CHAPTER 31 – "Yours Or Mine?"
The honeymoon didn't start quietly.
Of course it didn't.
Zara Valtoria didn't do quiet.
And Lucien Valtieri?
He didn't allow ordinary.
The first disagreement started before they even left the mansion.
"I'm not using your jet," Zara said calmly, adjusting her sunglasses as she stepped toward the driveway.
Lucien didn't stop walking.
"Then you can follow mine."
Zara's lips curved faintly.
Dangerous.
"I don't follow anyone."
Lucien stopped.
Turned.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Almost at the same time—
Two luxury cars pulled forward.
Zara's Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Lucien's Bentley Mulsanne.
Sienna, standing off to the side, folded her arms.
"…This is about to be ridiculous."
Cassian smirked slightly.
"This is marriage," he said calmly.
Zara turned back to Lucien.
"We take mine," she said.
Lucien didn't hesitate.
"No."
A pause.
Zara's brow lifted slightly.
"Excuse me?"
Lucien stepped closer.
"My jet," he said simply.
Zara laughed softly.
"You're already starting wrong."
Lucien's gaze didn't waver.
"And you're already trying to control everything."
Silence.
Sharp.
Then—
Zara stepped closer.
Close enough that the tension shifted.
"I don't try," she said softly.
A pause.
"I succeed."
Lucien's lips curved slightly.
"Not this time."
Another pause.
And then—
Unexpectedly—
Zara smiled.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Challenging.
"Fine," she said.
Lucien's brow lifted slightly.
"That easy?"
Zara stepped past him.
"We'll take yours," she added casually.
A pause.
"But I'm paying for the entire trip."
Lucien stopped walking.
"No."
Zara turned again.
"Don't start," she warned.
Lucien stepped closer.
"I don't get taken care of."
Zara's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't get outspent."
Silence.
Sienna groaned softly.
"This is insane."
Cassian shook his head.
"Wait until they start using their black cards."
........
They didn't compromise.
Of course they didn't.
They escalated.
By the time they reached the private airstrip—
Two jets were ready.
Not one.
Two.
Zara's.
Lucien's.
Side by side.
Like a competition no one else could afford to enter.
Ground staff stood in stunned silence.
Because this?
This wasn't normal.
"This is what happens," one whispered quietly,
"When two billionaires get married."
Zara stepped out first.
Her heels hitting the ground with quiet authority.
Lucien followed.
Unbothered.
Unimpressed.
"You're doing this on purpose," he said.
Zara glanced at him.
"So are you."
A pause.
Then—
Lucien gestured toward his jet.
"After you."
Zara didn't move.
Instead—
She pulled out her black card.
"So we're clear," she said smoothly,
"I'm covering everything once we land."
Lucien stepped closer.
Took his own card out.
"No."
Zara's eyes flashed slightly.
"Try me."
Lucien's voice dropped.
"I will."
Silence.
Then—
Unexpectedly—
They both smiled.
Because this wasn't a fight anymore.
It was a game.
And neither of them planned to lose.
........
Hours later—
The tension hadn't disappeared.
It had changed.
Refined.
Focused.
Closer.
The jet was silent.
Private.
Luxury wrapped in stillness.
Zara stood by the window, looking out at nothing but sky.
Lucien watched her from across the room.
"You're still thinking," he said.
Zara didn't turn.
"I always think."
A pause.
Lucien stood.
Walking toward her slowly.
"You're not used to this," he added.
Zara turned slightly.
"To what?"
Lucien stopped just in front of her.
"Not being in control of everything."
Silence.
Zara's gaze held his.
"Careful," she said softly.
Lucien didn't step back.
"Or what?"
That question again.
Dangerous.
Familiar.
Zara stepped closer.
Close enough that the air shifted.
"You might start thinking you are."
Lucien's hand moved—
Resting lightly against her waist.
Not forceful.
Not hesitant.
Certain.
"Maybe I already do," he said quietly.
Zara didn't pull away.
Didn't break eye contact.
Didn't stop him.
And that—
That was new.
The tension between them shifted again.
Slower now.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
Zara's voice dropped slightly.
"This changes nothing."
Lucien leaned just a fraction closer.
"I didn't expect it to."
A pause.
"But it will."
Silence.
Zara's fingers brushed lightly against his arm.
Not pushing him away.
Not pulling him closer.
Just… there.
A line.
One they were both standing on.
And neither of them stepping back.
.........
Later—
As the jet began its descent—
Zara finally asked the question she had been holding.
"Where are we going?"
Lucien looked at her.
Calm.
Certain.
"You'll see."
Zara's lips curved slowly.
"You really like surprises."
Lucien's response was quiet.
"Only when I know I'll win."
Zara leaned back slightly.
Eyes still on him.
"That confidence…"
A pause.
"Make sure it's deserved."
Lucien didn't hesitate.
"It is."
And as the jet descended through the clouds—
One thing became clear.
This honeymoon?
Wasn't going to be peaceful.
It was going to be unforgettable.