Masuk
Elias didn’t leave his room for the rest of the day.He showered three times, scrubbing until his skin was raw, but the sticky shame clung to him like smoke. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Cyrus’s smirk across the dinner table, felt the phantom slide of that hand beneath the cloth. Worse—he felt the echo of his own body’s betrayal, the way he had shattered silently while holding Vane’s hand.He couldn’t face any of them. Not Rowena’s sharp questions. Not Vane’s gentle concern. And definitely not Cyrus.So he stayed locked inside, curtains drawn, phone silenced. He lay on his bed fully clothed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the scene in excruciating detail until self-loathing burned behind his eyes.Downstairs, life continued without him. He heard the muffled clatter of dishes being cleared, Rowena’s heels clicking across the marble as she gave instructions to the staff. Her voice carried up the staircase, crisp and impatient.“I’ll be at Caroline’s for the rest of the aftern
The dining room was bathed in the soft glow of the chandelier, crystal glasses catching the light as the family settled into what should have been an ordinary dinner. The air smelled of roasted lamb and rosemary, the clink of silverware a familiar rhythm. Rowena sat at one end, poised and impeccable, her voice already filling the space with plans and expectations. Vane presided at the head, calm and unreadable. Cyrus lounged opposite Elias, that lazy, predatory smile playing at his lips.Elias had barely touched his plate. The loose gray sweatpants he’d thrown on after his shower—comfortable, innocent—now felt like a terrible mistake. He kept his hands in his lap, trying to appear attentive as Rowena launched into her lecture.“This marriage to Isabella is not negotiable, Elias,” she said sharply, cutting into her meat with precision. “The alliances it brings, the status—it’s something you couldn’t earn in a lifetime on your own. You will smile, you will dance, you will play the grate
Elias’s heart hammered in his chest as Vane’s eyes bore into him, the study suddenly feeling too small, too confined. The winter sun filtered through the frost-laced windows, casting long shadows across the oak-paneled walls, but it did nothing to warm the chill that had settled in Elias’s bones. Vane’s hand still rested on his arm, firm and reassuring, but the questions in his gaze were like knives, twisting deeper with every silent second.“Elias,” Vane said again, his voice low and steady, laced with that commanding edge that always made Elias’s knees weak. “Talk to me. Whatever it is, we can handle it. But I need to know what’s going on.”Elias swallowed hard, his throat tight. He couldn’t tell him—not yet. If Vane knew about Cyrus, about the blackmail, the photos, the twisted games under the table… it would explode everything. Vane would go nuclear, confront Cyrus, and then what? The family shattered, scandals in the tabloids, Rowena’s carefully curated world crumbling. And Elias
Elias woke slowly, warmth everywhere.For a moment he didn’t know where he was—only that he felt safe, wrapped in strong arms, a steady heartbeat under his cheek. The fire had burned down to embers; faint orange light flickered across the room. He was still on the wide rug in front of the hearth, covered by a soft throw blanket. Vane’s body was curled around his from behind, one heavy arm draped over Elias’s waist, hand splayed possessively across his stomach.Elias didn’t move. He was afraid to. Afraid the night had been a dream, afraid Vane would wake up and remember who they were and pull away.But Vane stirred first. His arm tightened briefly, pulling Elias closer, lips brushing the back of his neck in a sleepy, unconscious kiss. “Morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.Elias’s heart flipped. “Morning,” he whispered back.They stayed like that for a long minute, breathing together. Then Vane’s body tensed—not much, but enough for Elias to feel it. The arm loosened. Vane rol
Elias’s lips stayed pressed against Vane’s for only a second—maybe two—but it felt like forever. Warm, tasting faintly of whiskey. Real. Not a dream, not a stolen scent on silk. Real.Then Vane went rigid.His hand came up fast, gripping Elias’s shoulder—not shoving him away, but holding him still. Elias’s heart hammered against his ribs. He waited for the push, the anger, the disgust. It didn’t come. Vane’s fingers tightened instead, almost painful, like he was stopping himself from doing something worse.Elias pulled back just enough to see his face. Vane’s eyes were wide, dark, breathing uneven. The muscle in his jaw jumped.“Elias,” Vane said, voice low and rough. “What the hell are you doing?”The words weren’t loud, but they hit hard. Elias felt his throat close up. Tears stung again—he hadn’t even realized he’d stopped crying on the run home.“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know it’s wrong. I know you hate me now. I just—” His voice cracked. “I needed to do it once. Before everyt
Three days.That’s how long Cyrus had owned him.Three days of late-night texts, of being pulled into empty guest rooms or the back seat of Cyrus’s car, of hands that gripped too hard and words that cut deeper than the touch. Elias hated every second, hated the way his body responded even when his mind screamed no, hated the way he closed his eyes and tried to pretend it was someone else.He tried to imagine Vane’s scent on Cyrus’s skin, the faint cedar and warmth that clung to his stepfather’s clothes. He tried to picture Vane’s larger, steadier hands instead of Cyrus's impatient ones. But the lie never held. Cyrus was too rough, too careless, too impatient. The fantasy only made Elias feel dirtier, smaller, and more broken. Each time it ended, he’d sit under the shower until the water ran cold, scrubbing at his skin like he could wash the memory away. It never worked. The ache for Vane only grew, twisted tighter around his heart.That afternoon, his phone buzzed on the desk.Cyrus:







