chapter 3

LILA POV

The first light of dawn crept through the curtains, painting soft streaks of gold across the living room floor, but I barely noticed it. I had stayed awake for hours after Prince Lucifer left, sitting frozen on the sofa, my mind replaying every second of what had happened. My lips still felt warm, as if they still held the imprint of his kiss, and my heart raced every time I remembered the way he looked at me—like I was the only thing that mattered in the entire world.

Liliana Amerlys Santos, I whispered to myself, pressing my palms against my burning cheeks. What have you done?

I knew it was wrong. By every rule of loyalty, by every standard of decency, it was a betrayal. I was Ethan’s girlfriend, and Lucifer was his older brother. The line between them was clear, and I had just stepped right over it. Yet try as I might to feel only guilt and shame, there was something else tangled in my chest—a strange, fluttering warmth that I could not explain. For so long, I had felt invisible, unappreciated, and taken for granted. Last night, for the first time in months, someone had looked at me and truly seen me.

A soft sound from the hallway made me jump. The front door opened, and Ethan walked in, looking tired and disheveled, his tie loose and his shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He paused when he saw me sitting there, his expression shifting from exhaustion to mild annoyance.

“You’re up early,” he said, his voice flat and devoid of the usual warmth I used to wait for. “Or did you even sleep at all?”

I forced myself to stand, my legs feeling slightly unsteady, and smoothed down my nightdress, trying to hide the chaos inside me. “I couldn’t rest much. I was… worried about you. You didn’t come home.”

He scoffed, dropping his bag on the floor and running a hand through his messy hair. “I told you I had a meeting. It ran late, so I stayed over. There was no point driving back in the rain.” He didn’t ask if I was okay. He didn’t apologize for the things he had said the night before. He just walked past me toward the kitchen, as if our fight and my feelings were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

I followed him slowly, my heart growing heavier with every step. “Lucifer came by last night,” I said carefully, testing how the name felt on my tongue now, after everything. “He said you called him to check on me.”

Ethan paused halfway to the fridge, then nodded without turning around. “Yeah. I figured someone should make sure the place was locked. He lives closer anyway. Did he stay long?”

“Just a few minutes,” I lied smoothly, surprised at how easily the words came out. “He checked everything, said I was safe, and then he left.”

“Good,” Ethan muttered, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a long drink. “He’s reliable, I’ll give him that. Unlike some people who make a big deal out of nothing.”

The comment stung, but I didn’t have the energy to argue. I just turned away, my mind already drifting back to Lucifer’s words: Ethan doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t even know what he has. Looking at him now, cold and distant, I could feel the truth of it settling deeper inside me.

The rest of the morning passed in a heavy, awkward silence. Ethan went straight to his room to sleep, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I spent the time cleaning, trying to keep my hands busy so I wouldn’t think too much—but every corner of the house seemed to remind me of the night before. The sofa where we sat, the dim lighting, the way his voice sounded when he spoke my full name with such reverence: Liliana Amerlys Santos. It felt like he was claiming me, not just as a person, but as someone worthy of respect and desire.

By late afternoon, I heard a knock at the door. My breath caught. I knew before I even opened it who would be standing there.

I pulled the door open, and there he was—Prince Lucifer Hale, tall and imposing, dressed in a tailored suit that made him look every bit the powerful businessman he was. His dark hair was neatly styled, and those deep, intense eyes locked onto mine the moment I appeared. There was no surprise on his face, only that familiar, knowing look that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Liliana,” he greeted, his voice low and smooth, like music only meant for my ears. “May I come in?”

I glanced quickly over my shoulder, panic flaring in my chest. “Ethan is asleep inside. He just got back this morning. You shouldn’t be here—not while he’s home.”

A faint, confident smile touched his lips. “I know. I came to see you, not him. And I have every right to visit my brother’s home, don’t I? No one will suspect anything if I act like a concerned family member.” He stepped forward gently, and before I could stop him, he was already inside, closing the door softly behind him.

“Lucifer, please,” I whispered, stepping back until I hit the wall, my heart hammering wildly. “You can’t just walk in here like this. If he wakes up and finds us talking… he’ll ask questions. He’ll notice something is different.”

He moved closer, slowly, giving me space but closing the distance until there was barely a foot between us. The same rich scent surrounded me—warm wood, rain, and something uniquely him. He lifted one hand, his fingers hovering just inches from my face, as if he was waiting for permission.

