Beauty and the Unconquered Beast

Chapter 4 The Crash

The Crash

Vireya Montclair arrived ten minutes early.

She always did.

It was one of the few habits her father had managed to pass on to her—being punctual, being prepared, and never giving anyone the satisfaction of making her wait.

The restaurant was quiet.

Expensive.

Private.

The kind of place where powerful families could have conversations without worrying about strangers listening.

Vireya sat near the window with a cup of coffee in front of her. Beside it was a thin folder a name written on it Evren Valcero. She had already read it three times, and she still didn't understand him.

Five years in prison, Illegitimate son, no official position in the Valcero family, no major accomplishments, no known business interests, no political connections. The file described him as unstable. Possibly dangerous, mostly useless. Vireya wasn't convinced.

A waiter approached. “Miss Montclair, your guest has arrived.”

She looked toward the entrance.

A man walked inside.

Black suit, dark hair, calm expression, no bodyguards, no visible jewelry, no attempt to announce himself.

He looked around the restaurant once. Then his eyes landed on her.

Vireya stood.

The man walked toward her. “Vireya Montclair?”

“Yes.”

“Evren Valcero.”

“I know.”

He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

Silence.

Vireya sat.

More silence.

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

Neither seemed interested in saying anything.

Finally, Vireya sighed. “So…”

Evren nodded. “So.”

She stared at him. “This is awkward.”

“Yes.”

“At least we're both aware of it.”

“That helps.”

She almost smiled. Almost. “You know why we're here?”

“Our families want us married.”

“I know.”

“Then I suppose that's why we're here.” Vireya leaned back.

He was strange. Not in the way her family had described him, there was nothing unstable about him. If anything, he seemed too controlled.

“Do you want this marriage?” she asked.

“No.” The answer came immediately.

Vireya blinked. “At least you're honest.”

“You?”

“No.”

“Then we're in agreement.”

She studied him. “You really don't care?”

“About the marriage?”

“Yes.”

Evren looked out the window.

“I don't know you.”

“That's your reason?”

“It's enough.”

Vireya smiled faintly.

“I expected someone more difficult.”

“I expected someone more spoiled.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Do I look spoiled?”

“No.”

“Then why expect it?”

“You asked what I expected.”

She shook her head. “You're irritating.”

“I've been told.”

For the first time, Vireya laughed. It was brief, but genuine. The meeting continued for another forty minutes. They talked about their families, business, their expectations.

Neither pretended the arrangement was romantic, neither asked the other to fall in love. It was almost comfortable.

Until Vireya noticed something. Evren wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking outside.

“What?”

He didn't answer.

“Evren?”

His eyes narrowed.

Then he stood. “Stay here.”

Vireya frowned. “What?”

“Don't move.”

Before she could ask why, he stepped toward the window.

And then—

A car came screaming down the street.

Too fast, far too fast.

Evren's expression changed. “Vireya!”

The sedan jumped the curb. People screamed.

Vireya turned.

The car was already coming toward them. Evren reached her in an instant. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from the street. The sedan smashed into the restaurant's stone barrier. The impact sent debris flying.

Vireya stumbled. Her heel caught the pavement.

“Wait—”

Evren tried to catch her, both lost their balance and they fell. Evren hit the ground first, Vireya landed against him. They rolled across the pavement.

Once.

Twice.

Then stopped.

Vireya opened her eyes.

Evren was beneath her.

Their faces were inches apart.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Good.”

She tried to move; her hand slipped. Their faces suddenly came together.

Their lips touched.

Both froze.

It lasted barely a second but it was long enough.

Vireya immediately pushed herself away. “I—”

Evren sat up. “That was an accident.”

“I know!”

“Good.”

She stared at him. “Why did you say it like that?”

“Because you looked confused.”

“I am not confused.”

“You are.”

“I am not.”

“You're blushing.”

Vireya's face became even redder. “I hate you already.”

Evren stood. “You've known me for an hour.”

“Exactly.”

He offered his hand she stared at it. Then reluctantly took it. Before either could say anything—

“DON'T MOVE!”

A woman's voice cut through the chaos a police car stopped near the restaurant. A young female police officer stepped out, she had a handgun in her right hand and one hand raised toward the crowd.

“Everyone stays back!”

Her eyes moved quickly across the scene. The crashed sedan, the shattered glass, the injured driver, the frightened civilians.

Then she spotted Vireya. “Miss, are you injured?”

Vireya shook her head. “No.”

The officer walked toward her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Did the vehicle hit you?”

“No.”

“Did you fall?”

“Yes.”

“Head injury?”

“No.”

The officer looked at Evren. “And you?”

“Fine.”

She waited.

He said nothing else.

The officer frowned. “That's it?”

