Chapter 40: The Proposal Nobody Expected

For one terrible second, nobody spoke.

The photograph stayed lit on Lucian’s phone screen like a threat wrapped in innocence.

A child’s hand.

Small.

Pale.

Delicate fingers curled around a silver crescent charm.

The background blurred intentionally.

No face.

No location.

No proof.

Only fear.

And beneath it—

Find the child before she disappears forever.

The room seemed to tighten around the message.

Simone whispered first.

"...what the hell."

Theo took the phone from Lucian carefully, studying the image with narrowed eyes.

"That’s deliberate," he said quietly.

Adrian looked up from the clinic file. "Obviously."

"No," Theo corrected. "I mean the charm."

Everyone looked at him.

Theo enlarged the image.

The silver crescent had tiny engravings around the edge.

A family seal.

Old money.

Private circles.

Theo’s expression darkened.

"That charm belongs to the Laurent-Cassel women."

Allison crossed her arms tighter over herself.

"So Vivienne is confirming the child is hers."

Lucian’s jaw flexed once.

"And using the child as leverage."

Elias shook his head slightly. "No. This is more than leverage. This is panic."

Allison looked at him.

Elias continued, "If Vivienne was still fully in control, she wouldn’t send the picture. She’d stay hidden. This?" He pointed at the phone. "This is emotional."

Theo muttered, "Which means she’s dangerous."

"More dangerous," Simone corrected.

Lucian stared at the photograph.

The child wasn’t his.

He knew that now.

Logically.

Factually.

But something about seeing proof of a child connected to his name—connected to Vivienne’s obsession—made his skin crawl.

Not because he feared responsibility.

Because he understood what Vivienne had planned.

Six years.

Six years she had hidden a child behind his name like a weapon waiting for the right war.

Allison watched his expression carefully.

Then stepped closer.

Not dramatic.

Not hesitant.

Just close enough for him to feel her there.

Lucian looked at her.

"You okay?" she asked quietly.

The question almost broke him.

Not because he wasn’t.

Because she asked anyway.

After being kidnapped.

After being tied up in a dark room.

After being dragged into a family conspiracy she never asked for.

She was still checking him.

His voice lowered.

"I should be asking you that."

Allison shrugged lightly.

"I’m resilient and annoyingly adaptable."

Theo snorted softly.

Simone pointed immediately. "See? Trauma response."

Allison ignored her.

Adrian closed the clinic file with controlled precision.

"We need to think three steps ahead now."

Lucian looked toward him.

"She’s running," he said.

"No," Adrian corrected. "Vivienne Laurent-Cassel does not run."

"Then what is she doing?"

Adrian’s eyes sharpened.

"She’s repositioning."

The room went quiet again.

Because everyone understood what that meant.

Vivienne had lost secrecy.

Not power.

Not resources.

Not influence.

Just secrecy.

And women like Vivienne became terrifying when they no longer had a reason to hide.

Theo leaned against the table, gaze fixed on the photo.

"She wants Lucian emotionally destabilized."

Lucian’s expression stayed flat. "That won’t work."

Theo looked at him slowly.

"Lucian."

"What."

"She kidnapped the woman you care about, revealed a secret child tied to your name, and is currently dangling a missing kid like a horror movie villain."

A pause.

"You are emotionally destabilized."

Simone pointed at Theo. "That’s the healthiest thing you’ve said all week."

Lucian looked away.

Which was answer enough.

Allison’s voice softened slightly.

"We’ll find the child."

Lucian looked back at her immediately.

Not because of the words.

Because she said we.

Not you.

Not your problem.

We.

Something in his chest tightened hard enough to hurt.

Adrian noticed.

Of course he did.

And Adrian Croft, terrifying strategist that he was, did something unexpected.

He made a decision.

A dangerous one.

⸻

Thirty Minutes Later

The rain still hammered against the windows of the safe house.

