Episode 12
The bunker door rattled.
Aria held her breath, backing further into the shadows. Her heart thudded so loud she thought whoever was on the other side could hear it. The handle twisted slowly, methodically. Whoever it was—they weren't in a hurry. That made it worse.
She looked around frantically. The security monitors blinked, showing chaos above—the main hall swarming with Blackwood guards, Lucien taking down two men near the east corridor. But no one had seen this intruder—this sixth man who had slipped through like a ghost.
The handle stopped moving.
For a second, there was silence.
Then—BANG!
A bullet tore through the lock.
Aria screamed and stumbled back.
The door burst open.
A masked man stormed in, gun raised, eyes scanning quickly. When he saw her—small, terrified, unarmed—he smiled. It was the kind of smile that froze blood.
"You must be the wife," he said in a deep, mocking voice. "They said you were pretty. They didn't say you were stupid."
Aria's eyes darted around. There were no weapons. No escape. Only security monitors and reinforced steel walls.
"You're coming with me," he said, stepping forward. "Orders are clear. Alive. Unharmed. For now."
She didn't move.
"Don't make me hurt you," he warned. "That part isn't in my orders, but I'm good at improvising."
Suddenly—BOOM!
The bunker trembled.
A red light began flashing above them—secondary lockdown. Lucien must have triggered it.
The man cursed. "He's locking down the whole damn house."
Aria took a breath—and did the only thing she could think of.
She grabbed the edge of a heavy monitor and slammed it into his head.
It cracked.
He stumbled.
She ran.
He growled and lunged after her, grabbing her wrist mid-run. "You little—!"
But before he could drag her back—
BANG!
A shot rang out.
The man jerked back.
Blood blossomed from his shoulder.
Aria fell to the ground, breath stolen from her chest.
Lucien stood in the doorway, gun still raised, eyes like fire. His black shirt was stained with sweat and blood—none of it his own. He had come for her.
"Let her go," he growled.
The attacker clutched his wound, his hand slick with blood. "You're too late."
Lucien stepped forward slowly. "No. You are."
The man reached for his gun again.
Too slow.
BANG! Another shot—this time to the leg.
The man screamed and collapsed.
Lucien rushed forward, kicking the weapon away and grabbing Aria into his arms.
"Are you okay?" he asked, gripping her face with shaking hands.
She nodded numbly. "I—I hit him. With the screen."
His lips twitched in the ghost of a smile. "Remind me never to make you mad."
Behind them, the security team rushed in. Zane led the charge, gun raised.
Lucien didn't let go of her.
"Secure the bastard," he ordered. "And sweep the rest of the grounds. There might be more."
Zane nodded, barking orders into his earpiece.
Lucien turned back to Aria. "Come on. We're getting out of this damn bunker."
—
Back in the master suite, Aria sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a thick blanket. Her hands trembled despite the heat. Lucien crouched in front of her, examining a bruise on her wrist.
"It's not deep," he muttered. "But I'll have the medic look at it anyway."
Aria watched him. His face was still hard, unreadable—but beneath it, she saw the fear. Not for himself. For her.
"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" she whispered.
Lucien didn't answer immediately.
He sat beside her, his hands clasped.
"I've spent years keeping people out. It was the only way to survive in my world. No connections. No weakness."
He looked at her. "Then you happened. And suddenly, all I want to do is protect you."
"You don't have to do it alone," she said quietly. "You married me, remember? For better or worse?"
His eyes softened. Just slightly.
"I married you to save your life. But now… it feels like you're the only reason I still care about mine."
Aria's throat tightened.
He reached over, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I don't know how to do this," he murmured. "Love. Trust. I only know how to fight. How to destroy."
"I can teach you," she whispered.
Lucien stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
Then—his phone buzzed.
He stood, answering. "Speak."
Zane's voice came through. "Sir. We interrogated the intruder. He didn't come alone. Ashborne has eyes on one of our main ports. They're planning something… big."
Lucien's jaw clenched. "How big?"
Zane hesitated. "They're trying to pull in international contractors. Mercenaries. Private hit squads. You name it. And they have a mole. Inside Blackwood Holdings."
Lucien's expression turned to ice. "Find out who."
He hung up and turned to Aria.
"They're escalating."
"Why now?" she asked.
"Because they know you matter to me."
He pulled open a drawer, revealing a velvet-lined case. Inside—two passports, foreign currency, and a burner phone.
Aria blinked. "Are we running?"
"No," Lucien said. "We're preparing."
"For what?"
"For war."
He closed the drawer and stepped closer.
"I'm taking you somewhere safe. Somewhere they can't touch you. But I'll be staying here."
"No," she said instantly. "I'm not leaving you."
Lucien looked torn. "Aria—"
"I'm not hiding in a corner while you fight for me. You said I'm part of this world now. So let me be."
Lucien exhaled. "You're too brave for your own good."
She smiled faintly. "I had a good teacher."
He touched her cheek. "You might regret saying that one day."
"Maybe. But not today."
—
Late that night, Aria stood at the window while Lucien made calls in the study next door. The rain had started—soft and steady, like a warning.
She looked down at the estate.
Armed guards. Barriers. Patrols.
A gilded prison.
She pressed a hand to the glass.
Everything had changed so fast. One minute, she was a stranger in a mansion. The next—she was in the crosshairs of a criminal empire.
But one thing hadn't changed.
Lucien.
The devil she had married was still a devil.
But now, he was her devil.
And that terrified her more than anything.
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