The red dot on Ari's forehead in the photograph burned into Eva's mind like a brand. It wasn't just a threat it was a declaration of war. The message that came with it was brief, chilling.
You're not the only one watching. Stay in your lane, Mrs. Thorne.
Her heart pounded violently, each beat a drum of panic. It hadn't stopped since Lucian thrust the image in front of her.
Lucian's reaction had been immediate cold, controlled, and terrifying in its efficiency. The penthouse transformed overnight into a high-security fortress. Silent security operatives moved like ghosts, cameras were re-angled, biometric systems rechecked. No window, no hallway, no entrance was left unguarded.
Ari slept peacefully, blissfully unaware, her fever finally broken. Eva couldn't take her eyes off her daughter's tiny chest rising and falling. Every breath was a relief.Lucian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette cut sharply against the city's neon glow.
Eva's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper.
"Who sent it?"
Lucian didn't turn.
"Could be anyone."
"Helpful."
He turned slowly, jaw tight, eyes hard.
"Derek. A competitor. Someone from your little pharmaceutical exposé. Pick your poison."
"So we're back to blaming me," Eva snapped.
"Nice to know I haven't lost my touch."
He moved closer, the edge in his voice slicing the space between them.
"You've made enemies, Eva. You stirred the pot. Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?"
She met his stare, arms crossed.
"And you? You're a billionaire. I'm sure you've stepped on more necks than I've stepped on sidewalks."
Lucian's expression didn't change, but his next words were quieter rougher.
"This isn't about money. It's about Ari. They're targeting her.
Eva's breath hitched.
"You think someone's using her to get to us?"
"To get to me," he corrected grimly.
"She's the softest target."
Something flickered in his eyes then something raw. Fear. Rage. Guilt. All twisted together.
"I won't let anyone touch her," he said, barely audible.
"I'll burn the city before that happens."
The forced proximity that followed the threat was suffocating. They were trapped together Eva, Ari, and Lucian living in a gilded cage.
Meals were quiet at first. Cold. But over time, silence gave way to murmured strategy. Security protocols. Suspicions. Loose threads in Lucian's empire.
Eva found herself pulled into it not as a wife, not even as a mother, but as a wary ally.
A Few Days Later,
Eva stood in the sleek kitchen, sleeves rolled up, trying to bake Ari's favorite cookies. Flour dusted her cheeks. The warm vanilla scent in the air felt like a defiant act of normalcy.A bowl slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor. She jumped, heart racing.
"Need a hand, Mrs. Thorne?" Eva turned, startled.
"Celeste!"Lucian's ever-composed secretary stood in the doorway, not a hair out of place.
"I'm a disaster," Eva said, gesturing at the mess.
Celeste smiled, stepping in.
"Baking is more chaos than art sometimes."
"I needed a distraction," Eva admitted.
"The red dot… I can't get it out of my head."Celeste wiped down the counter, hands methodical.
"I wouldn't blame you. That kind of threat it's designed to stay with you. To haunt you."
"Who would threaten a child?" Eva asked, voice trembling.
Celeste paused, cloth in hand.
"Someone who wants Mr. Thorne vulnerable. Someone who knows how to hurt him."
Eva stared at her. "You think this is about him?"
"Everything is, in Lucian's world. Every deal. Every risk. Every loss. But Ari is different. She's not part of his empire. She's part of his heart." Celeste hesitated. "And so are you."
"I'm not…" Eva looked down. "This marriage isn't real. You know that."
Celeste gave a small smile. "Maybe. But I also know he hasn't been the same since you came back."
"Different how?"
"Less… bulletproof. More human."
Eva looked away. "That doesn't mean anything."
"Doesn't it?" There was a beat of silence.
Celeste's voice softened.
"If you ever feel like you can't talk to him, you can talk to me. I've worked with him for a decade. I've seen the storm before the calm. If anyone tries to come for you or Ari, I'll make sure they regret it."
Eva blinked at her. "You're offering… what? Loyalty?"
"Call it a truce. Or solidarity." Celeste gave her a pointed look. "Don't underestimate how many people want Lucian Thorne to fall."
That Night
The study was dim, shadows stretching long over the polished floors. Lucian stood near the bar, nursing a glass of something dark. He didn't turn as Eva entered.
"Celeste says you've changed," she said, her tone unreadable.
He raised his glass but didn't drink. "Celeste says a lot of things."
"She said you care about Ari more than anything."
Lucian's voice was cool. "She's not wrong."
"She also thinks you care about me."His jaw tightened.
"This isn't the time for hypotheticals."
"Tell me something, Lucian. When you look at me, what do you see? An inconvenience? A mistake? A liability?"
He turned then, eyes burning into hers. "I see someone who's in danger. Someone I need to protect."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one that matters right now."
Eva folded her arms.
"What about Evelyn Cross? Is she part of this protection plan too?"Lucian's face darkened.
"Evelyn is a formality. A calculated decision."
"A beautiful, high-profile formality."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Pretend you don't know what this is." His voice dropped, low and charged.
"You and I...we're not playing make-believe anymore."
Eva's breath caught. "Then stop treating me like a placeholder."
He stepped closer, close enough to touch. "You want the truth, Eva? I don't know what we are. But I know what I feel when I see Ari laugh. I know what it does to me when I think of losing her. Or you."
Her heart skidded. "Then why are we pretending this is still just about custody?"
"Because we don't have the luxury of being honest," he said quietly. "Not with Derek watching. Not with Evelyn arriving. Not with our enemies circling."Silence stretched between them, taut and painful."Do you ever wish it had been different?" she asked.
Lucian looked at her, something breaking in his gaze. "Every goddamn day."And just like that, the space between them shattered. Not with touch but with truth.