Chapter 16

Vivienne's pov

I kept my gaze steady as I crossed the room, ignoring the stares from Lucian’s men. Walking into his territory made me want to keep my guard up, but I refused to let any hint of it show on my face. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

And there he was, Lucian DeMarco, lounging at the head of the table with that annoying smirk on his face. He looked the same as he always did—arrogant, self-assured, and far too pleased to see me.

“Well, well,” he drawled. “If it isn’t my dear Tigress, gracing my humble territory. What brings your beautiful self here, sweetheart? Looking to settle in, perhaps?”

I held back an eye-roll“Cut the theatrics, Lucian. You know exactly why I’m here.”

“Oh, do I?” His grin widened. He leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world. “You’ll have to remind me.”

I crossed my arms, resisting the urge to match his sarcasm. “You wanted to discuss a marriage alliance. Or do you think I’d come all this way just for your charming company?”

“Charming? You flatter me, Tigress.” He said. “Though, I still have to say, I told you so"

"Just shut up Lucian,No need to gloat," i shrugged. “You made an offer; I’m here to hear it. Nothing more.”

Lucian shook his head slowly, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Nothing more? Don’t lie to yourself, sweetheart. You didn’t come all this way just to hear an offer. You’re curious about me, aren’t you? Can’t resist the pull?”

I let out a laugh, barely hiding my irritation. “Curious? Hardly. I’ve got enough trouble dealing with the Moretti family without worrying about what the DeMarcos are up to. This is strictly business, Lucian.”

“Business, hmm?” His eyes narrowed, clearly entertained by the whole thing. “Interesting way to put it. I would have thought our...history might come into play.”

“History?” I raised an eyebrow, refusing to show any hint of discomfort. “That was years ago, Lucian. We were practically kids.”

He let out a low chuckle, tilting his head to look at me. “Oh, I remember. I remember everything, Tigress.”

I looked away for a second, trying to keep my composure. He was making it a lot harder than it should’ve been, and he knew it. Of course, he’d remember everything. Lucian DeMarco never let anything go, and he definitely never let anyone forget.

“And that’s why we’re here,” I said flatly, bringing the conversation back. “So you can stop pretending you’re surprised by my visit. You asked for it. Now, let’s talk.”

He tapped his fingers on the table, still smirking. “As you wish. But where’s the fun in skipping all the pleasantries? I thought we’d share a drink first, maybe catch up. It’s been, what, twenty years?”

“Twenty-one,” I corrected, narrowing my eyes. “And I’m not here to reminisce over a drink, Lucian. If you’re serious about this, then stop wasting my time.”

His smirk dropped for a second. He leaned forward. “Alright, business it is. But don’t think I’m just going to roll over for you, Tigress.”

I almost laughed at that. “Good. I’d hate for you to get soft.”

“Me? Soft?” He shook his head, laughing quietly. “Oh, I think you know better than that.”

I forced myself to meet his gaze, unflinching. It was the same look he used to give me, the one that used to make me feel like I was walking a tightrope. But I wasn’t some girl caught up in his charm anymore.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” I said.“Whatever history we had, whatever games you’re used to playing—I’m not interested. This is about the marriage alliance, and nothing else.”

He leaned back, smirking again. “Is that so? Because, if I’m not mistaken, you seemed quite interested just a moment ago.”

I rolled my eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, Lucian.”

“Oh, I will,” he said.“But I think you know exactly why I brought you here. It’s not just about an alliance. It’s about finally setting things right between us.”

“There is no ‘us,’” I snapped, finally letting some irritation slip. “This is business. That’s it.”

He just chuckled,“We’ll see about that.”

A sly smile crept over Lucian’s face as he leaned back, a thick stack of documents in his hand. He placed it on the desk, tapping the cover page as if he were holding all the cards in this twisted game.

“Before, we go any further, Tigress, I think it’s best we get things in writing. After all, business is business, right?”

I crossed my arms, lifting an eyebrow, determined not to let Lucian dictate the terms. "I’ll read your contract, Lucian, but don’t think for a second you’re setting all the rules here. I have conditions of my own.”

His grin widened, enjoying the challenge. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Mrs. DeMarco.”

