Smileyfaceの小説

"Wait! Please don't hurt me."Gaia’s voice rang out. She wasn’t sure why she said it. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to stop—Lucian from draining her or from something even worse.Lucian turned to her slowly, amusement flickering across his face. “Wait?” He chuckled, taking a step closer. “How pathetic.”Gaia swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She couldn’t move. Not because she was restrained, but because of the power emitting from him. It was suffocating.Lucian knelt in front of her, lifting her chin with a single cold finger. His touch sent ice down her spine. “Beg me,” he whispered, his red eyes gleaming with hostility. Before Gaia could react, a voice cut through the air, sharp and deadly.“Touch her again, and I’ll rip your spine out.”Lucian sighed dramatically. “And here comes the wolf.”Gaia was shoved to the floor as Lucian turned his full attention to Valtor.Valtor stood tall, his gaze locked onto Lucian with an expression colder than death itself. But something was

Selene’s hands tightened around her phone as she read her father's message again. “Gaia is about to meet her downfall right there at the party. And Valtor will not be able to protect her this time. Be careful.”What the fuck? Why didn't he tell her on time? She clenched her fists, breathing heavily. If something happened to Gaia, Valtor would lose it. He had already been overly protective, but if she was harmed, it wouldn’t just be a bloodbath—it would be war.Selene hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen. Should she warn him?No. If she told Valtor, he’d demand answers, and if he found out her father was involved… she couldn’t afford that risk.A deep breath. A forced calm. She slipped her phone into her purse and stepped out of the restroom.★ ★ ★Valtor was occupied, surrounded by high-ranking officials and influential figures, exchanging formal pleasantries.Though his face held a polite expression, his eyes constantly searched the room.Gaia stood a few feet away, feeling o

The ride to the party was tense. The air inside the carriage was thick with unspoken words, and the silence only made it worse.Gaia kept her hands folded in her lap, staring at the passing scenery through the small window. Selene, sitting beside her, wasn’t nearly as composed.She let out a sharp exhale. “This is ridiculous.”Valtor, sitting across from them, didn’t look up from where he rested his chin against his fist. “Then stop talking about it.”Selene scoffed. “So that’s it? You’re just going to ignore the fact that she wasn’t supposed to be invited?”Valtor didn’t react.Selene’s nails dug into her palm. “You told me this was a political gathering—a private event. You do realize she doesn’t belong here?”Gaia felt her jaw tighten, but she said nothing.Valtor’s eyes flicked toward Selene, his voice calm but firm. “Gaia is my guest. That’s all you need to know.”Selene let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Your guest. Just like she was your guest last night? The same night you called

Gaia stirred awake, her body sinking into the soft sheets, the warmth around her strangely familiar yet… absent. She blinked against the dim morning light, turning her head toward the empty space beside her. Valtor was gone.Her fingers instinctively brushed over where he had been, the sheets still slightly warm. The memory of last night rushed back—the intruder, the panic, Valtor holding her. She shivered.Did he cuddle her all through the night? She groaned, covering her face with her hands. Was she embarrassed? Maybe. Or maybe it was something else—something she didn’t want to admit.A sharp knock pulled her from her thoughts."Good morning, sleepyhead!"Gaia barely had time to react before Lyra burst in, balancing a tray of food in one hand and a folded dress in the other. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she shut the door behind her."You look like you’ve seen a ghost," Lyra teased, setting the tray down beside Gaia. "Or had a very eventful night."Gaia rolled her eyes. "It wa

The door to Gaia’s room slammed open, and Valtor stepped in, his gaze immediately scanning the room. Behind him, a doctor followed, his medical kit clinking softly as he entered. Gaia sat up in bed, her fingers still tracing the scratch on her neck from the intruder’s violent grab. Her blood had dried, but the sting of it—of the situation—still felt fresh.“Gaia.” Valtor’s voice was soft, but his eyes were hard, as if fighting off something dark. He turned to the doctor, his tone authoritative. “Check her over. Now.”The doctor quickly set to work, though his eyes flicked nervously between Valtor and Gaia. “Of course, Alpha,” he said. His fingers gently pressed at Gaia’s neck, making her wince slightly at the tenderness. She could feel his nervous energy, like he was being watched by something bigger than just the Alpha.The moment was interrupted when Selene entered the room, her presence a heavy cloud hanging over them. She walked in without a word, eyes locked on Gaia with an inte

Gaia lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She turned onto her side, hugging her pillow as her mind replayed what had happened earlier with Valtor.The way he had stood so close, how the air between them had felt too heavy, how his lips had almost—She groaned, pressing her face into the pillow. Why am I even thinking about this?It wasn’t like she wanted him. He was someone else’s mate. Selene’s mate. The same Selene who had appeared just in time to remind them both of that.Gaia exhaled sharply and turned onto her back again.But still… the way he had looked at her. The way her body had reacted—“No,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head. “I’m not doing this.”She needed sleep. Desperately.Maybe in the morning, she would stop feeling this ridiculous pull toward a man who wasn’t hers.Eventually, exhaustion crept in, and her thoughts blurred into dreams.---She didn’t know what woke her.The air in the room felt… off.Gaia’s eyes fluttered open, her body still sluggish from

