chapter 4

LILA POV

The days that followed felt like walking on thin ice—every step I took felt uncertain, every glance I shared felt like a secret waiting to be exposed. Ethan remained the same: distant, self-absorbed, and quick to find fault in everything I did. Meanwhile, Prince Lucifer seemed to appear everywhere, always at the right time, always with a reason that sounded innocent enough to avoid suspicion, yet always managing to draw my attention and make my heart race.

I tried to tell myself it was just confusion. I told myself I was only responding to the kindness and attention I had been starved of for so long. But deep down, I knew better. Every time Lucifer looked at me, spoke my full name—Liliana Amerlys Santos—with that deep, respectful tone, I felt something shift inside me, something that made me question everything I thought I knew about love and loyalty.

Three days after his unexpected visit, Ethan announced he would be away for the entire weekend for a business conference in another city. He told me with barely a glance, as if it was a decision that did not require my opinion or even my interest.

“I’ll be back late Sunday night,” he said while packing his suitcase, not looking up from his folded shirts. “Don’t wait up for me. And make sure you lock all the doors properly. I don’t want any problems while I’m gone.”

I stood in the doorway, watching him move around the room like a stranger. “Will you call? Just to let me know you arrived safely?”

He paused, sighing as if my request was a burden. “If I have time. You know how busy these things get. Don’t start worrying over nothing, alright?”

Before I could reply, his phone buzzed, and he answered it immediately, stepping out into the hallway to speak in hushed tones. I didn’t need to hear the conversation to know it was work, or perhaps something else he preferred to keep hidden. When he returned, he grabbed his bag and kissed me quickly on the forehead—cold, brief, and empty—before walking out the door.

Alone again, the silence felt louder than ever. I wandered around the house, feeling restless and uneasy. Part of me was relieved to have a break from the tension between Ethan and me, but another part of me was already wondering if Lucifer knew I would be alone. The thought alone made my cheeks heat up, and I shook my head, trying to push it away.

Stop it, Liliana, I scolded myself. You can’t keep thinking about him like this. It’s wrong.

But as if my thoughts had summoned him, there was a soft knock on the door an hour later. My pulse jumped instantly. I hesitated for a moment, then walked over and opened it slowly.

Standing there was Prince Lucifer. He was dressed casually today—dark jeans and a crisp button-down shirt, looking less like a powerful businessman and more like just a man, though still carrying that same commanding presence. In his hand, he held a paper bag and a small bouquet of my favorite flowers—white roses, something I had never mentioned to anyone, not even Ethan.

“Good evening, Liliana,” he said, his voice warm and steady, his eyes lighting up the moment they landed on me. “I heard Ethan left for the weekend. I figured you might not feel like cooking for yourself, so I brought dinner. And these… just because I thought they would suit you.”

I stared at the flowers, then up at him, my mind reeling. “How did you know these are my favorite? I’ve never told anyone.”

A faint, knowing smile touched his lips. “I notice things. I have for a long time. Would you let me come in? I promise I will behave myself—if that is what you want.”

His words were polite, but there was a challenge in them, a quiet confidence that he knew I wanted him there as much as he wanted to be inside. I found myself stepping aside before I could overthink it, letting him cross the threshold into the house. The moment he stepped inside, the air felt different—heavier, charged, and undeniably intimate.

He placed the food on the dining table and arranged the roses in a vase he found in the kitchen, moving through the space as if he belonged there, as if he had every right to be there. I watched him, my arms wrapped around myself, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, though I made no move to ask him to leave. “If Ethan finds out… if anyone sees you coming and going…”

“Let them see,” Lucifer said softly, turning to face me, his gaze intense and unwavering. “I am his older brother. Visiting while he is away is normal. There is no rule that says I cannot check on my brother’s home and the woman living in it. Only we know what is really happening between us.”

He walked toward me slowly, closing the distance, and I stayed rooted to the spot, unable to retreat. When he stood just inches away, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing my skin lightly, sending a wave of warmth through my entire body.