He opened the document, his fingers flipping through it slowly, almost theatrically. “First, this marriage combines our families fully—no separate allegiances. The Demarcos and the Morettis will work as one. Total cooperation, shared operations, and no division of resources. And this truce, this partnership… it’s public and private.”

I scoffed. “Cooperation? You mean control. You think you’re going to use me to gain leverage. Not a chance.”

He nodded. “You’ll have equal say, but no undermining each other. If we’re going to defeat the Riveras within the next year, we can’t afford internal conflict.”

"One year,” I said firmly. “We take them down together in one year. After that, we’ll talk about future terms.”

“Agreed.” He continued reading, barely pausing as he added, “And my family and yours—they become one. No separate dealings, no interference.”

“And the Morettis—my family—are off-limits for your personal vendettas,” I replied sharply. “No backhanded alliances, no dragging them into your messes.”

His gaze softened for just a moment before returning to his usual cool expression. “Understood. And no using Moretti resources against us.”

I nodded, locking eyes with him. “Only if you don’t give me a reason to.”

He laughed, a low, humorless sound. “Fair enough, Mrs. DeMarco. Next, we maintain appearances. Social events, family gatherings, weddings. And speaking of weddings…”

He paused. “You’ll wear a dress. A white one. I know how much you hate them, but you’ll look stunning. Just think of it as another part of our little show.

I crossed my arms. “ White Dress. fine. Appearances. Fine. But I set my own limits.”

He turned back to the document, his fingers skimming the lines. “Next, we need to discuss communication. No secrets between us. If we’re going to operate as one, we must trust each other completely. That means sharing everything—plans, intel, movements.”

“Agreed,” I said, my mind racing with the implications. “But that also means you can’t keep me in the dark about your family’s dealings. I want transparency.”

“Of course,” he replied. “And we also need to set boundaries with our families. We can’t let them interfere with our decisions. This is our marriage, our alliance. We decide what happens.”

I nodded, appreciating his straightforwardness. “And what about after the year? What happens if we succeed against the Riveras?”

“Then we evaluate where we stand,” Lucian said, his gaze steady. “If we can maintain this partnership, we continue as we are. If not, we part ways with no hard feelings.”

I glared at him, not wanting to show the way his words were getting under her skin. “Why are you doing this, Lucian? Why me?”

“Because…” He paused, his gaze softening just enough to show a hint of honesty. “Because I know you can handle it.”

I stared at the document. It wasn’t just a piece of paper; it was a binding agreement that tied me to Lucian in ways I wasn’t ready to confront. I took a deep breath, forcing down the my emotions.

“Let’s get this over with,” I said, finally lifting the pen and signing my name across the bottom of the page. The ink flowed smoothly, marking the beginning of a new, complicated chapter in my life.

As soon as I set the pen down, Lucian’s smile widened, genuine this time.“That settles it, Tigress.”

I felt my heart race. “You realize this doesn’t mean I’m on your side, right? This is a truce, not an alliance.”

He leaned back in his chair. “You’re right, but for now, it’s enough. I’ll take what I can get. I know you’re not a woman to be taken lightly. Mrs DeMarco”

I stood up, my mind racing with the implications of what I’d just agreed to. “I’ll see you next week for our wedding, then,” I replied.

“Make sure you wear a white dress,” he shot back, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“Very funny,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I can assure you, I have no intention of playing along with your games.”

Lucian shrugged, unfazed. “What you want doesn’t matter, Tigress. This is a show, remember? And I think you’d look stunning in white.”

I turned to leave, but he called after me, his voice suddenly serious. “Vivienne, I’m not just doing this to get under your skin. You know that, right?”

I paused, looking back over my shoulder. “What are you trying to say?”

He stood up “I want to protect what we have”

I felt at anger at his words. “You think this is easy for me? You think I want to tie my life to you, Lucian? I’d rather deal with the Rivera's than get pulled into your games.”

“I’m not playing games anymore, Tigress.” His voice softened, and I caught a glimpse of the man he used to be. “We both know this world is ruthless. If we work together, we stand a chance. Alone, we’re just targets.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then we’ll both lose,” he said simply. “And I can’t allow that. Not when we’re so close to having control.”

I studied him for a moment. The truth was, I didn’t trust him. But I didn’t trust anyone in this business. “Fine,” I said. “But remember, I’m not yours to command. I won’t play the role you want me to play.”