ログイン- Theodore-Three days.That was how long it had been since I admitted to myself that my reaction to Evangeline had nothing to do with Lucas.Not entirely.I had spent years convincing myself that I was above emotions like jealousy, fear, and insecurity. Those were weaknesses. Things that other people allowed to control them.I didn’t.I made decisions based on logic.Facts.Strategy.Feelings were messy, unpredictable, and dangerous.Yet somehow, one woman had managed to make me question every belief I had built my life around.And the most frustrating part?I didn’t hate it.I hated that I cared.I hated that when she walked into a room, I noticed.I hated that when she was upset, I felt it.I hated that the thought of losing her created a panic I couldn’t explain.And more than anything, I hated that Kennedy had been right.I wasn’t angry at Evangeline.I was scared.The realization had bothered me enough that I found myself driving to my sister’s house before I could overthink it.
-Theodore-I didn’t sleep.Not really.I lay in bed long after Evangeline came home, listening to the silence beside me, pretending I wasn’t waiting for the sound of her breathing to change.She was here.But not really.That was the problem.She was physically in my space, in my bed, in my house—yet there were still parts of her I couldn’t reach.And tonight, I had seen exactly where those parts went.Lucas.The name alone made something tight coil in my chest.I turned onto my back, staring at the ceiling.The penthouse was too quiet.Too clean.Too controlled.Everything in my life had always been like that—controlled.Until her.Until Evangeline had walked into it and started breaking things I didn’t even know were breakable.And now…Now I was lying here trying not to imagine her in another man’s house.His house.Cleaning it.Taking care of him.Looking at him the way people look at something they used to love.I exhaled sharply and sat up.The city outside the windows glowed li
I wanted to scream or cry as he led me to our seats that were set just before the priest, but I couldn’t, it was as though my voice had died in my throat right when I needed it the most.“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” The priest smiled warmly as we took our seats, “to celebrate the union of Adriano Belkov and Valentina Florence Moretti-”I barely heard anything that followed after that cause my heart kept pounding in my ears the sound so loud it made it impossible for me to think, all I could register was Adriano’s expensive scent of smoke and cedar that wrapped around me like a collar because of how close he was.The priest continued speaking while the guests watched with happy smiles, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were aware of the fact that the groom beside me was a monster or they were completely oblivious to it, did my father know that he’d handed his precious daughter over to a cold blooded killer.I shook away the thought, I’m sure he wasn’t aware, other
"Strip."The word fell from his lips severing the last thread of composure I had managed to cling to. My blood ran cold, turning my veins into icicles as I stared at him, my mind scrambling for a way out, for anything to stop this nightmare from escalating."Should I repeat myself, Ptichka?" He shifted on the couch, the leather creaking under his weight as he removed a gun from his waistband and placed it beside him.My throat closed up but I managed to shake my head."Words," he prompted, his tone dropping dangerously."No," I breathed, my voice barely audible.He took a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving mine, before nodding at the dress. "Go on."My fingers trembled as they fumbled for the invisible zipper at my back. I wasn’t a clumsy person, but the weight of his cold stare paralyzed me."Faster."I panicked, pulling at the zipper, my movements jerky and uncoordinated."Slower."I forced myself to breathe, my fingers finding the track and sliding the metal
The vineyard still lingered in my mind when I woke up the next morning. Not because of the place itself. But because of the way I had felt there. Light. For once… unburdened. Which should have scared me more than it comforted me. I lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself it was just the environment. The calm air. The distance from everything else. Not him. Definitely not him. My phone buzzed beside me. I already knew who it was before I even looked. Theo. Did you sleep? I frowned slightly. Yes. Three dots appeared almost immediately. Liar. I rolled my eyes. You’re becoming very confident in your accusations. It’s not an accusation if it’s true. I stared at the message longer than I should have. Then typed back: Why do you care? A pause. Then: Because I do. Simple. Direct. Dangerously simple. I locked my phone and threw it back onto the bed like it had offended me. “Annoying,” I muttered. But I didn’t stop smiling. ---
The house felt different when I woke up. Not quieter. Not louder. Just… different. Like something had shifted in the air while I slept and I hadn’t been invited to notice. I lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, trying to place the feeling. Then I felt it. Warmth. Heavy. Familiar. An arm was draped over my waist, holding me close in a way that made it impossible to ignore the fact that I was not alone in bed. I turned my head slightly. Theo. Asleep. Completely unguarded in a way I wasn’t used to seeing him. His face was relaxed, hair slightly messy, the usual sharpness softened by sleep. His arm tightened slightly when I moved, like even unconscious he didn’t want distance between us. I should have moved away. That would have been the logical thing to do. Instead, I stayed. Which was a problem. A very noticeable problem. Because my mind immediately reminded me of everything else that had happened the night before. The drive. The silence. His jacket s
I tried to stop myself from shaking as I stared at my reflection in the private bathroom one of the waitresses had lead me to after a heated exchange with my father and former in-laws. The conversation replayed in my head, loud and clear.“You know, I didn’t believe it when I heard it.” My father s
It’d been hours since I run away but the memory of the phantom pressure of Lucas’ fingers against my throat was still etched into my skin. I sat on the edge of the plush bed in Marcus’s house, my hands trembling so violently that the tea in the china cup rattled against the sauc
My pulse thundered under my skin matching the rhythm of the loud music playing. I hadn’t done this in forever, hell even when I was still single and free, I’d only danced against strangers twice in my life, and even then it felt wrong, but for some reason dancing against this tall handsome British
My stomach churned with disgust as the sounds I’d heard coming from the other end of the door echoed in my ears like they’d been connected to a loud speaker. I couldn’t believe it, that asshole had the audacity to cheat on me after everything I’d given up on him, and worst of all, he brought his mi