Security moved constantly outside. Phones rang. Elias coordinated searches through encrypted lines while Theo stalked around the room like he wanted someone to fight.

Sharon sat quietly near the fireplace, pale and overwhelmed by the fact that her old life had apparently exploded into billionaire kidnapping conspiracies and secret children.

Simone remained beside Allison on the couch, wrapped in a blanket she absolutely stole from Lucian’s house.

"Just so we’re clear," Simone said, "this is officially the craziest thing that has ever happened to me."

Theo looked over. "You once dated a crypto millionaire who thought he was spiritually connected to wolves."

"That was different."

"How?"

"He only ruined my finances."

Allison almost smiled.

Almost.

Lucian stood near the far wall speaking quietly with Adrian.

Too quietly.

Which meant Allison immediately became suspicious.

She narrowed her eyes.

"What are they doing?"

Simone followed her gaze.

"Oh no," Simone whispered dramatically. "That’s rich-man plotting posture."

Lucian glanced toward Allison briefly.

Then back to Adrian.

Whatever Adrian said next made Lucian go completely still.

Allison stood immediately.

"Nope."

Everyone looked at her.

She pointed toward the two men.

"That face means someone just suggested something deeply irritating."

Theo’s mouth twitched. "You know them disturbingly well already."

"I adapt quickly."

Lucian exhaled slowly and walked toward her.

Adrian followed.

Neither looked thrilled.

That was an excellent sign for entertainment purposes.

Allison folded her arms.

"What."

Lucian rubbed a hand once over the back of his neck.

A nervous tell.

Interesting.

Adrian spoke instead.

"You and Lucian should get married."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Then—

Simone screamed.

Not loudly.

But enough.

"I KNEW IT."

Theo burst out laughing so suddenly he had to lean against the table.

Even Elias looked stunned.

Sharon blinked rapidly. "What?"

Allison stared at Adrian.

Then at Lucian.

Then back at Adrian.

"...I’m sorry?"

Adrian remained perfectly calm.

Which was psychotic behavior considering the sentence he had just spoken.

"A legal marriage between you and Lucian would immediately destabilize Vivienne’s remaining leverage."

Allison blinked.

"That sounded rehearsed."

"It was."

Lucian closed his eyes briefly.

Theo laughed harder.

"Oh my God, he practiced."

Adrian ignored him.

Allison pointed slowly. "You planned this."

"No," Adrian corrected. "I considered it."

"That’s worse."

Lucian finally spoke.

"Adrian."

"What?" Adrian asked calmly. "It solves multiple problems."

Simone raised her hand eagerly. "I would also like to hear the multiple problems."

Adrian looked at Allison directly.

"Vivienne’s influence depended heavily on the assumption that Lucian remained politically and socially unattached."

Allison frowned slightly.

Adrian continued.

"If you marry Lucian publicly, the alliance between Croft and Calloway becomes formal overnight. That changes the balance of power completely."

Theo’s smile faded now.

Because Adrian was right.

Lucian spoke quietly. "Vivienne loses access to the narrative."

"Yes," Adrian said. "And Anthony loses any remaining claim that Allison manipulated events for personal revenge. A marriage reframes the entire situation."

Simone whispered, "This is the most billionaire sentence I’ve ever heard."

Allison looked at Lucian.

"You knew he was thinking this?"

Lucian hesitated.

Wrong move.

Her eyes narrowed instantly.

"You did."

"I knew he would eventually suggest it."

"Eventually?" Allison repeated. "Sir, it has been approximately twelve traumatic minutes since we discovered the existence of a secret child."

Theo muttered, "Fair point."

Lucian stepped closer to Allison, lowering his voice.

"I told him this wasn’t something we decide strategically."

Adrian answered immediately.

"Everything is strategic now."

Allison turned toward her father.

"Dad."

His expression softened.

Barely.

Enough.

"I know how this sounds."

"No," Allison said. "I genuinely don’t think you do."

That almost made Theo laugh again.

Adrian continued anyway.

