The hallways of the estate felt hollow tonight, the chandeliers casting shadows that seemed to follow my every step. I walked slowly, pressing my palms to the polished walls, trying to feel grounded but nothing could steady the storm inside me.
Every corner reminded me of him. His presence lingered even when he wasn’t near, in the scent of the wood polish, the faint warmth of the hearth, the echo of footsteps that might have been his. I hated myself for thinking of him, for remembering the way he moved, the way his hands had brushed mine, the intensity in his eyes that made my stomach flip.
I stopped at the terrace, overlooking the city lights. Marseille sprawled beneath me, calm, indifferent, unaware of the chaos that brewed within me. My chest tightened as I imagined him standing behind me, his shadow larger than life, claiming me with only a glance.
I tried to breathe, tried to tell myself I could resist him, that desire and danger were not meant to be entwined but my body betrayed me. Every memory, every fleeting thought of him, ignited a hunger that I could not contain.
I was tired of pretending. Tired of holding back, and I knew, deep down, that my own heart had already surrendered. This was my world, my life now.
CHAPTER 37
Lucien
I found her on the terrace. The night air tangled her hair around her shoulders, and the moonlight caught the curve of her jaw, her trembling hands, the subtle tilt of her head as she tried to seem untouchable.
I stepped closer, letting her sense me before I spoke. Her body stiffened, but she didn’t flee. I could feel every pulse of hesitation, every breath caught in her chest, every flicker of longing. She belonged here, to me, and yet she thought she had a choice.
“She can try to hide it,” I murmured to myself, “but the fire inside her cannot lie.”
I reached for her hand, brushing it lightly with my thumb. Her breath hitched, subtle but unmistakable. I wanted to pull her into my arms, to show her that resistance was pointless. That I would wait, patient and relentless, until she surrendered completely.
Every thought of her, every heartbeat I felt through her subtle cues, consumed me. Possession isn’t cruel, I reminded myself. It is protection. It is closeness. It is the tether that keeps us both alive.
CHAPTER 38
Seraphina
I tried to distract myself in the library, pressing my fingers against the spines of books, but every word blurred. I could still feel him behind me, watching, existing in my mind like a shadow I couldn’t shake. Every corner of the room seemed to echo with his presence, the faint scent of him lingering in the air, a ghost I could neither ignore nor escape.
I pressed my palms to my face, trembling. Why did he have this effect on me? Why did every look, every breath, every fleeting touch leave me undone? I hated myself for the way my pulse jumped, for the ache that settled low in my stomach whenever I thought of him. He wasn’t just a man and I could feel it, deep in my bones, he was a storm, and I had no shelter from it.
Yet, I wanted him more than I wanted air, more than I wanted peace. I hated that desire, but I couldn’t deny it. It made me ache, it made me fragile, it made me human. I hated that I craved him as much as I feared him. Every memory of his touch, every fleeting brush of his lips across my skin, left me trembling,both furious and wanting. I hated that he had become a need I couldn’t ignore.
I sank into a chair, letting the tears come. Silent, shaking, and exhausted, and in that moment, I realized something. I had already let him inside me, deeper than I could have imagined, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to leave. Part of me…no, more than part was tethered to him now. My body remembered what my mind tried to deny, and my heart had already whispered a dangerous truth, he owned a piece of me, whether I wanted to admit it or not, and then, as if on cue, the faintest sound made me freeze. A shadow shifted near the shelves, and my breath hitched. My pulse raced, irrational and impossible. I felt it again, the inescapable pull of him. I wanted to turn, to run, to hide, but my body betrayed me, frozen with anticipation, every nerve alight. He didn’t need to be near to make me shiver, the mere thought of him was enough.
I whispered his name into the quiet, almost as if testing it, tasting it, and a shiver ran down my spine. “Lucien…” I breathed. I hated that it came out like a plea, a confession, a surrender. My hands clutched the arms of the chair so hard that it started turning my knuckles white. He had me, completely, in a way no one else ever could. I hated the way my heart clenched at the thought, yet I craved him more than I had ever craved anything in my life.
Even as I sank further into that quiet, trembling despair, I knew one terrifying truth. I was already lost and I didn’t want to be found.
CHAPTER 39
Lucien
I didn’t need to search for her, I could feel her. Every movement, every sigh, every tremor carried across the estate like an echo meant only for me.
When I found her again, curled up in the library chair, I didn’t approach quickly. I let her notice me in her own time. When her eyes lifted to mine, wide and vulnerable, the ache in her chest reflected the ache in mine.
“I’m here,” I said softly, and she flinched at the sound of my voice, yet did not move away. Her lips trembled, and I could see the tears she tried to hide. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my thumb grazing her cheek. She shivered under the touch.
“Why do you have this effect on me?” She whispered, almost to herself.
“I’ve been waiting,” I said, “for the moment you finally let me in and now, I will not let you go.”
Her body leaned subtly toward me, and I knew then that resistance was fading. Desire, longing, and trust tangled in her gaze, and I let myself lean closer.
CHAPTER 40
Seraphina
