MasukSophia’s POV……I stood outside Adrian’s door longer than I meant to.The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that made my thoughts echo too loudly. My heart wouldn’t slow down, each beat a reminder of the kiss from earlier—the way it had lingered on my mouth, the way it had unsettled something deep inside me.I raised my hand.Knocked.The door opened almost immediately, like he’d been standing there on the other side the entire time.“Sophia?” His brows drew together slightly. “Are you okay?”I swallowed. “Can I come in?”He hesitated—not long, but long enough for me to notice. Then he stepped aside.His room was darker than the rest of the house, lit only by a bedside lamp. It smelled faintly of him—clean, warm, grounding. I stood awkwardly near the door while he closed it behind me.“What’s wrong?” he asked gently.“I don’t know,” I admitted. “That’s the problem.”He leaned against the dresser, arms folded loosely, watching me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “Sophia… if
Sophia’s POV…….Sunlight beamed kn my face, I opened my eyes and groaned as I walked to close my curtain.It was morning already. For a few seconds, I lay still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, my body heavy with sleep and my mind already tired from thinking too much.Every day still felt like this—waking up into a life I didn’t remember choosing.I pushed myself up slowly, my head throbbing faintly, and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Adrian’s house had a way of swallowing sound, like it was built to keep secrets.I padded into the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and studied my reflection. My hair was getting longer again, framing my face in a way that felt both strange and… right. My eyes looked haunted, yes—but there was something else there too. Curiosity. A spark that refused to die.I was still staring when I heard a soft knock on the door.“Sophia?” Adrian’s voice came through, calm and warm. “You awake?”“Yes,” I answered, my voi
Sophia’s POV……The VIP lounge felt warmer now, or maybe that was just me.The low hum of the club vibrated through the plush seating beneath us, the music a steady pulse that settled somewhere deep in my chest. Adrian shifted beside me, his presence solid and grounding, like an anchor in a place that felt designed to pull you apart and put you back together differently.“You look like you’re thinking too hard,” he said quietly.“I am,” I admitted, letting out a breath. “But in a… good way. I think.”That earned a soft chuckle from him.He reached for the drinks menu, sleek and black, its surface cool when he handed it to me. “Let’s start simple. Tonight isn’t about pushing you. It’s about discovering what you like.”I liked the way he said that. No pressure. No expectation.He leaned toward the bartender stationed discreetly nearby. “Two,” he said calmly. “Let’s start with the Velvet Ember.”The bartender nodded without question, already moving with practiced ease.I watched as the dr
Sophia’s POV…….The moment Adrian stepped out of the car and came around to open my door, I felt it.The shift.The air itself seemed heavier here—charged, humming with something unspoken. The Obsidian Club rose in front of us like a secret wrapped in steel and shadows. No loud sign. No flashing lights. Just a sleek black exterior, understated and deliberate, like it didn’t need to announce itself to anyone who mattered.I slipped my hand into Adrian’s, instinctively, as I stepped onto the pavement.His grip tightened just a little.“You okay?” he asked quietly.I nodded, even though my heart was thudding. “I think so.”The doors opened smoothly, soundless, and the first thing that hit me wasn’t noise.It was scent.Something dark and intoxicating—leather, spice, a faint trace of perfume and heat. The music rolled through the space in a deep, steady pulse, not loud but commanding, like it seeped into your bones rather than your ears.My breath caught.The club was… beautiful.Low ligh
Adrian’s POV…….The house felt different when I was alone in it.Too quiet.Too still.I adjusted the cuff of my suit for the third time and glanced at my reflection in the glass wall by the bar. Black suit. Clean lines. Tailored perfectly. The kind of armor I wore when I needed to be in control.Tonight, I wasn’t sure I had it.I poured myself a glass of wine, the deep red liquid catching the light as it filled the crystal. My hand was steady, but my thoughts weren’t. They kept drifting upstairs—to the guest room that wasn’t really a guest room anymore.To Sophia.To the woman who looked at me like I was both familiar and foreign.I took a slow sip, letting the wine burn slightly as it went down, grounding me. I told myself this was fine. This was normal. The Obsidian Club had always been a place of masks, boundaries, rules. It was controlled chaos.But Sophia wasn’t controlled.She was fragile in ways she didn’t even realize yet.The sound of heels clicking against marble reached my
Sophia’s POV…..Coming home felt different tonight.Not because the house had changed—Adrian’s place was still vast, quiet, intimidating in its perfection—but because I had. Or maybe because something inside me was stirring, stretching, remembering how to exist in spaces like this.The door closed softly behind me, the sound echoing faintly through the marble hallway.“Adrian?” I called.“I’m here,” his voice came from the living room.I followed it, my steps cautious, my nerves humming under my skin. He was standing near the window, sleeves rolled up, phone in one hand, a glass of wine in the other. He looked… composed. Controlled. Like a man who always knew what came next.And for some reason, that unsettled me.“You’re back later than I expected,” he said, turning.“Ice cream turned into talking,” I replied.A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “That sounds like Lily.”“It does,” I said softly, surprised that I could say it with certainty.He studied my face for a moment, as if we







