackwood is inside.”
Aria’s heart pounded.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, she suddenly wanted to leave.
“Miss Bello.” She looked at Daniel.
“One piece of advice.”
“Yes?”
“When you meet him…”
He hesitated.
“…don’t judge him by what you’ve heard.”
Before she could ask what he meant, Daniel pushed the doors open.
The dining room was illuminated by candlelight.
A long mahogany table stretched across the room.
At one end sat a man in a charcoal suit.
He wasn’t looking at her.
He was reading a document while absentmindedly swirling a glass of sparkling water.
His posture was relaxed.
Confident.
As though the world had never dared disappoint him.
Daniel cleared his throat.
“Sir.”
Without looking up, the man spoke.
“You’re three minutes late.”
His voice was calm.
Deep.
Controlled.
Aria frowned.
“I arrived early.”
Only then did he lift his eyes.
They met hers.
For a brief moment…
Neither of them spoke.
Kael Blackwood had expected many things.
Fear.
Excitement.
Greed.
Instead, the young woman standing before him looked… unimpressed.
She wasn’t staring at his mansion.
She wasn’t admiring his tailored suit.
She wasn’t even smiling.
She simply looked at him as if he were another stranger.
Interesting.
Kael closed the file in front of him.
“So…” His gaze remained fixed on hers.
“You’re the woman who rejected my proposal before meeting me.”
Aria folded her hands in front of her.
“I haven’t rejected it.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“I just haven’t accepted it either.”
For the first time that evening…
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kael’s lips.
“Please,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.
“Have dinner with me.”
Aria remained standing.
“I didn’t come for dinner.”
Kael leaned back in his chair.
“No?”
“I came for answers.”
Silence settled over the room.
Then Kael smiled again a real smile this time.
It was small.
Brief.
But genuine.
“Good,” he said.
“Because I prefer women who ask questions.”
Your first question should be why I chose you.
Aria met his gaze “Fine.”
“Why me?” Kael’s smile disappeared.
“Because twenty-four years ago…”
He stopped.
“No.”
“That answer can wait until dessert.”
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