Aria didn't answer Lucien right away.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she stared at the message glowing on her phone.
Watch who you trust, Mrs. Blackwood.
She locked the screen and slid the phone into her pocket just as Lucien appeared in the doorway. His expression was neutral, but his eyes scanned her face with sharp precision.
"You heard something," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Aria steadied herself. "I heard voices," she admitted. "I didn't mean to."
Lucien studied her for a long moment, weighing his next move. Then he stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind him with a soft click.
"What exactly did you hear?"
Her stomach tightened. The contract flashed through her mind. No questions about my past. But this wasn't curiosity—it was self-preservation.
"That I'm a liability," she said quietly. "And leverage."
Something dark flickered behind his eyes.
"Whoever said that was speaking out of turn," Lucien replied.
"That doesn't make it untrue."
Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable.
"You're safe," he said finally.
Aria let out a humorless breath. "That's not very convincing."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "You are safer with me than without me. That's the truth."
"And the rest?" she asked. "The part you're not telling me?"
He crossed the room, stopping a careful distance away. "The rest is not yours to carry."
She searched his face, trying to find reassurance—or honesty—but found only control.
"I received a message," she said then.
Lucien stiffened. "From whom?"
"I don't know. It warned me not to trust you."
His gaze hardened instantly. "Show me."
Aria hesitated, then pulled out her phone and handed it to him.
Lucien read the message once. Then again.
When he looked up, the calm mask he wore had sharpened into something dangerous.
"This is why the rules exist," he said.
"Rules won't protect me if I don't understand the danger," Aria replied.
Lucien handed the phone back. "Understanding makes you vulnerable."
"So does ignorance."
Another pause. Longer this time.
"You broke one rule tonight," he said. "Listening where you shouldn't."
"I didn't spy," she snapped. "I live here."
"You live here because I allow it," he replied coldly.
The words landed harder than she expected.
Aria's chin lifted. "And I stay because I chose to. Don't forget that."
Something shifted in the air—sharp, electric.
Lucien exhaled slowly, as though reigning himself in. "We need clarity," he said. "If you're going to remain in this house, you follow the rules."
"Then say them," she challenged.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"No wandering into restricted areas."
"No overhearing conversations that don't concern you."
"No contact with anyone claiming knowledge of my past."
"And most importantly—"
He stepped closer.
"Do not trust anyone except me."
Aria laughed softly, disbelief threading her voice. "You're asking for blind faith."
"I'm asking for survival."
She stared at him, realizing that beneath his control lay something dangerous—fear.
"What happened to you?" she asked quietly.
Lucien froze.
The silence that followed was absolute.
"That," he said slowly, "is the one question you will never ask again."
Aria nodded, the boundary seared into place.
Sleep refused to come that night.
She lay awake replaying every word, every look, every warning. The house felt different now—not just cold, but hostile.
At some point after midnight, she heard footsteps outside her door.
They stopped.
Her breath caught.
A soft knock followed.
Aria sat up. "Yes?"
Lucien's voice came through the door, low and controlled. "Lock your door tonight."
Her pulse spiked. "Why?"
"Because whoever sent that message is testing boundaries."
Fear crawled up her spine. "Are they here?"
"Not yet," he said. "But soon."
She swallowed. "You promised I was safe."
"You are," he replied. "As long as you follow the rules."
The footsteps retreated.
Aria locked the door with shaking hands.
The next morning, Lucien was already gone when she woke.
But something was different.
A phone sat on the bedside table—sleek, unfamiliar.
Beside it was a note.
Emergency contact only. Keep it with you at all times.
—L
She stared at it for a long moment before picking it up.
Despite everything, a strange warmth flickered in her chest.
Protection… or control?
She didn't know which frightened her more.
As she slipped the phone into her bag, a notification lit the screen.
Unknown Number:
Rules won't save you. He's already broken one.
Aria's blood ran cold.
Somewhere in this house—
A lie was already unraveling.