로그인Rio’s POVI leaned casually against the wall as Elena, Ruby and Vesha approached, my posture relaxed, one foot slightly crossed over the other, as though I had not a single concern in the world.Tristan stood beside me, quieter now, though I could feel the shift in him.He knew this wouldn’t be simple. It never was with them.Their presence alone changed the air.Elena walked in the center, of course, always the center. Her gaze met mine first, cold, assessing, and utterly unimpressed.Ruby followed, her lips curved faintly as though she found this amusing already. Vesha remained the quiet one, her eyes sharp, observant, missing nothing.“Back so soon,” Elena said.Her voice was smooth but the edge beneath it was unmistakable.I smiled.“Dod you miss me?”Ruby let out a soft laugh.“I wouldn’t go that far” she said.“That's rather disappointing,” I murmured.Elena didn’t react.“You weren’t expected to return this early,” she continued.“I go where I please,” I replied lightly.Her ga
Rio’s POVI liked how everything in this estate moved with purpose… and fear.And more importantly I liked how it reacted to me.“Well, it seems I was missed not only by you, Tristan” I said lazily, adjusting the cuff of my sleeve as I walked,A maid walking past nearly stumbled when my gaze slid over her.Her cheeks flushed instantly, her head dipping, shoulders tightening then I smiled.“You should be careful. You might hurt yourself” I added, my voice smooth as silk. She murmured something I didn’t bother catching before hurrying away as Tristan chuckled beside me.“You haven’t changed” he said.“Why would I?” I replied lightly.Another pair of maids passed and this time, I didn’t just look, I paused, tilted my head slightly, let my gaze linger deliberately, slowly tracing from one to the other.The reaction was immediate. They started Blushing with quickened breaths, their eyes darting away.I leaned just a bit closer as they tried to pass.“You can relax, I’m not dangerous” I mu
Liora’s POVFay didn’t loosen her grip, not once. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around my wrist as she pulled me forward, her pace brisk, determined, almost urgent as though if she slowed down, she might change her mind.“Fay, slow down, where are we going?” I asked, stumbling slightly as I struggled to keep up. “You wanted answers, so stop talking and look” she said without looking back. Her voice was different, stripped of the quiet patience she usually carried.The guards stepped aside as we passed, their gazes flicking briefly toward me before lowering again.We moved through parts of the estate I hadn’t seen before.This place felt different. The walls were less decorated, the air heavier.Fay finally slowed down. Her grip loosened slightly but she didn’t let go.She turned to face me.“Look around,” she said.I did and my breath caught.Dozens of women were moving through the corridors, carrying trays, scrubbing floors, their movements quick.Their clothes were simple, noth
Liora’s POVThe moment we stepped into the room, the door slammed shut behind us then a second later, I heard the heavy click of the lock.My chest tightened slightly as I turned, staring at the door like it might open again if I just looked hard enough but it painfully didn’t.“Unbelievable.”Fay’s voice snapped behind me then I turned slowly.She was already looking at me, her arms crossed, her expression no longer calm or composed like before.Now she looked angry, frustrated and something close to being afraid. “What were you thinking?” she demanded, stepping closer. “Jumping out of a window? Causing a scene in the courtyard? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”I blinked at her, too tired for this.“I didn’t have a choice,” I said.Fay let out a short, disbelieving laugh.“No choice?” she repeated. “You always have a choice, Liora. You chose to act recklessly.”“I chose not to get attacked,” I snapped.Her expression hardened.“They wouldn’t have touched you.”“You don’t know
Kael’s POVThe morning air was cool, carrying the faint scent of dew and trimmed greenery as I stepped out into the garden dining area, the soft gravel beneath my boots crunching faintly with each step.My jaw tightened slightly as the memory of what had happened a few moments ago resurfaced.Her body pressed against the wall. Her wrists held firmly above her head, her pulse racing beneath my touch, betraying everything her stubborn mouth refused to admit.The way her breath had hitched, the way her lips had parted, just slightly, as if she didn’t even realize she was doing it and her defiant eyes had been locked on mine.A slow, deliberate exhale left me.“She plays a dangerous game,” I murmured under my breath.She had seen the hesitation in my stance, the moment I had stopped, not because I wanted to but because I had to.My fingers flexed slightly at my side.I could still feel the warmth of her skin beneath my hand, the tension in her body, the subtle tremor she tried so hard to
Liora’s POVI couldn’t breathe, not properly.Not with the way his body pressed against mine, solid, unyielding, heat seeping through the thin fabric between us like it had a will of its own.My wrists were pinned above my head, his grip firm, inescapable, his fingers wrapped tightly around them as though he expected me to fight.Maybe I would have if I could think or focus but I couldn’t.Not when his chest was so close to mine, rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths that felt so unreal. My heart raced and my skin burned where he touched me.His face hovered inches from mine, his gaze dark, intense, locked onto me like I was something he hadn’t decided whether to destroy or keep.“You’re trembling,” he said quietly.His voice was low but rough.It brushed over my skin just like his touch, slow, deliberate and dangerous.“I’m not,” I shot back, even though my voice betrayed me, softer than I intended.A faint smirk tugged at his lips.“You are.”“I’m not afraid of you.”The l







