登入Elara povThe days that followed were unlike anything I had ever known. Lucas had stormed out of Dante’s estate, leaving me behind with a threat hanging in the air—but he did not return. He did not call. He did not send a single word. At first, the silence terrified me. I waited for the explosion, for the scandal to break, for the world to come crashing down around us. But Dante stood firm, a towering wall of strength and calm.“Let him rage,” Dante told me one evening, pulling me close beside him before the crackling fireplace. “Let him shout to whoever will listen. But he will not hurt you. He will not take you back. I have made certain of that.”He had moved me into his home openly. There were no shadows now, no hurried whispers, no fear of being caught. Dante gave me the largest guest suite—no, he corrected gently, our room—and filled it with everything I could ever need or want. More than that, he gave me his time, his attention, his heart. He woke me with soft kisses, asked my o
ELARA POVThe following day felt like walking through a minefield. Every creak of the floorboard, every ring of the phone, every shadow passing the window made my heart leap into my throat. Lucas had been restless all morning, pacing back and forth, checking his watch, muttering under his breath about what his uncle could possibly want to discuss.At noon, we arrived at Dante’s estate. It stood at the top of a winding hill—grand, imposing, surrounded by ancient trees that seemed to guard its secrets. As we stepped inside the study, the air felt thick and heavy, smelling of old books, leather, and that familiar scent that still haunted my dreams: sandalwood and something dark and warm.Dante stood by the large window, his back to us. He turned slowly at the sound of the door closing, and his eyes locked immediately onto mine—intense, burning, speaking volumes that Lucas could not begin to understand.“Thank you for coming,” Dante said, his voice calm but carrying a weight that filled t
Elara povThe room spun around me, every breath tangled in the heat of his touch. Dante held me as if I were something infinitely precious, his hands roaming over me with a reverence that made tears prick my eyes—no one had ever looked at me this way, no one had ever touched me like I mattered.“Dante…” I breathed his name like a secret, my fingers digging gently into his shoulders. “This… this can never be. He is your nephew. We are breaking every rule there is.”He paused, his forehead resting against mine, his dark eyes searching mine with a fierce, unyielding gaze. “Rules were written by men who never knew what it means to burn for someone the way I burn for you. Let them judge. Let them speak. I do not care. All I care about is you—this heart that has been ignored, this soul that has been neglected. You were meant to be cherished, Elara. Not wasted on a man who does not know your worth.”His words wrapped around me stronger than any chain. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to thr
ELARA POVMy legs were still trembling when Dante finally set me down, yet his arms did not loosen their hold. He kept me pressed close to his chest, his forehead resting against mine, his breath warm and uneven against my skin. I could feel the thunder of his heart beneath my palm—wild, unsteady, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.“You have no idea,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire and something deeper, far more dangerous, “how long I have waited to do that.”My fingers curled into the lapels of his suit jacket. “Dante… this is madness. You are Lucas’s uncle. If anyone found out—”“Let them find out,” he cut in sharply, his hands lifting to cup my face, his gaze locking onto mine with fierce intensity. “Let the whole world know. I have watched him neglect you, ignore you, treat you as if you were nothing—and I have held my tongue long enough. He does not deserve you, Elara. He never did.”Before I could reply, the terrace doors swung open behind us. Laughter and voices s
Elara pov“You’re late.”I said it softly, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. The grand chandelier cast a thousand golden lights across the marble floor, yet none of its warmth ever seemed to reach me. I stood by the tall window, my fingers curling tightly around the silk curtain, watching the evening sky turn dark and heavy—much like the weight that had settled in my chest months ago.It was our second wedding anniversary tonight. But there were no flowers. No soft words. No warmth in the man who had promised to love me for the rest of his life.The heavy oak doors swung open, and in walked Lucas. He didn’t even glance my way as he tossed his keys onto the console table, his movements sharp, cold, and indifferent. He loosened his tie with one hand, his expression bored and distant, as if I were nothing more than a piece of furniture taking up space in his home.Lucas paused, finally turning his head to look at me—but his eyes held no affection. Only annoyan