“Let him notice,” he said softly. “Let him feel the shift. Maybe it will finally wake him up to the fact that he is losing you. But I am not here to cause trouble, Liliana. I am here to remind you that last night was not a mistake. It was the beginning.”

“Beginning of what?” I asked, my voice trembling, though I did not move away.

“Of you seeing your worth,” he replied, his eyes searching mine. “Of you realizing that love does not have to feel like a burden. It does not have to make you cry or question yourself every single day. What I feel for you is not something that appeared overnight. It has grown slowly, quietly, while you were too busy giving your all to someone who never bothered to appreciate it.”

His words wrapped around me like a blanket, warm and dangerous. I wanted to tell him to stop, to say that this could never work, that it was wrong on every level. But when I looked into his eyes, I found myself unable to speak. He saw the hesitation in me and moved even closer, this time resting his palm gently against the wall beside my head, trapping me in the most gentle way possible.

“I will not rush you,” he promised, his tone serious and sincere. “I will not demand anything from you that you are not ready to give. But I will not step back either. I will be here, watching, waiting, and showing you what it feels like to be truly desired. Ethan may have your name, but he does not have your heart—not anymore. And if you let me, I will prove to you that you deserve so much more than what he has given you.”

Before I could find a reply, his thumb brushed lightly over my lower lip, just like he had done the night before. My breath hitched, and my eyes fluttered shut for a split second—a reaction I could not control. When I opened them again, his gaze was darker, filled with a hunger he was clearly struggling to hold back.

“Just one more,” he whispered, almost to himself. “Just to know it wasn’t a dream.”

He leaned in slowly, giving me every chance to turn my head or push him away. But my body, traitorous and confused, stayed still. When his lips met mine, it was softer this time, more controlled, but no less intense. It was a kiss that spoke of longing, of patience, and of a claim that he intended to make stronger with every passing day. His hands remained exactly where they should be—one against the wall, the other resting lightly on my shoulder, never crossing into anything inappropriate, but holding me firmly in the moment.

It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, and we both breathed heavily, our hearts beating in sync.

“Remember this feeling, Liliana Amerlys Santos,” he murmured. “Remember how it feels to be wanted, not tolerated. To be cherished, not blamed.”

A sound from the hallway made us both freeze—footsteps. Ethan was waking up.

Lucifer pulled away instantly, putting a safe distance between us, his expression shifting back to that of the calm, composed older brother. He smoothed his suit and straightened his posture, looking completely normal, as if he had not just kissed me senseless moments before.

The bedroom door opened, and Ethan walked out, rubbing his eyes, looking groggy and annoyed. He stopped short when he saw Lucifer standing in the living room, then shrugged.

“Lucifer? What are you doing here already?”

“Just checking in,” Lucifer said smoothly, his voice calm and friendly, no trace of the intensity he had shown me seconds ago. “Wanted to make sure you got home safe, and that Liliana was doing alright after being here alone all night. Family duty, after all.”

Ethan grunted, nodding. “Yeah, I got back fine. Everything’s okay here.” He glanced at me, then back at his brother, seemingly oblivious to the tension hanging thick in the air. “You want something to drink?”

“Not necessary,” Lucifer replied, though his eyes darted to me briefly, sending a silent message. “I won’t stay long. Just came by to see how things are.”

For the next ten minutes, they made small talk—business, family matters, trivial things that felt like noise to me. I stood there, feeling like my skin was too tight, my mind spinning with the secret I was now carrying. Every time Lucifer spoke, every time he glanced my way, I felt like my face would give it all away. Yet he acted so naturally, so effortlessly, that even I began to wonder if I was imagining it all.

But when it was time for him to leave, he paused at the door, turning to look at both of us. His eyes lingered on me just a fraction longer than necessary, and in that brief moment, I saw the promise again—I will be back. This is not over.

“Take care, Liliana,” he said, using my full name once more, making it sound like a secret only we shared. “And Ethan… look after her properly. She deserves nothing less.”

Ethan just waved him off, not catching the hidden meaning behind the words. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

As soon as the door closed, I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for an hour. I turned around to find Ethan already walking back toward the kitchen, already forgetting the conversation, already forgetting me.

I stood there alone in the hallway, my fingers touching my lips again, and realized with a sinking, thrilling certainty that there was no going back. Prince Lucifer had entered my life, and whether I wanted it or not, his obsession was only just beginning to grow. And somewhere deep inside, I was starting to wonder if I was falling right into it, willingly.

TO BE CONTINUE