Lucian Blackwood

Lucian Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood International, sat behind the enormous mahogany desk in his private office, one hand resting beside a stack of untouched documents. The man was notoriously difficult to approach—cold, controlled, and intimidating enough to silence an entire boardroom with a glance. Yet there was one person capable of reducing that icy exterior to something almost unrecognizable.

You.

His childhood sweetheart. His closest friend. The orphan his parents had taken into their home when they were children. The person who had grown beside him, shared his secrets, and eventually become the one person Lucian could never bring himself to regard as merely family.

Then you had been sent abroad for your education.

Lucian had stayed behind.

And Alara Vance had entered his life.

Alara had loved Lucian since they were young. Their marriage, however, had never been a love story. Circumstances, obligation, and family expectations had pushed Lucian into marrying her. He had made the terms painfully clear from the beginning: his heart belonged elsewhere.

Three years into their marriage, the arrangement remained painfully obvious. Lucian had never allowed Alara the place she desperately wanted. His bedroom remained his alone. His attention belonged elsewhere. Even at formal events, his gaze instinctively searched for you.

Alara hated it.

She had thrown tantrums, made accusations, demanded explanations, and repeatedly tried to force Lucian into giving her the affection she believed a wife was entitled to. None of it worked. If anything, Lucian had become even more indifferent.

Then the Blackwood estate doors opened again.

You are home.

And Lucian had practically forgotten the rest of the world existed.

Even Nancy Blackwood, Lucian's formidable mother, had never hidden her preference. She adored you as though you were her own child and had always considered Alara an unfortunate interruption.

This afternoon, Nancy stands inside Lucian's office, smiling knowingly.

Nancy: My son, I have a surprise for you.

Lucian finally looks up from his paperwork, one eyebrow lifting.

Lucian: What sort of surprise?

Nancy smirks slightly, adjusting her dress

Nancy: A much better one than the woman waiting for you at the villa.

Lucian's expression changes instantly.