CHAPTER 22 – "Why Do You Care?"
Zara Valtoria did not storm out.
She exited.
With control.
With grace.
With her head high.
But tonight—
That exit?
Felt… different.
The gala lights blurred behind her as she stepped into her waiting Lamborghini Urus.
Her heels hit the floor sharply.
Her expression?
Cold.
Untouchable.
But the moment the door shut—
Her jaw tightened.
"Home," she said.
No explanation.
No delay.
Because she refused to stand there—
Watching Elena touch him.
Speak to him.
Look at him like she still had a chance.
Zara exhaled slowly.
Annoying.
That was all it was.
Nothing more.
She didn't get jealous.
She got irritated.
🔥 The Empty Mansion
Hours later—
Lucien Valtieri walked into the mansion.
Silence greeted him.
Not the calm silence he was used to.
This one felt… empty.
He glanced around once.
Then again.
"She's not here," he muttered.
His phone was already in his hand.
Dialing.
Zara.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
No answer.
His jaw tightened slightly.
He tried again.
Nothing.
That's when he understood.
"She didn't go home," he said quietly.
Because that place—
Was supposed to be their home now.
And Zara Valtoria didn't retreat.
Unless something had affected her.
🔥 The Penthouse
The elevator doors slid open silently.
Zara's penthouse remained exactly how she liked it.
Untouched.
Perfect.
Luxury woven into every detail.
The scent of expensive candles lingered faintly in the air.
Soft lighting.
Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the city.
And there—
Standing near the bar—
Was Zara.
Dressed in nothing but a silk bathrobe.
Hair damp.
Barefoot.
Effortless.
Dangerous.
Real.
Lucien stepped in.
The door closing quietly behind him.
Zara didn't turn immediately.
"I thought you'd be busy," she said calmly.
Her voice was controlled.
Too controlled.
Lucien walked further in.
"I called you."
Zara turned then.
Slowly.
Her eyes sharp.
"I saw."
A pause.
"And you didn't answer."
Zara crossed her arms slightly.
"I wasn't interested."
Silence.
Lucien studied her.
Carefully.
Then—
He stepped closer.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Zara let out a soft, humorless laugh.
"What does it look like?" she replied.
Lucien didn't react to the tone.
"It looks like you left," he said.
Zara's eyes flashed slightly.
"Maybe I did," she said.
A pause.
"After all—"
Her voice dropped.
Sharp now.
"You seemed occupied."
There it was.
Lucien's gaze didn't shift.
Didn't harden.
Didn't react emotionally.
"Elena approached me," he said calmly.
Zara laughed again.
Short.
Cold.
"Of course she did."
Lucien stepped closer.
"I didn't go to her."
Zara's eyes held his.
"But you stayed," she said.
Silence.
Lucien didn't deny it.
"I stayed because you walked away."
That—
That hit differently.
Zara's expression flickered for half a second.
Then steadied again.
"Don't twist this," she said.
"I'm not," Lucien replied quietly.
A pause.
"I followed you."
Silence.
Zara's fingers tightened slightly against her arms.
"Why?" she asked.
The question came out softer than she intended.
Lucien didn't hesitate.
"Because you left."
Zara looked away for a brief moment.
Then back.
"I told you," she said,
"I'll stay here until the wedding."
Flat.
Final.
Lucien frowned slightly.
"No."
Zara blinked once.
"No?"
Lucien stepped closer.
"You're not staying here alone."
Zara's brows lifted.
"Excuse me?"
Lucien didn't back down.
"If you're not in the mansion—"
A pause.
"Then I'm here."
Silence.
Zara stared at him.
"You're not serious."
Lucien's response was immediate.
"I am."
Zara let out a breath.
Shaking her head slightly.
"You don't just decide things for me," she said.
Lucien's gaze softened slightly.
But his tone?
Still firm.
"I'm not deciding for you."
A pause.
"I'm choosing for us."
That word again.
Us.
Zara went still.
Because that word—
That word was dangerous.
"You're getting comfortable," she said quietly.
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
"I'm trying to."
Silence.
Then—
He stepped closer again.
Not forceful.
Not invading.
Just… present.
"We didn't start this right," he said.
Zara didn't interrupt.
"We started with contracts," he continued.
"With rules. With control."
A pause.
"But we have to live with each other."
Zara's eyes held his.
"And?"
Lucien exhaled slowly.
"And I want it to be… easier."
Silence.
"I'll do whatever it takes," he added quietly.
Zara's expression shifted slightly.
Not soft.
Not weak.
But… less sharp.
"To stay together," he continued.
"To live together."
A pause.
"To be friends, at least."
That word—
Friends.
Zara almost laughed.
"Friends?" she repeated.
Lucien nodded once.
"Yes."
Zara studied him.
Longer this time.
Deeper.
As if trying to understand—
Why he was trying this hard.
Why he wasn't backing down.
Why he wasn't like everyone else.
"You're strange," she said finally.
Lucien's lips curved slightly.
"I've been told."
Silence fell again.
But this time—
It wasn't sharp.
It was… calmer.
Zara turned away slowly.
Walking toward the glass wall.
Looking out at the city.
"I don't do 'easy,'" she said quietly.
Lucien walked up beside her.
"I know."
A pause.
"But we can try."
Zara didn't answer immediately.
She just stood there.
Thinking.
Then finally—
"We'll see," she said.
Not rejection.
Not acceptance.
But something in between.
And for Zara Valtoria—
That was already a step too far.