"I am not suggesting this lightly."

"Yes you are," Allison said flatly. "You literally suggested it during a kidnapping recovery."

Simone whispered to Sharon, "I love her family."

Sharon looked traumatized.

Lucian’s gaze remained on Allison.

"I won’t pressure you into this."

Adrian looked at him.

"You should."

Lucian ignored him completely.

Allison looked between both men.

One cold and strategic.

One calm but tense.

And suddenly she understood something deeply unfortunate.

Neither of them hated the idea.

That realization made heat creep up her neck.

Annoying.

Theo noticed instantly.

"Oh, this just became interesting."

Allison glared at him. "Be quiet."

"No."

Lucian spoke softly.

"Allison."

She looked at him.

His voice lowered further.

"You don’t owe me this."

The room quieted slightly.

Because that mattered.

That mattered a lot.

Allison studied him carefully.

"You’d really marry me to stop Vivienne?"

Theo choked violently.

Simone slapped his shoulder. "Breathe."

Lucian didn’t even blink.

"I’d marry you because I want to."

The room went dead silent.

Even Adrian looked briefly surprised.

Theo slowly lowered his hand from his mouth.

"Oh," he said softly.

Allison’s pulse betrayed her immediately.

Hard.

Fast.

Violent.

Lucian stepped closer.

Not enough to corner her.

Enough to be honest.

"I’m aware the timing is insane," he said quietly. "I’m aware this sounds strategic because right now everything around us is strategy."

His gaze held hers.

"But if I marry you, Allison, it won’t be because Adrian drafted a tactical presentation."

Simone whispered, "Thank God."

Lucian continued.

"It’ll be because somewhere between you insulting my security protocols and punching a socialite in the face..." His mouth almost curved. "I fell for you."

Silence.

Real silence this time.

No jokes.

No interruptions.

Just Allison staring at him like he had knocked the air from her lungs.

Theo looked away first.

Because something about the way Lucian said it felt too real to watch comfortably.

Allison swallowed.

"You picked a very chaotic time to become emotionally available."

Lucian huffed a quiet laugh.

"I noticed."

Her eyes dropped briefly.

Then back to his.

"And if I say no?"

Lucian answered immediately.

"Then nothing changes."

Adrian looked like he disagreed strongly with that statement.

Lucian ignored him again.

"You still stay protected," he said. "We still find the child. We still destroy Anthony and Vivienne."

Theo nodded approvingly. "Romantic."

Simone clutched her chest. "I’m obsessed with this."

Allison looked at Lucian for a long moment.

Then sighed softly.

"You know," she said, "most people go on dates before accidental war engagements."

Lucian’s eyes warmed slightly.

"I can schedule one if it helps."

"That was almost smooth."

"Almost?"

"You still look like someone preparing a corporate merger."

Theo barked out a laugh.

Then—

Elias’s tablet beeped sharply.

Everyone turned instantly.

His expression changed.

Not good.

"What?" Adrian asked.

Elias looked up slowly.

"We found the child."

The room froze.

Lucian stepped forward immediately.

"Where?"

Elias swallowed.

"Vivienne moved her thirty minutes ago."

Allison’s stomach tightened.

"To where?"

Elias turned the screen around.

An image appeared.

Private airport surveillance footage.

A little girl in a gray coat holding a stuffed rabbit.

One of Vivienne’s guards beside her.

Timestamp:

Eight minutes ago.

Simone whispered, "No..."

Elias zoomed further in.

The destination flight plan loaded beside the image.

And every face in the room changed when they saw where the plane was going.

Switzerland.

Theo went completely still.

Lucian’s eyes darkened instantly.

Allison looked between them.

"What?"

Theo answered first.

Quietly.

"That’s where the accident happened."

Then Lucian spoke.

And his voice sounded colder than Allison had ever heard it.

"She’s taking the child to the one place she thinks I’ll follow without thinking."

A pause.

Then—

"And she’s right."