* * *
She moves around the little space, already owning it, barefoot on the wooden floor, humming under her breath as she pours coffee into a clean cup. Her hair falls in messy waves, catching the light. It shouldn’t undo me, but it does.
I sit against the headboard, shirtless, arms crossed. Watching her. She notices, of course, and throws me a sly glance over her shoulder.
Walking back with a tray, she sets it carefully across my lap, like this is normal.
“You didn’t have to,” I murmur.
“I like re-plating the food you bring up here,” Aurelia says, her tone light but edged with something heavier. “Makes me feel like I’m not your little prisoner.”
I lick my lips, looking down, trying to hide the truth—how much I like her being exactly that. My prisoner. My responsibility. Mine.
She sits on the edge of the bed, close enough that the warmth of her thigh seeps through. I catch her hand, fingers warm and slender, and she doesn’t pull away. That small surrender makes my pulse jump.
“You really are… something else,” I say.
Her grin is crooked, teasing. “You’re not as evil as I expected you to be.”
I lace my fingers through hers, anchoring her to me. “Well, that’s because you’re now hypnotized by my cock.”
“And now you’re back.” She smirks as I pull her in, pressing my lips to hers before she can protest any further.
She leans back, separating her touch from mine. “Can you tell me why you are so obsessed with my brother now?”
My jaw tightens. I force myself to keep my expression neutral. “That night we met,” I say slowly, “Enzo wanted to kill me for going near you. And I wanted to kill him for trying to keep you from me.”
Something shifts in her posture. She retreats, and for the first time since I took her, I can tell she’s uncomfortable. Not afraid—just suddenly aware of how deep the roots of this go.
“Ivan was with me that night,” I continue, watching her reactions carefully, “and when he shot at your brother, I decided to intervene. I knew you wouldn’t want me if I killed the one person you were closest to.”
She scoffs, but it’s thin. “I’m surprised you could read me so well. Even then.”
Her eyes flicker, and I can tell she remembers what happened next, the moment everything between us tilted.
“But then,” I add, “you told him my secret. About what Viktor was doing behind closed doors.”
That lands. Hard.
Her cheeks flush, eyes skittering away.
“Let’s just say,” I add with a humorless laugh, “your brother didn’t consider us even when he found out from his sister, not from someone he was trying to build trust with.”
She picks at the skin of her nails. “I-I’m sorry, I had to tell him. I needed his help.”
She won’t look at me. And I can’t stand that.
I reach out, sliding a finger under her chin, lifting gently until her eyes meet mine.
“Ya vlyublen v tebya,” I say quietly.I’m in love with you.
The words come out softer than I expect, careful, almost reverent.
I’m not trying to overwhelm her. I just need her to know.
“I don’t give a fuck what you do or say to hurt me or anyone else,” I breathe. “It doesn’t change anything.”
She laughs quietly and leans her forehead against mine. “That’s a bit dramatic.” Her voice is teasing, but there’s a tenderness underneath. For a moment, the world outside ceases to exist.
