~Aria's POV~
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "He loves you, he really loves you. And it's destroying him."
The words hit me like a huge blow.
"I know," I whispered. "I know and I'm going to fix it. Somehow."
I spent the next hour in the kitchen, teaching myself how to cook from YouTube videos. I wasn't exactly a culinary expert, my skills extended to instant food and microwave meals, but I could still manage something simple.
Chen appeared in the doorway, looking confused to find me actually cooking instead of plotting an escape.
"Mrs. Blackwood? Do you need help?"
"Can you cook?" I asked hopefully.
A small smile tugged at his usually stoic face. "My mother owns a restaurant in Chinatown."
"Thank God. Please, help me not poison anyone."
We worked together, Chen gently correcting my knife skills and showing me how to properly season the chicken. It was... nice and normal. Like I was just a regular person making lunch, not a prisoner trying to win back her captor's trust.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked as Chen showed me how to cut carrots.
He was quiet for a moment. "Mr. Blackwood is a good man. The best employer I've ever had. When my sister needed surgery last year, he paid for everything. He didn't even ask for anything in return." Chen's hands moved deftly, creating perfect pleats. "He deserves happiness and despite everything, you make him happy. Or you did, once."
The past tense stung.
"I want to make him happy again," I said softly. "I know you don't believe me, but I do."
Chen glanced at me, something assessing in his gaze. "Then prove it. Not with words, but with actions. Consistent actions, over time. That's the only way he'll trust you again."
By eleven o'clock, I had an insulated lunch bag packed with homemade food. Probably not restaurant-quality, but edible at least. Chen had even helped me make Lucien's favorite tea.
"I want to take this to his office," I announced to Marcus.
Marcus immediately shook his head. "Mr. Blackwood left strict instructions. You're not to leave the apartment."
"I know. That's why I need you to come with me." I met his eyes steadily. "Please, Marcus. I'm not trying to escape. I just want to see him, to try to fix what I broke."
"He'll think it's manipulation."
"Probably," I admitted. "But I have to try anyway. Even if he throws me out, even if he refuses to see me, I still have to try."
Marcus exchanged a glance with Chen, some silent communication passing between them.
"Fine," Marcus finally said. "But we're with you the entire time and if you try anything..."
"I won't. I promise."
The drive to Blackwood Industries took twenty minutes through downtown traffic. I spent the entire ride nervously fidgeting with the lunch bag, my stomach in knots.
What if he refused to see me? What if he thought this was just another game?
The building was impressive, all made up of glass and steel, reaching toward the sky like a monument to Lucien's success. The lobby was pristine, filled with purposeful-looking people in expensive suits.
“What the heck! My husband is so freaking wealthy.“
I felt so underdressed in my simple jeans and sweater, my hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. I looked nothing like the polished wife of a billionaire CEO.
The receptionist's eyes widened when she saw me. "Mrs. Blackwood! We weren't expecting you."
"Is my husband available?" I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
She hesitated, glancing at her computer screen. "He's in a meeting, but..." She picked up the phone. "Let me check with his assistant."
A moment later, an elegant woman in her forties appeared. Emma, I remembered. Lucien's executive assistant. She'd visited the apartment once, bringing papers for Lucien to sign, and had looked at me with thinly veiled disapproval.
"Mrs. Blackwood." Her tone was professionally cool. "Mr. Blackwood is in a board meeting, he can't be disturbed."
"I know. I don't need to disturb him." I held up the lunch bag. "I just wanted to leave this for him for when his meeting ends."
Emma's expression flickered with surprise. In five months, I had never once visited Lucien's office, never once shown any interest in his work or his life outside our apartment-prison.
"I... see. I can take that to his office."
"Actually," I said, gathering my courage, "could I wait? Just until his meeting ends? I promise I won't cause any problems."
Emma looked uncertain, clearly weighing her options. Refusing the CEO's wife could be risky, but letting me in might upset Lucien even more.
"Please," I added softly. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
Finally, she nodded. "Wait here. I'll let you know when his meeting concludes."
I settled into one of the lobby's plush chairs, Marcus and Chen flanking me like bookends. The minutes crawled by, each one feeling like an hour.
I watched people come and go, all of them moving with purpose and direction. This was Lucien's world, the empire he had built from nothing and I had never even bothered to see it before. I had been so wrapped up in my own misery, my own desperate need to escape, that I had never considered what I was running from.
A man who had built all of this. Who had created jobs, opportunities and futures. Who had paid for Chen's sister's surgery without being asked. He had even sat in a chair all night watching over me after I hurt myself, even though I had spent five months making his life hell.
Tears pricked my eyes. I suddenly felt incredibly stupid, incredibly selfish, and incredibly determined to make this right.
"Mrs. Blackwood?" Emma had returned. "Mr. Blackwood's meeting just ended. His office is on the top floor. I'll escort you up."
My heart hammered hard as we rode the elevator all the way up, the city spreading out below us through the glass walls. The doors opened to reveal an executive floor that screamed power and success.
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