로그인Selin's POVI had a list.That was the whole plan. A short, practical, completely unromantic list of things I needed before I packed a bag and moved myself into Louve's family mansion. The woman whose family viewed me as a convenience at best.Toiletries. A decent set of pajamas that didn't have a hole in the left knee. Something to read. Maybe some snacks, because I was not about to show up somewhere new and be entirely at the mercy of other people's food choices.I just want to get something simple. Fast and out.The city's main superstore was massive. The kind that sells everything from motor oil to luxury bedding and somehow makes it feel inevitable that you'll spend forty minutes wandering before you find what you came for. I grabbed a basket at the entrance and moved with purpose, ticking things off mentally as I went.I was doing well. All focused and normal.And then I turned the corner into the personal care aisle, and just like that, I almost walked directly into him.The ma
Louve POVIt was nearly midnight when my phone rang again. I was still in the car. Hadn't moved. My eyes were fixed on the street ahead, seeing nothing, thinking about everything.The number that lit up the screen wasn't saved.But I knew it.Something in the base of my chest recognised it before my brain caught up as the way a nerve responds to heat before the mind registers pain. I stared at it for two full rings.Then I answered."Louve."His voice. Low, steady, carrying the particular weight of a man who had decided to say something difficult and was going to say it clearly regardless.I closed my eyes briefly before opening them."Lynx."There was a short silence. The kind that breathes."I wasn't sure you'd pick up," he said."I almost didn't," I replied honestly."There's something I need to tell you," he said. "Before tomorrow night. I didn't want you hearing it secondhand."I sat up slightly. "What is it?"A pause. Long enough that I could hear the quality of the silence on hi
Louve's POVMy phone buzzed twice on the passenger seat before I even made it back to the main road.I glanced at it at the next red light and felt my brow pull together.Selin.I answered on the third buzz."Hey," I said."Hey yourself." Her voice was lower than usual, stripped of the sharp wit she carried like armor. "Are you still in the city?""Yes. Why?"A pause short."I need to see you. Tonight, if possible. I know it's late but…”"Where?" I asked. No hesitation.Another pause, this one softer. Like she hadn't expected me to agree that quickly.“But you need to rest Selin, you need to get better.” I said as I was feeling concerned. “Be at home for now.” "The coffee place on Morrow Lane. The one with the green awning. You know it?""I'll find it," I said. "Twenty minutes."I hung up and made a U-turn.The café was nearly empty when I arrived. One old man in the corner was nursing a newspaper and a mug. The barista behind the counter barely looked up. The green awning flapped so
Louve POV After making sure that Rosa had slept it off. I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me gently. The silence after the fight felt louder than the battle itself. Broken glass crunched beneath my boots as I stopped slowly across the hall, my eyes scanning the damage. The scent of blood still lingered in the air. Guards move around, some tending to the injured, others reinforcing the entrances. Orders were being given. The feeling inside me hadn't settled. It was still there. That surge. That's swift. I looked down at my hands again. It was steady and normal."I saw what you did," Elina's voice cut through my thoughts.I didn’t turn immediately.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied calmly.“Don’t do that,” she said, stepping closer. “Not now.”I exhaled slowly and turned to face her.Her gaze was sharp yet focused. Studying me like I was a problem she needed to solve.“That wasn’t normal,” she continued. “Not even for you.”I crossed my arms slightly
Lynx POVThe sound of impact echoed through the training room. My fist slammed into the heavy bag, the chain above it rattling with each hit. Sweat dripped down my temple and my bare muscular chest, my breathing steady but controlled. Every touch carried weight, louder and thicker with every hit. I wasn't training; I was thinking, and that was dangerous. The air in the room smelled of leather and steel. The walls absorbed everything: the noise, tension, and frustration. It was the only place in the mansion that didn't feel like it belonged to my family. Another punch; it was harder. The bag swung violently this time. My jaw tightened.Four weeks.That was what they gave me. A dry scoff left my lips as I stepped back, rolling my shoulders slightly. They knew who I was, but they just tried to overlook that. They really thought I would fall in line. They always did.My chest rose and fell slowly as I reached for the towel draped over the nearby chair, wiping the sweat from my face. The s
Selin POV I woke up feeling heavy, adjusting to the dim light that seeped through the curtain. For a moment I didn't move. My body ached in a quiet protest, but I felt better than last night. The drug Louve gave me was effective. The bandages around my ribs are tightening with every breath. I pushed myself up slightly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my side. My fingers gripped the edge of the bed as I steadied my breath calmly. "Louve...?" I called softly. But there was no response. No movement nor footsteps. Then it hit me. She said she had somewhere to go, yet something didn't sit right. I swung my legs off the bed slowly, testing my weight before standing fully. The room spun for half a second before settling again.“Great,” I muttered under my breath. As I took one gentle step at a time. I made my way out of the bedroom, the hallway stretching longer than it should have, the quiet growing louder with each step. The living room was empty. The blanket she had tucked around







