The moment I stepped forward, I knew there was no turning back.
Lucian watched me closely, as if afraid I would disappear again if he blinked.
"So," he said quietly, "you've decided."
"I've decided to live," I replied. "That doesn't mean I trust you."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Trust was never part of the deal."
He walked to the side of the room and pressed a button on the wall. A hidden panel slid open, revealing a sleek screen and a stack of documents.
My stomach tightened.
"You're serious," I said.
"I'm always serious," Lucian replied. "Especially when it comes to you."
He handed me the first document. My eyes scanned the bold letters at the top.
CONFIDENTIAL AGREEMENT.
"This isn't employment," I said slowly. "This is ownership."
Lucian didn't deny it.
"You'll work as my personal consultant," he said. "Publicly. Privately, you'll stay where I can see you."
"And if I try to leave?" I asked.
His gaze hardened. "You won't."
I laughed softly. "You sound confident."
"I buried you once," he said calmly. "I won't lose you again."
The words sent a shiver down my spine.
"You're afraid," I said.
Lucian's jaw tightened. "I don't fear anything."
"You fear me," I corrected. "Because I know what you're capable of."
Silence stretched between us.
Then he surprised me.
"I fear losing control," he admitted quietly. "And you are the only variable I never mastered."
My hand hovered over the pen.
"This contract," I said, "it protects me from your enemies."
"And from yourself," he added.
I signed.
The moment the pen left the paper, Lucian's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Yes?"
His expression changed.
"What do you mean she's been seen?" he demanded.
My heart stopped.
He ended the call slowly, eyes lifting to mine.
"They've made contact," he said. "Someone from the fire."
My breath caught. "Who?"
Lucian stepped closer.
"Your sister," he said softly.
"Who died the same night you did."
The world tilted.
"That's impossible," I whispered.
Lucian's gaze was unyielding.
"In my world," he said, "the dead don't stay buried."