“Liliana Amerlys Santos,” he murmured, his voice low and reverent. “Look at yourself. You are beautiful, intelligent, and gentle. Yet you walk around here like you are afraid to take up space, like you have to shrink yourself just to make Ethan happy. Why do you settle for crumbs when you deserve the whole feast?”

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. No one had ever spoken to me like that—no one had ever seen the way I felt inside. “I love him,” I said, though my voice sounded weak even to my own ears. “Or at least, I thought I did. We have history, years together. I can’t just throw that away.”

“Love is not a chain,” Lucifer replied gently but firmly. “It is supposed to lift you up, not weigh you down. If you have to constantly question your worth, if you have to apologize for being yourself, then what you have is not love—it is just habit, fear, and misplaced loyalty.”

He reached for my hand, holding it between both of his larger ones, his touch warm and secure. “I am not asking you to make a decision today. I am not asking you to run away with me or end things right now. I am only asking you to open your eyes. To see what is right in front of you. To know that there is someone who would never make you feel small, never ignore your feelings, and never take you for granted.”

His words broke through every wall I had built to protect myself. I felt my resolve crumbling, my defenses melting away under the sincerity in his eyes. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart. For the first time in months, I felt safe.

Lucifer wrapped his arms around me, holding me gently but firmly, as if I were something precious he had waited a lifetime to hold. He did not rush, did not try to take advantage of the moment. He simply held me, letting me feel the comfort of his presence, proving that he could give me what I needed without demanding anything in return.

When I lifted my head to look at him, his face was close, his breath warm against my lips. “Lucifer…” I whispered, unsure if I was asking him to stop or begging him to come closer.

“I know,” he whispered back, his thumb brushing softly over my cheek. “I know this is wrong according to the world’s rules. But my heart does not care about rules. It only cares about you.”

He leaned in slowly, giving me every chance to pull back, to turn away, to say no. But I did none of those things. Instead, I lifted my face to meet his, and when our lips touched, it was different from the previous times—no confusion, no mistake, no hiding behind shadows. This was a choice, even if it was a confused, dangerous one.

The kiss was deep, tender, and filled with all the longing he had kept hidden for years. His hands remained respectful—one resting lightly on my waist, the other cupping my face, never wandering beyond what felt safe and right. He kissed me like he was memorizing every part of me, like he was sealing a promise that no matter what happened, he would protect me and cherish me.

When we finally parted, breathless and dizzy, he rested his forehead against mine, his eyes dark with emotion.

“I will not push you further tonight,” he said, repeating the promise he had made before. “I respect you too much to rush this. But I want you to know—from this moment on, you are not alone anymore. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I am only a call away. Ethan may be your boyfriend, but I will be the one who actually sees you.”

We ate the dinner he brought, sitting across from each other at the table, talking quietly about things that had nothing to do with Ethan or the complicated situation between us. He asked about my dreams, my likes and dislikes, listened to me as if every word I said mattered more than any business deal or social event. For those few hours, I felt like the center of someone’s world, and it was a feeling I found impossible to resist.

As the night grew late, Lucifer stood to leave, but before he walked out the door, he turned back to me, his expression serious and determined.

“While Ethan is away, I will check on you every day,” he said firmly. “Not to cause trouble, but to make sure you are safe and not lonely. And Liliana… think about what I said. You deserve to be loved fiercely, openly, and completely. If Ethan cannot give you that, then you owe it to yourself to find someone who will.”

With one last lingering look, he stepped out into the night, leaving me alone once again—but this time, the house did not feel empty. It felt full of his presence, his words, and the overwhelming realization that my life was changing in ways I could no longer control.

I went to bed that night, touching my lips, my mind spinning with confusion and desire. I knew I was playing with fire. I knew that if this was discovered, it would destroy lives and break families apart. But as I closed my eyes, I could not shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Prince Lucifer was right. Maybe I had been settling for less than I deserved all along—and now that I had tasted what it felt like to be truly wanted, I was no longer sure I could go back to living in the shadows.

His obsession was growing, deepening roots inside my heart, and I was starting to understand that I was letting it happen, one stolen moment, one gentle touch, one secret kiss at a time.

TO BE CONTINUE