Evren looked at her. “Yes.”

She stared at him. “You could at least answer properly.”

“I answered.”

“Barely.”

Evren shrugged.

Something about his attitude immediately irritated her.

She walked closer. “Name?”

“Evren Valcero.”

Her expression changed slightly. “Valcero?”

“Yes.”

She looked at Vireya. “Are you two together?”

Vireya opened her mouth.

Evren answered first. “No.”

Vireya looked at him. “Excuse me?”

“We're not together.”

The officer looked between them. “You were found on top of each other after rolling across the street.”

Vireya's face turned red again. “That wasn't—”

“Accidental,” Evren cut’s off.

The officer raised an eyebrow.

“Right.”

Vireya glared at him.

The officer looked at Evren again. He was cold, too cold.

There were people shouting around him, a wrecked car behind him, and a woman who had nearly been killed beside him. Yet he looked completely calm and almost bored.

“Mr. Valcero.”

“Yes?”

“You just survived a car crash.”

“I noticed.”

“And you're not even shaken?”

“No.”

The officer stared at him. “What are you?”

Evren looked at her. “A man.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Very funny.”

“I wasn't joking.”

She sighed. “This guy…”

Vireya almost smiled. For the first time, she wasn't the only one irritated by him.

The officer pulled out her notebook. “I'm Officer Serena Vale.”

Evren nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Serena waited.

Nothing.

She looked at him. “You're supposed to say your name.”

“I already did.”

She closed her eyes for a moment.

“Of course, you did.”

Vireya covered a small smile.

Serena noticed. “You find this funny?”

“A little.”

“Good. At least one of you has a personality.”

Evren glanced at her.

Serena pointed at him with her pen. “And stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you don't care that I'm talking to you.”

“I don't.”

Serena stared at him.

Vireya couldn't help it. She laughed.

Serena looked at her. “Your fiancé is annoying.”

Vireya immediately replied, “He's not my fiancé.”

Evren said nothing.

Serena looked between them. “Whatever you two are.”

She turned back toward the wreck. “Something doesn't feel right.”

Vireya's smile disappeared. “What do you mean?”

Serena crouched near the road she examined the tire marks. The driver had supposedly lost control but the marks didn't look right the car had accelerated toward the restaurant. There were no obvious brake marks before the impact.

Serena stood. “I'm going to need the traffic cameras from this street.”

An officer beside her nodded.

Serena looked at the wreck again. “This doesn't look like an accident.”

Evren's eyes moved toward her. For the first time, he seemed interested.

“You noticed.”

Serena turned. “What?”

“The brake marks.”

She stared at him. “You noticed them too?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't you say anything?”

“You didn't ask.”

Serena's jaw tightened. “You are really starting to annoy me.”

Evren looked away. “That's unfortunate.”

Several kilometers away, inside a private office, Darius Montclair watched the news footage. The screen showed the wrecked sedan.

Vireya was alive.

He slowly lowered his phone. The man on the other end of the call spoke nervously.

“She survived.”

Darius's face remained calm. “And the Valcero boy?”

“He was with her.”

Darius's eyes narrowed. “Evren?”

“Yes.”

A long silence followed.

“That wasn't part of the plan.” Darius looked at the screen.

Evren was standing beside Vireya calm, untouched, watching the police.

Darius clenched his jaw. The useless Valcero boy was supposed to be a disposable husband nothing more. But now he had appeared at exactly the wrong place. At exactly the wrong time, and somehow, he had protected Vireya.

“Find out everything about him,” Darius said.

“We already have his file.”

“No.” Darius stared at Evren's image. “The file is five years old.”

He ended the call.

Back at the scene, Serena approached Evren again.

“Mr. Valcero.”

He turned.

“I'll need you to come to the station and give a statement.”

“No.”

Serena blinked. “No?”

“I'll give my statement here.”

“That's not how this works.”

“It can.”

She stared at him. “You know, most people cooperate with the police.”

“I'm cooperating.”

“You're arguing.”

“There's a difference.”

Serena took a slow breath. “Are you always like this?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful.”

Vireya looked between them. Something told her this would not be the last time these two met.

Serena finally turned away. “Fine. Give your statement here.”

Evren nodded.

Serena walked several steps before stopping. She looked back at him there was something about him she couldn't explain. He wasn't frightened, he wasn't arrogant, he wasn't trying to hide, he simply seemed… detached like none of this mattered.

Serena didn't like people she couldn't read and Evren Valcero was already proving difficult. Very difficult. She didn't know it yet, but the man standing in front of her would eventually become the most wanted man in the underworld. The man people would whisper about.

The man known as the Beast.

And for some reason, the Beast seemed completely uninterested in the cop standing in front of him. Which irritated Serena Vale more than it should have.