The private jet hummed through the night sky, cutting through the clouds like a blade through silk. Zara leaned back in her seat, staring out the window at the dark expanse below. Her hands rested in her lap, but her mind was far from calm.
She had a plan. It was foolproof. So why did the thought of working so closely with Lucien Vale—of being in the air with him, just the two of them—make her pulse race in ways she couldn't explain?
Her fingers curled against the fabric of her black dress. She'd changed into something more fitting for the power dynamic of the night—a sharp, tailored piece, sleek and structured. She wasn't here for flirtation. She was here for business. But Lucien, with his predatory gaze and quiet charisma, had a way of making everything more complicated.
Across from her, Lucien sat with his elbows on the armrests, eyes focused on the screen of his tablet. His usual aura of control surrounded him like a cloak, but even that couldn't disguise the restless energy that seemed to pulse through him. It was as if the moment they'd left the city behind, something had shifted in him. He was quieter now, more introspective.
Zara felt the weight of his gaze before she even looked at him. When she did, their eyes met, and a flicker of something—something raw and untamed—passed between them. His lips quirked at the corner, just slightly.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" Lucien's voice broke the silence, smooth and measured, like everything he said was meant to carry weight.
She raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to respond with something sharp. "I don't waste words," she replied, her tone steady.
He laughed softly, almost imperceptible, but there was an edge to it. "I like that. Efficiency. It's a rare quality in this world."
"Not everyone has time for small talk," she said. Her eyes flickered back to the window. The city lights below were distant now, a blur of yellow and white that no longer held the same appeal. She turned her attention to the man across from her. "What's your angle, Lucien?"
His smile remained, but there was a faint glimmer of challenge in his eyes. "My angle?"
"Why me?" she asked. "I know you don't do favors, and I know your interest in me is more than just business. What's the end game?"
Lucien's eyes darkened for a moment, as if the question had pried open something he wasn't ready to share. But then he leaned back in his seat, his gaze never leaving hers.
"Because, Zara," he said, his voice low, "you're the only person who doesn't try to please me."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
Zara's lips parted slightly, but she quickly regained control. "I don't need to please anyone. I just need power."
He studied her for a long moment, the silence stretching between them. Finally, he spoke again, his tone far more serious than before.
"Power, huh? A dangerous game to play."
"I didn't get this far by playing safe," she shot back, her confidence unwavering.
Lucien's gaze softened, just for a second, before it hardened again. "I didn't think you did." He straightened, reaching for his drink. "We'll see how much of that power you really have when we land in Zurich. The real work starts there."
Zara couldn't help but let a small smile curve her lips. "You'll be the first to know."
The rest of the flight passed in silence, but it wasn't the peaceful kind. The tension between them crackled like static, and with each passing mile, it grew. There were too many unspoken words hanging in the air, too many layers to their interaction. She had expected a straightforward business deal, but Lucien wasn't like any billionaire she'd met before.
He wasn't just a man with power. He was a man who understood it, who wielded it with such precision it was almost dangerous. And that made him unpredictable.
As the plane began its descent, Zara sat up straighter, her mind shifting into mission mode. She had no illusions about her situation. She wasn't here for romance. She wasn't here to entertain Lucien's curiosity.
She was here to tear down everything he had built. The man might have saved her from the abyss—he might even offer her protection—but in the end, the only thing that mattered was her revenge.
And if Lucien Vale thought he could control her?
He was wrong.