CHAPTER 32 – "You Said You Could Afford Me"
Zara Valtoria thought she had seen everything.
Private jets.
Islands.
Palaces disguised as homes.
Cities that bent to money.
She had lived in luxury so long—
It no longer impressed her.
Until now.
Lucien Valtieri didn't tell her where they were going.
He never did.
"All you need to know," he had said, standing beside her on the runway,
"is that you asked for the best."
Zara adjusted her sunglasses, stepping toward the aircraft waiting for them.
Not just any jet—
A customized Boeing Business Jet, redesigned to feel less like transportation…
And more like a floating empire.
She paused just slightly before stepping in.
Interesting.
Inside—
It wasn't luxury.
It was excess refined into perfection.
Soft neutral tones.
Private suites.
A lounge that looked like it belonged in a penthouse, not the sky.
Sienna walked in behind her and froze.
"…I'm stealing this plane," she muttered.
Cassian ran his fingers lightly across one of the surfaces.
"He didn't rent this," he said quietly.
Of course he didn't.
Zara turned her head slightly toward Lucien.
"You're trying too hard," she said.
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
"Not yet."
That answer sat with her.
The flight was long.
But it didn't feel like it.
Because Zara spent most of it watching him.
Not obviously.
Not directly.
But observing.
Lucien didn't fill silence.
Didn't perform.
Didn't try to impress her with words.
He just… existed.
Certain.
Unshaken.
And that?
That was new.
Hours later—
The plane descended.
Zara looked out the window—
And for the first time in a long time—
She didn't immediately speak.
An island.
But not just any island.
Private.
Massive.
Engineered into perfection.
Crystal-clear waters surrounding it like a barrier.
Architecture rising from the center—
A fusion of palace and modern design.
White stone. Glass. Gold accents catching the sunlight.
"Tell me that's not—" Sienna started.
"It is," Lucien said calmly.
Zara turned slowly toward him.
"You bought an island?"
Lucien met her gaze.
"For you."
Silence.
Real silence.
Zara removed her sunglasses slowly.
Because now—
She needed to see clearly.
The helicopter ride from the jet to the main estate only made it worse.
Water villas.
Private docks.
Gardens carved into the land like art.
A central structure that looked like a royal palace reimagined for the modern world.
"This isn't a home," Cassian murmured.
"It's a kingdom."
Zara said nothing.
Because for the first time—
She wasn't unimpressed.
She was… affected.
They landed.
The moment Zara stepped out—
The air felt different.
Cleaner.
Quieter.
Untouchable.
Lucien walked beside her.
Not ahead.
Not behind.
Beside.
"You said," he reminded her quietly,
"That if I couldn't afford the best—"
Zara stopped walking.
Turning toward him slowly.
"I remember what I said."
Lucien stepped closer.
"Do you still think I can't?"
Zara held his gaze.
Longer this time.
Deeper.
Because this—
This wasn't just money anymore.
This was intention.
"You didn't just meet the standard," she said quietly.
A pause.
"You changed it."
Lucien didn't smile.
Didn't celebrate.
"I told you," he said.
"I don't fail."
Silence stretched between them.
But this time—
It wasn't sharp.
It was… heavy.
Night fell slowly over the island.
Golden lights illuminating pathways.
Soft music drifting through open spaces.
The ocean whispering in the background.
Dinner was set on a private terrace overlooking the water.
Candles flickering gently.
The entire island feeling like it existed for just two people.
Sienna and Cassian had disappeared hours ago.
Smart enough to leave.
Now—
It was just Zara…
And Lucien.
Zara stood by the edge of the terrace, looking out at the endless ocean.
"You planned this," she said.
Lucien walked up behind her.
Not touching.
Not yet.
"Yes."
Zara exhaled slowly.
"You don't do anything halfway."
Lucien's voice dropped slightly.
"Neither do you."
Silence.
Then—
Zara turned.
And for the first time—
There was no performance in her expression.
No calculated smile.
No deliberate arrogance.
Just something… real.
"You're dangerous," she said quietly.
Lucien stepped closer.
"I've always been."
Zara shook her head slightly.
"No," she said softly.
A pause.
"You're dangerous to me."
That—
That changed everything.
Because Zara Valtoria did not admit vulnerability.
Ever.
Lucien didn't respond immediately.
Didn't push.
Didn't speak.
He just lifted his hand—
Slowly—
Giving her time to step back.
To stop him.
She didn't.
His fingers brushed lightly against her jaw.
Tilting her face just slightly toward his.
Zara's breath caught—
Barely.
"You can still walk away," he said quietly.
Zara's lips parted slightly.
"You know I won't."
And that—
That was the moment she lost control.
Just a little.
Lucien closed the distance.
This time—
The kiss wasn't a challenge.
Wasn't a test.
Wasn't about dominance.
It was slower.
Deeper.
Still controlled—
But undeniable.
Zara didn't freeze this time.
Her hand tightened slightly against his shirt.
Her control slipping—
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to feel it.
Enough to know—
This wasn't just a game anymore.
When they pulled apart—
The silence between them was different.
Not tension.
Not war.
Something far more dangerous.
Zara rested her forehead lightly against his for a brief second—
Then stepped back.
Rebuilding herself.
Piece by piece.
"This changes nothing," she said.
Lucien's gaze didn't leave hers.
"It changes everything."
And deep down—
Zara knew he was right.