LOGINAria’s POVSo, before Eros could stop me, I stepped closer to Eros, sliding my hand around his arm, pressing my body against his side in a way that made Darren’s eyes narrow instantly.Eros stiffened in surprise, looking down at me, but I met his gaze with a knowing look. Play along.And he did.He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in tighter. I tilted my face up to him, smiling sweetly, then rose on my toes and kissed him.Right there. In front of Darren and Elara. In front of everyone.The kiss was deep and deliberate. Not a peck. Not something innocent. It was a declaration.Eros hesitated for just a breath before his hand found the back of my neck, returning the kiss with a slow, devastating tenderness that made my wolf purr in satisfaction. When we finally broke apart, his thumb traced my lower lip, his gaze still on me as if we were the only two people in the world.And Darren...Darren looked like he wanted to tear the world apart. His eyes were molten, his lips p
Aria’s POVMy cheeks burned. “You’re not supposed to say that out loud.”He kissed my hair. “Then don’t make it so obvious.”I elbowed him playfully, but he only laughed and tightened his arm around me. And that was how we fell asleep, curled together, heartbeats tangled, in that perfect in-between of comfort and longing.Morning came with a pale gold glow cutting through the windows. By the time I opened my eyes, Eros was already up, dressed, and leaning against the wall with two steaming cups of coffee.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he teased. “You’re lucky I didn’t leave you behind.”I stretched and yawned. “You wouldn’t dare.”He grinned and handed me a cup. “You’re right. I wouldn’t.”“Thank you, Eros.”“For what?”“For… this. Thank you for bringing me here, I didn't realize how much I needed to clear my head until now.”He smiled, sitting beside me. “If you thank me one more time Aria, I’ll eat you up in the instance.”“Thank you!” I said, louder this time. “Thank you!”He jumpe
Aria’s POVHe took a small step closer, his voice dropping lower. “You’ve given me something I never thought I’d have again.“What?” I asked softly.“Joy,” he said simply. “Peace. A reason to wake up and want to live whole again.”The sincerity in his tone shattered every wall I had left. My eyes stung as I looked up at him, my heart pounding hard enough that I could barely speak.“I..." I began, my voice trembling. “Eros, I...”He looked at me then, not as a king, not as a protector, but as a man stripped bare by love.And I couldn’t hold it back anymore.“I love you, Eros.” I whispered.The silence that followed wasn’t just awkward, it was electric. He blinked, surprised at first, and then his entire face softened, as if the world itself had stilled around that moment.“Say it again,” he murmured.I swallowed, smiling through the tears threatening to fall. “I love you. I love you so much!”He moved before I could blink. One hand came up to cup my cheek, the other resting at my bac
Aria’s POVHe didn’t answer immediately. The faintest smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, that secretive, infuriating kind of smile that told me he was planning something.“You’ll find out soon,” he said simply, his voice smooth but laced with quiet excitement.I folded my arms, pretending to be annoyed, though inside, a flicker of warmth stirred. “You and your surprises again.”He chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. Hopefully.”The drive stretched longer than I expected. The city skyline came into view, all shimmering glass and distant lights. We turned into a long, tree-lined driveway leading to what looked like an exclusive resort. It had tall gates, fountains, elegant stone arches dusted with lantern light. My breath caught.“Eros,” I said softly, “what is this place?”He parked the car, turned off the engine, and glanced at me with a boyish grin that melted every protest in me before it could form. “It’s a date.”For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. “A date?” I repeated, h
Aria’s POV Spread across my bed was the most stunning gown I’d ever seen. It shimmered faintly even in the dim light, a deep wine red that looked almost alive, with delicate gold threads tracing through the bodice like rays of sunlight. The silk was soft, fine, flowing down like a dream woven into fabric.For a moment, I forgot to blink. “Eros...” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper. “It’s beautiful.”He smiled, watching me quietly, satisfaction in his gaze. “I thought you’d like it.”“Like it?” I chuckled, “I love it,” I said, unable to stop myself. I reached out, brushing my fingers over the fabric, almost afraid to touch something so beautiful. “When did you get it? You didn’t have to..."“I wanted to,” he interrupted gently, stepping closer. “I wanted to see you smile like this.”That made my throat tighten. I turned slightly, pretending to inspect the dress so he wouldn’t see how my eyes glistened with tears. “You’re impossible,” I murmured.“Maybe,” he said with a low chuck
Aria’s POV“What plan?”“we'll dull it.”He dipped a small cloth in a bit of dust and brushed it over the lens housing, then carefully attached cobwebs he’d gathered from the attic earlier. It looked so natural that if I hadn’t known, I’d have thought it had been there for years.I followed his lead, doing the same. The effect was perfect. It made the cameras look old just as we wanted. By the time we finished, the sound of distant voices began filtering through the courtyard, the census was wrapping up.We rushed back into the study, sealing the boxes and tucking the remaining tools behind a false panel in the wall. I pressed a hand to my chest, breathing hard.“We did it,” I whispered.Eros exhaled, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Barely. If we had spent another five minutes, they’d have caught us.”We stood there in silence for a moment, the tension easing slowly out of our bodies. Then, from the windows, came the muffled sounds of people returning, laughter, footsteps, chatt