CHAPTER 11•ODESSA POV•He leaves it wide open. Just like the night I left him. Twenty-five years ago. Gianna Rossi died in a car crash, what about my dad? So why did the people who raised me call themselves Mom and Dad? I was six. She was cutting apples. I was small for my age, knees scraped, hair in a messy braid she didn’t do. “Momma,” I asked, sweet. Soft. The way I thought daughters were supposed to ask. “Did I look like you when I was born? Did Daddy have my eyes?” The knife hit the wood. Thud. “You ask stupid questions for a stupid girl,” she said. “Eat.” I didn’t eat. I stared at her hands. They weren’t soft. They didn’t look like mine. I wondered if my real mother had hands that held me. If my father had eyes like mine. If they ever got to look at me at all. I learned not to ask. I don’t go to my room. I go after him. My feet are bare on the marble, cold, quiet. The silk on my skin is torn. Not blue. Just... torn. I need names. Dates. Who told them to lie to

•ODESSA POV• I didn’t sleep that night. Not because of the lock clicking behind Alessino last night. Because of his hand on my throat. Because I didn’t pull away. Because for one split second, when his thumb brushed my pulse, I wanted him to press harder. God, I’m sick. A knock drags me out of bed. The maid with breakfast. She sets the tray down without looking at me. Her eyes skip over the window like it’ll bite her. When she’s gone, I go to it. The glass is old, wavy. But it’s the wood frame that catches me. Down low, near the sill, where the paint’s chipped. Carved in, small and frantic, like someone used a pin: Gianna — Romano Gianna. The name his mother keeps crying at dinner. Beautiful eyes. Tell Alessino to be good to her. A ugly thought crawls in before I can stop it. What if Gianna was his? What if she’s not just some dead woman his mother’s loved? What if she was engaged to him? What if she was supposed to be the one in this house, wearing

•ALESSINO POV•Maria's fingers slipped, and her spoon dropped. The sound cuts through the garden like a gunshot. “Ma,” I say, keeping my voice even. “You’re tired. Let’s get you inside.” She blinks at me, confused again. “Who are you? Where’s my son?” The table goes dead quiet. Leo looks at his plate. Alexandro doesn’t move. The two captains suddenly find the white roses very interesting. Only Odessa looks at me. Really looks at me. Like she’s seeing something she wasn’t supposed to see. I hate it. “Leo,” I say. “Take my mother upstairs. Tell the nurse to up her dose tonight.” Leo moves fast. Gentle with her. “Come on, Mama. Let’s go sit by the fire.” Maria goes with him, but she keeps looking back over her shoulder. “The girl,” she mumbles. “She has Giana’s beautiful eyes. Tell Alessino to be good to her.” I went numb. Beautiful eyes. That’s what Ma always said about Gianna. She’s refused to stop talking about her old friend even after her sickness.I watch Leo le

•ODESSA POV•I wish the ground would open up and swallow me. That’s the first thought I have when I wake up. The second thought is eight o’clock. His voice from yesterday, saying it. Dinner is at eight. The red dress is on your bed. Wear it. I haven’t moved from the floor. My back hurts. My head hurts worse. I can’t stop hearing him. If you’re not at my table when the clock strikes eight, I’ll come up here. And you don’t want that. I believe him. I’ve been in this room for less than a day and I already feel crazy. Like my skin doesn’t fit right. Like every sound is his footsteps. Like if I breathe too loud, he’ll hear it. That’s what he does. He gets inside your head and locks the door from the outside. There’s a knock at 6:30. I don’t answer. They come in anyway. Two maids. Young. Quiet. They don’t look at me on the floor. They just walk to the bathroom and start the water. Like this is normal. Like dressing a prisoner is part of their job. “Miss Romano,” one says. “Mr.

•ALESSINO POV•I didn't go back to her room that night. I can’t. If I see her again, I’ll either break her or break myself. There’s no in-between. So I spent the night in my office. Door locked. A bottle of Macallan open on the desk. Not drinking. Just holding it. Watching the amber catch the light from the city. Five hours. I sit there for five hours and don’t move. The sun comes up. I haven’t slept. I make her coffee. Two sugars. No milk. The way she used to take it when we were kids and she’d sneak into my kitchen at three in the morning because she couldn’t sleep. She’d say the sweetness kept the nightmares away. I wondered if it still worked. The kitchen is empty at 5am. Or it should be. The grinder is loud. I don’t care. Let the whole damn house wake up. Let them see. “Boss?” I don’t turn around. I know the voice. Alexandro. He’s been with me since I was sixteen. He was there when I took my first life. He was there when I took my last breath thinking she was go

•ODESSA POV• I wake up to the sound of a key turning, and for a second I think it’s Massimo, but the room is wrong. The ceiling is too high. The sheets smell like fresh wood and oily metal instead of cologne. Then I remember. Alessino. The door opens and two women walk in with a basin of water and towels folded so sharp they could cut. “Mr. De Luca sent us to help you clean up,” the older one says. Her voice is polite. Empty. Like she’s reciting a script. I sit up too fast and the room swims. “Where am I?” “In the west wing, ma’am. You’re safe here.” Safe. Right. That’s why there are two men outside my door with guns and no faces. They don’t touch me hard, but they don’t ask either. They strip the bloodied shirt off me and wipe me down with warm cloths, and I let them because fighting would mean they call him. I catch my reflection in the mirror while they comb my hair and I barely recognize the girl looking back. Pale. Eyes too big. Mouth pressed shut like if I open it