Lucas stood outside, the cool night breeze biting. He lit a cigarette with steady fingers, the flame briefly illuminating his sharp features before vanishing into the dark.He exhaled slowly, smoke curling from his lips as a rueful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.A feisty little kitten, he thought.She had trembled, clearly afraid—but still met his gaze with that spark of defiance. She had no idea what he was capable of.Not yet.He took another drag, the ember flaring red.As he adjusted his collar, a sudden sting drew his attention. He froze, glancing down at his wrist.A small, angry red mark glared back, blood speckling where her nails had dug in. He frowned, lifting it for closer inspection. Her fingernails had dug into his skin—scratched deep enough to draw blood. He hadn’t even noticed.Probably when he yanked her back. A reflex, maybe.But something in him knew better. Something in the way she’d pinched, the force she’d applied, told him it was deliberate. His kit
Lucas sat in the dark, his eyes fixed on Arabella as she slept, her frail form barely a shadow against the pillows. He sat there thinking of ways he would punish her. What was he to do with her? She’d dragged him here, out of his carefully ordered routine, as if *she* owned *him*. Forced him out here earlier than he'd planned. The thought twisted his lips into a grimace, his fingers tightening around the brandy glass he twirled, its amber liquid catching the faint moonlight. He’d forgone his usual cigarette, knowing the smoke might choke her fragile lungs. Her rebellious streak had upended his plans, her hunger strike a bold move that forced him into action. Here he was, giving in, drawn to her like a predator to a wounded creature. He studied her, his gaze unrelenting, and then as if feeling his gaze on her, she stirred, her eyes snapping to his presence, he smiled—a cold, predatory curve of his lips. His stare, they said, felt as though it could strip a soul bare. “Come he
Lucas felt restless, even hours later.He tried to shove thoughts of the defiant woman locked in his manor to the back of his mind, but they lingered like poison. His thrusts were merciless, punishing. The woman beneath him writhed, breathless, crying out his name in pleasure—or was it pain?“Lucas…” she gasped, confused by his ferocity.He pulled away suddenly, leaving her panting and unsatisfied. She reached for him, desperate to pull him back, but he was already off the bed, reaching for a cigarette. The flick of the lighter cast shadows across his chiseled frame, smoke curling from his lips as he stared off into nothing. Violet’s skin was marked from his grip—red, raw, trembling from the intensity as she stared at him. Normally, he’d disappear into the bathroom, leave her with the mess and nothing more.Tonight, he stood still, unmoving. Silent fury simmered beneath his surface as he took a long drag, the ember glowing in the dim light.What was she doing right now? He wondered.
Arabella I buried my face in the pillow, my grunt of rage muffled against the soft fabric. This was insane—utterly maddening! I’d had enough. Seven days. I’d counted each one, the hours crawling by like insects. When would *he* come? No one in this cursed villa seemed to know—or care. I didn’t even know who he was, what he looked like, or, most terrifyingly, what he wanted from me. The staff moved through their routines with infuriating normalcy, as if my presence here was ordinary, as if I belonged. I couldn’t take it anymore. The suspense was a blade, twisting deeper with every unanswered question. I needed to act, to do *something*—anything to break this suffocating limbo. He hadn’t forgotten me. No one bids that kind of money—millions, for a prize they’d neglect. He was toying with me, letting my anxiety fester, knowing the wait would drive me to the edge. I glanced around the room, its bare and completely white furnishings mocking my captivity. The locked steel windows,
Nothing. He had nothing planned—at least, not yet.Lucas understood the quiet cruelty of waiting. The dread that settled deep in your chest when time dragged and no answers came.He knew what it did to the mind. The uncertainty. The helplessness and restlessness. That was the point.Let her wait. Let her think. The wait itself was torment. He had slipped back into his world: money, deals, blood. Cleaning up for Don Antonio when the call came. A woman’s gasps and moans sliced through the air, raw and desperate. “Lucas,” she pleaded, her voice cracking from the overwhelming pleasure. He seized her ankle, his grip firm, flipping her onto her back. Her full breasts bounced with the motion, her body laid bare before him, vulnerable under his gaze. He didn’t pause,or give her a moment to catch her breath. He thrusted back into her with a force that stole her breath, each thrust deep and unyielding, a rhythm that bordered on punishment. Her body arched, her fingers clawing at the s
ArabellaRain stung my face, it felt real, cold, mingling with the mud beneath my feet.I stood among mourners, their murmurs buzzing like flies.In my hand, a wilted white rose.My father’s face—pale, still—flashed in my mind as the lid disappeared beneath the soil.I didn’t cry.There were no tears left.The world tilted.Suddenly, I was underwater.Heavy silence. Pressure.My lungs screamed as I thrashed, clawing at the weight pressing me down. Desperate for air.And then—Fire.The water vanished, replaced by searing heat.The air turned dry and cruel.Flames roared.The house was ablaze.I saw the beautiful curtains, devoured by fire.Smoke clawed at my throat, thick and acrid, choking every breath.My eyes streamed as I stumbled through the inferno, my hands searching blindly—for a door, a window, anything.I couldn’t breathe.Then—I was thrown out.Disoriented.A stage.Blinding white lights stabbed my eyes.I blinked through the haze, my body exposed—naked under the weight of