Aurora's hand trembled slightly as she pointed the gun at Lucian Daiuz's chest. "Marry me, Mr. Daiuz," she demanded, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of desperation. This was her last chance—her only chance—to escape the fate that awaited her.

Lucian's eyes flicked down to the gun, then back up to her face. His expression remained calm, almost bored, as if the situation didn't faze him in the slightest. "This isn't the first time I've been threatened, but I must admit, a marriage proposal under duress is a new one," he said, his voice smooth and laced with dry amusement.

Aurora's grip tightened on the gun. She couldn't afford to let his indifference shake her resolve. "I'm not here to play games, Lucian. I know you need a wife, and I need a husband. It's a simple exchange."

Lucian leaned back against the wall, his gaze never leaving her. The dim light in the corner of the grand hall cast shadows across his sharp, aristocratic features, highlighting the hard line of his jaw and the intense blue of his eyes. He was a man of striking beauty, with dark hair that fell in controlled waves, perfectly groomed, and a body that exuded power beneath the tailored suit he wore. His presence was commanding, almost overwhelming, as if the very air around him bent to his will.

"You saw the news, didn't you? The woman I was supposed to marry ran off, just like all the others. And you think you'll be different?" he asked, a slight edge creeping into his tone, his gaze piercing through her like a blade.

"I'm not like the others," Aurora replied, her voice firm, though her heart pounded in her chest. "I'm not here because I want to be. I'm here because I have to be. You need a wife to maintain your status, and I need a husband to escape a life I never asked for."

Lucian's interest was piqued, but he kept his expression neutral. "And why me? Why not someone else?"

Aurora hesitated for a moment, her mind flashing back to the events that had led her here. "Because," she began, her voice softening, "my sister, the original Crown Princess of Dysheria, died under suspicious circumstances. The doctors said it was cancer, but she had no symptoms. Just a few days after her death, my father appointed me as the new Crown Princess and ordered me to marry the same man she had married—Vincent Haze."

She paused, her throat tightening as the memory of her sister flooded her mind. "Vincent is a powerful man, connected to King Charles III of the UK. My father sees him as a valuable ally. But the night before I was to be announced as the new Crown Princess, I found a letter in my sister's room. She wrote that Vincent had killed her."

Lucian's expression remained unchanged, but Aurora could sense the subtle shift in the air. "And did you show this letter to your father?" he asked, his tone even, though his gaze never wavered.

"I tried," Aurora said, her voice trembling slightly. "But the letter disappeared. When I told my father what I had seen, he accused me of making it up because I didn't want to marry Vincent. He didn't believe me, and I knew that if I didn't find a way out, I'd end up just like my sister."

Lucian remained silent, his eyes studying her intently. Aurora could feel his gaze piercing through her, as if he were weighing her words, deciding whether or not to believe her.

"So, you came to me," Lucian finally said. "Because you think I'm your only way out."

Aurora nodded, lowering the gun slightly but still keeping it in her hand. "You need a wife," she said, her voice firmer now. "You've been trying to find one for years, but every woman you've been with has either left a few months after the wedding or run away just weeks before. You're 33 and still without an heir. You need someone who won't run, someone who understands the stakes."

Lucian's lips curled into a faint smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And you think you're that someone?"

"I know I am," Aurora replied, meeting his gaze head-on. "I'm not here for love or romance. I'm here because I have no other choice. And neither do you."

For a moment, Lucian said nothing, his expression unreadable. The sounds of the lavish party continued around them—laughter, clinking glasses, the hum of conversation—but in this shadowed corner, it was as if they were in a world all their own.

Finally, Lucian pushed away from the wall, standing to his full height. He towered over her, his presence even more imposing up close. "No," he said, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "You'll just run away like the rest. I'm not interested in another temporary arrangement."

Aurora felt a sharp sting of rejection, but she refused to let it show. "I'm not like them," she insisted, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm offering you a real partnership. I'm not here for love or romance, just survival."

Lucian's gaze softened for just a fraction of a second before hardening again. "No," he said quietly but firmly. "This isn't going to work."

He stepped past her, leaving the shadows of the corner and rejoining the bright, glittering expanse of the grand hall. The contrast between the dark, intimate corner and the opulent surroundings was jarring, and Aurora felt a pang of desperation as she watched him walk away.

Before she could even think, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw 15 missed calls from her father—an anomaly that sent a shiver down her spine. Her father never called, not even a text, but this time, there was a message waiting for her:

**"COME TO THE PALACE RIGHT NOW!!"**

Aurora's blood went cold. Her hand slowly lowered, the weight of the gun suddenly too heavy. Without another word, she turned and left the corner, her heart sinking with every step. As she reached the edge of the hall, she caught sight of Lucian one last time, standing tall and unyielding amidst the glittering crowd.

And then, she stepped out into the night, knowing that whatever awaited her at the palace, it would be far worse than the rejection she had just faced.