Nobela ni Author_Smegsy

The night air felt charged, almost heavy, as his hands gripped my waist, anchoring me to the stone edge. The sheer drop of the compound was behind me, but with Lucien filling my line of sight, danger was the last thing on my mind."You always know how to negotiate, don't you?" he growled softly, leaning down so his mouth brushed the column of my throat. His hands slid up beneath the hem of my top, his rough palms hot against my skin.I arched into his touch, my fingers tangling into his thick hair, pulling him closer. "I only negotiate when I know I'm going to win, actually.""Is that so?" Lucien murmured, his teeth lightly skimming my collarbone, sending a sharp spark straight down my spine. "Because right now, it feels like I'm the one getting exactly what I want.""Keep telling yourself that," I whispered, my voice laced with a breathless smirk as I hooked my leg around his hip, bringing him flush against me.His dark eyes flared possessively as he lifted me off the ledge in one sm

Daniel’s dark chuckle rasped in the quiet room, his hand shifting from the headrest to rest lightly over my shoulder, the heat of his palm seeping straight through my shirt. "Disappoint you?" he asked, his fingers lightly tracing the curve of my collarbone. "Feisty, we're just getting started."Lucien’s jaw tightened at Daniel’s touch on my skin, but he didn't pull my body away. Instead, his broad hand at the small of my back pressed me firmer against his chest, possessive and unyielding. The air between the three of us pulled taut, thick with an unspoken, volatile electricity that made my pulse hammer against my ribs."You talk big for someone trapped in the middle," Lucien growled softly, his thumb sweeping over my cheekbone, tilting my face up until I was forced to look directly into the storm in his eyes. "You think you're the one holding the reins here?""I know I am," I replied, a sharp, fearless smirk touching my lips. I didn't flinch under his heavy gaze, nor did I lean away

Celestine tried to yank her arm back, but my grip remained locked around her wrist like an iron cuff. Her face flushed a mottled, ugly red as the silence in the room stretched razor-thin."You're out of your mind," she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes darting to Lucien, hoping for him to intervene, to reprimand me, to do something. "I'm just doing my job. You don't own him.""I said," I repeated, my voice deathly calm as I twisted her wrist just enough to make her gasp in pain, "get out before I throw you out myself."Lucien hadn't moved an inch. He sat back in his heavy leather chair, his wet trousers forgotten as he looked up from his reports. A slow, dangerous smirk stretched across his dark features; his eyes gleamed with pure, possessive delight at the sight of me staking my claim so openly.He didn't say a word to defend her. He just watched."Celestine," Daniel’s voice drawled smoothly from the doorway where he was leaning against the frame, twirling a combat knife betwee

"Oh, you know, I'm a busy woman," I shrugged casually, leaning back against the side of the sports car. "We made a stop, killed two scumbags, and headed back. That’s just about it."Lucien paused mid-stride. For a fraction of a second, his storm-cloud expression flickered into pure shock, his dark eyes blinking as the words settled in. Then, a low rumble started deep in his chest, breaking into a dark, booming laugh that echoed off the concrete walls of the courtyard."As long as you had fun and accomplished your goal," he said, his voice laced with a strange, possessive pride.He closed the remaining distance between us, stepping so close his body heat practically radiated off him. He completely ignored Celestine, who was still standing near the transport bay with her fists clenched tightly at her sides, glaring at us like she wanted to tear me apart with her bare hands.Lucien’s hand reached out, his long fingers cupping the side of my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone with

​The tires shrieked violently against the asphalt, the sudden deceleration hurling my head forward—thank goodness for the seatbelt catching me with a hard snap against my chest.​"What the hell, Daniel?! You almost—"​The words died in my throat as he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over me in a single, fluid motion. His massive frame shadowed the entire passenger seat, trapping me against the leather backrest. His face was so close I could feel the ragged heat of his breath against my lips, so close it looked like he was about to devour me whole.​I gulped, my heart slamming wildly against my ribs. "Daniel?" I called, breathless.​"You tempt me a lot, Feisty," he growled, his raspy voice dropping into a thick, dark register that sent a violent shiver straight down my spine. "So don't blame me if I fall for it."​"T-tempt you? What did I do?"​He didn't kiss my lips. Instead, he dipped his head, planting a frantic, searing trail of kisses across my cheek, down the slope of my jawli

​I threw my entire body weight into my arms, pressing the pillow down with ruthless, unrelenting force. Beneath the fabric, Jayden thrashed wildly, his hands feebly clawing at my wrists, but I didn't budge an inch. I dug my heels into the floor, leaning over him until the weak muffled gasps stopped, until his hands dropped limp onto the mattress, and until every last tremor in his frame went completely still.​I held it for another ten seconds just to be certain.​When I finally lifted the pillow, his eyes were fixed and lifeless, staring blankly at the ceiling. I smoothed out the fabric, carefully repositioned the pillow under his head, and straightened his blanket.​Looking down at his corpse, I felt no guilt, no regret, and not a single shred of remorse. Just a clean, cold sense of finality. Jayden was officially dead.​"One down," Daniel drawled softly, glancing toward the adjoining glass partition that led to the next ICU bay. "Now, what about the side piece?"​Through the frost

