Chapter4

"You are not disgusted by the idea of your wife showing her face in public to run a commerce trade?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Why on earth would I be disgusted?" Lucien looked genuinely confused. "It is excellent that you have ambitions. Moreover, your desired industry aligns perfectly with my own hidden agendas. Cultivating a monopoly is far more entertaining than attending human tea parties."

He grinned, the tips of his pointed ears twitching, and lunged forward to wrap his arms around me.

I pushed his face away with a flat palm. "Focus. You enjoy building commercial enterprises?"

"To be precise, I enjoy building empires from the shadows," Lucien corrected. He pulled a thick stack of parchment from his coat, dropping the business contracts onto my vanity. "I know you wish to fuse human recipes with magical Fae ingredients. I like watching a business grow from nothing into a cornerstone of the Capital's economy."

I picked up the documents, scanning the prestigious brand names stamped with official government seals. "You own all of these?"

Lucien lifted his chin. "Some I funded through anonymous Fae agents, others I own directly. That is precisely why your clever maneuvers with our marriage contract amused me so much. The royal court thought they had successfully caged a careless Fae Prince and a helpless bride. They didn't realize that while I was secretly buying the cage itself, you were perfectly capable of dismantling its locks from the inside."

I realized my husband wasn't just a casanova—we were actually playing the exact same game.

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a negotiating purr. "I will grant you the capital, the supply lines, and the legal backdoor required to launch your high-end restaurant. But I have one non-negotiable condition."

"Which is?"

"From this point onward, all magical advertisements for your restaurant will feature only me," he declared.

Aesthetically flawless and offering free labor. "Deal," I said immediately.

Lucien let out a triumphant laugh, tackling me back onto the cushions.

"Wait—aren't you supposed to be maintaining your scandalous reputation?" I teased, breathless as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "Knowing that your 'mistresses' were just a political smoke screen is one thing, but if you abandon the playboy act completely, the court will get suspicious."

Lucien murmured against my skin, his tone suddenly losing its jest. "This physical closeness is necessary now. Let them smell my protection on you, Evelyn. It prevents anyone from trying to exploit or harm you."

His efficiency was utterly terrifying.

Backed by Lucien's massive wealth and his diplomatic immunity, my first flagship establishment—a luxury restaurant fusing human culinary arts with magical Fae gastronomy—opened right in the commercial district.

Demand skyrocketed instantly.

Over the next few months, my business flourished and my life finally felt perfectly stabilized. But that peace was shattered the moment a missive bearing news .

Vivienne was pregnant.

The news triggered a violent wave of nausea. In my past life, the moment I conceived, I ceased to be a human being and became a biological incubator for Alistair Ravenscar's heir.

I immediately tapped my magic crystal to call her. Endless, dead static.

The political implications terrified me. Driven by dread, I did not wait. I ordered a carriage and rushed straight to the Ravenscar Estate that very afternoon.

When the head butler reluctantly opened the doors, I hurried into the sunroom and froze.

Vivienne sat on a plush sofa, bathed in sunlight, her hands resting gently on her stomach. She radiated a quiet maternal warmth.

"Vivienne!" I grabbed her hands, frantically inspecting her wrists for any signs of magical restraints. "Has Alistair locked you in? Do you still have your personal freedoms?"

"Evelyn, calm down." Vivienne laughed softly, pulling me to sit beside her. "Alistair has been treating me incredibly well. I casually mentioned I was craving something, and he personally left the estate to secure it for me."

I stared at her, stunned.

In my previous life, Alistair was a cold, untouchable man. He never ran errands for a whim.

Yet, I could not let my guard down.

"You must prioritize yourself," I warned her, my tone dead serious. "Do not blindly trust his sudden affection. The moment that child threatens your life, you must choose yourself."

"I know," Vivienne said softly, smiling at her stomach. "But I will do everything in my power to protect my baby, too."

The harsh words died in my throat. Vivienne was gentle, and she genuinely desired a family.

In my past life, after Alistair locked me away to force the pregnancy, I had spiraled into sheer mania.

But looking at Vivienne now—she loved this unborn child. And in this timeline, Alistair seemed genuinely devoted. Perhaps the tragedy wouldn't repeat itself.

Vivienne shifted the conversation, asking about Lucien. Surprisingly, because Lucien had spent the past few months constantly at my side helping me build the business, I had not seen a single trace of his supposed mistresses.

Vivienne smiled knowingly, calling me a fool who couldn't see what was right in front of her.

Before sunset, it was time for me to go. I needed to leave before the Duke returned. I had no desire to encounter the man who still haunted my nightmares.

I kissed Vivienne's forehead and walked out of the room.

But the moment the heavy oak front doors swung open, I stopped dead in my tracks.

The husband from my previous life appeared at the doorway, our eyes locking instantly.