​The next day was a whirlwind.​They went out to select a wedding dress, and Elena came along without hesitation. Elena refused to miss the opportunity to help pick out her younger sister’s wedding gown, entirely unbothered by the fact that Lisa was marrying her own husband. All Elena cared about was making sure Lisa was happy and taken care of.​After trying on three different dresses, they all agreed on a magnificent gown—simple, clean, but exquisitely elegant.​That very evening, Lisa got dressed, her hair pinned up in soft, delicate curls. They drove to the quiet courthouse on the edge of town, where Adrian stood waiting at the small altar in a sharply tailored suit. In front of the official and with Elena as their sole witness, they signed the registry and spoke their vows.​Happily ever after... right?​Well, there was still the matter of school.​Because of Lisa's petite frame, the baby bump progressed very slowly. By the time her final semester got into full swing, her stomac

Arthur picked up his napkin, dabbing his mouth with deliberate slowness before tossing it onto his plate. "I am done eating. The rest of this mess is yours to manage, Adrian."​Without another word, the patriarch stood up, his towering frame casting a brief shadow over the table before he walked out of the dining hall, his heavy footsteps fading into the cold marble corridor.​The moment the heavy doors closed behind him, the suffocating pressure in the room eased, but the silence remained thick and awkward.​Elena let out a quiet, tired sigh, pushing her plate away. She didn't look at Adrian, nor did she look at Lisa. She simply stood up, smoothing down her immaculate skirt. "I'll be in the car," she said smoothly, her voice completely devoid of emotion as she picked up her handbag and walked out.​Now, only the two of them were left at the grand mahogany table.​Adrian shifted in his seat, turning his full attention to Lisa. His large hand remained tightly wrapped around hers benea

That evening, the grand estate of the Moreno's family looked less like a family home and more like an imposing fortress of glass and cold stone.​The dining room was bathed in the warm, artificial glow of a crystal chandelier, but the air inside was thick, suffocating, and dead silent.​Lisa sat near the foot of the long mahogany table, her knuckles white as she squeezed her napkin beneath the white linen tablecloth. She wore a high-collared, modest dress that Adrian had chosen for her—one that covered every dark, lingering mark he had left on her neck in the car hours prior. Beside her sat Elena, poised, pristine, and perfectly composed, cutting her steak with precise, silent strokes, as if she were simply attending a routine business dinner rather than endorsing her husband's second marriage.​At the head of the table sat the patriarch, Arthur Moreno. His sharp, gray eyes were framed by heavy brows, his presence alone commanding a terrifying weight that explained exactly where Adr

"We're going back to have dinner with him today," Adrian murmured, his lips trailing hot, deliberate kisses down the sensitive column of her neck and over her collarbone.​Lisa gasped, trying desperately to keep her mind straight as his heavy weight pressed her into the leather passenger seat. "T-today?"​Adrian didn't answer right away. His large hand slid up beneath her top, his warm, thick fingers reaching for her breast, gripping her through her bra with a firm, possessive squeeze. Lisa arched her back slightly, her breath hitching in her throat as his thumb flicked over her sensitive, hardening nipple.​"Better now than later, Lisa," he nodded against her skin, his gravelly voice low and vibration-heavy against her chest. "Elena agrees to this, too."​Lisa’s eyes fluttered open, staring blankly at the roof of the car as his words registered. ‘Elena agrees?’ She wondered silently if this was the exact cold, unthinkable compromise they had reached behind the closed doors of his stu

Lisa didn't even feel guilty. Down deep beneath the exhaustion and the fear, a numb, hollow acceptance had taken root. She had known, with a chilling certainty, that he would find her. He always found her.​She didn't ask how he tracked her down. She didn't want to know if he had followed her phone, checked her location, or simply knew the only place left in the world she would run to. None of it mattered anymore.​Without a single word of resistance, Lisa slowly slid out of the wooden chair, letting her hands fall away from Ethan’s frantic, trembling grip.​"Lisa, no... please, don't—" Ethan choked out, his voice cracking as he reached for her, his eyes wide with absolute panic.​"I'm sorry, Ethan," Lisa whispered softly, her eyes dull and resigned as she looked down at him. "I'm so sorry."​She stepped away from the table and walked straight toward the dark silhouette waiting for her.​Adrian didn't say a word to her. He simply reached out, his large hand wrapping firmly around her

Ethan’s breath hitched, his throat suddenly going dry as her words hit him like a physical blow. The noise of the bustling café—the clinking of porcelain cups, the hiss of the espresso machine, the quiet chatter of strangers—faded into a dull, terrifying buzz.​"W-what?" Ethan stammered, his blood running completely cold. He leaned across the small wooden table, his voice dropping into a frantic, hushed whisper. "He... he saw it?"​Lisa kept her head down, staring blankly at the dark wood of the table, her hands clutching her coffee mug so tightly her knuckles turned stark white.​"I flinched when he tried to wash me, and he saw the soreness," she whispered, her voice trembling with a terrifying fragility. "He knew instantly. He was going to come back to your apartment, Ethan. He was going to ruin you. I begged him... I cried and I promised him I would never see you again, just so he wouldn't come find you and... and fight with you."​Ethan sat frozen in his chair, a sudden wave of na