LOGINLyraThe kidnappers drag me, forcing me to cross the living room turned into chaos. They push me towards a black car waiting in the driveway, engine hot, headlights off. The night is dense, the sky shrugging its shoulders. In the guest room, the party's music is replaced by sharp orders and ragged breaths. One of the men slams me against the back seat, expertly tying my wrists. My knees would bang if I could sit up. The smell of leather and gasoline sticks to my face.I search for Alexandre, look for Lucas. Between two bodies, I spot Lucas curled up, his hand groping his chest then his side; he coughs up some blood, but he raises his eyes to me. His pupils search for me as if to tell me to hold on, not to give up. He opens his mouth, tries to speak; his voice is barely a whisper.— Hang on, Lyra… don’t… then nothing, just a groan.The car door slams. The car starts. The speed jolts me, my breathing becomes a dull pain. Through the fogged window, I glimpse Alexandre’s silhouette, he is
LyraThe night unfurls its last threads of light when I suddenly feel the air change. Until now, the garden vibrated with muffled laughter, reassuring conversations, and soft music pushing away the shadows. Then a dull, metallic sound, a prelude to something bad: hurried footsteps on the lawn, low, hoarse voices, and that sharp crack that tears the evening from its sweetness.Everything rushes. Shadows emerge between the lanterns, black as ink stains. Hooded men, armed, appear without warning, breathless and precise. The first collective reaction is disbelief: we laugh, we think it’s a bad joke. Then the rifles are raised, the guns aimed, and the laughter dies in an instant.“Don't move!” shouts a muffled voice behind a mask. “On the ground, now! And you, don't make any sudden moves.”The guests collapse, chairs fall, glasses roll and shatter with a clatter. Screams, cries, whispered orders. I feel like the world is slowing down: the dress that envelops me, Alexandre's hand tightening
LyraMorning rises over the family home like a bright promise. The first light filters through the tall, paneled windows, scattering bands of gold across the Oriental carpets and awakening the framed portraits that have watched over generations. The house, usually silent and measured, buzzes today with contained excitement: it will be our engagement day.Mom takes the reins at dawn. True to herself, she transforms the main room into a festive setting: pressed tablecloths, bouquets of off-white and peach exuding a sweet fragrance, delicate garlands along the cornices, porcelain with golden trim, and silver cutlery ready to clink. I stand before the vanity in the guest room, looking at my reflection as if to reclaim myself. My ivory chiffon dress, the fine pearl belt, the loose bun—everything feels both familiar and fragile. My grandmother's pendant rests against my skin like a talisman.Alexandre enters without knocking, wearing a navy blue suit and a light gray tie. He smiles, but his
TANIAHe says nothing at first. His silence has become a language I almost understand better than his words. But this time, there is no waiting, no cruel game: he leans toward me with contained strength, and I already feel the burn of what is to come.His lips crash onto mine, not like a caress, but like a grip. I moan, surprised by the tender violence of his kiss. His mouth devours, demands, commands, and mine surrenders, captivated, consumed. Every breath becomes a struggle, every sigh, an offering.He lifts me with a brutal and sure gesture, as if I weigh nothing. My body presses against his instinctively, my arms clinging to his neck as if my life depended on it. His warmth invades me, overwhelms me, and I understand that nothing will separate us from this collision.The world around disappears: there is only the sting of his kisses, the firmness of his hands pressing me against him, the fire spreading through my veins. I have no will left. I no longer want to have one.He lays me
TANIAI remain still, kneeling before him, my body burning, the world reduced to the room, the scent of leather and cold coffee, the steady rhythm of his breathing. Every tic of his jaw, every flicker of an eyelash serves as my compass. The silence between us is not empty: it vibrates with intentions, with restrained promises and unwritten rules. I feel him entirely, a heavy presence, like a magnet drawing and fixing me.— Sit up straight, he says, without raising his voice.I straighten my back, dreading and welcoming what comes next. My fingers have become strangely sensitive; the skin of my palms awakens to the slightest touch of fabric against my thighs. My thoughts loop endlessly; I must not rush, I must wait for the signal, I must remain present, and it is this discipline that makes me sharper, more alive.Lucas watches me as one observes a rare work of art: his eyes probe, compare, weigh. He seems to savor every minute change in me. A faint smile curves his lips; I understand I
TANIAI remain still, kneeling before him, frozen as if in a living tableau. The silence stretching between us weighs on me as much as it electrifies me. I feel the blood pounding in my temples, my breath is too rapid, my fingers clench against my thighs to resist the dizziness.Lucas doesn't move. His eyes, locked on mine, are two chains that bind me and prevent me from fleeing. He says nothing, and it is this absence of words that makes me tremble more. Every second of his silence is a punishment, a laying bare of my impatience."Chin up," he finally commands, his voice low, without raising his tone.I obey immediately. The movement seems infinitesimal, but within me, it stirs a tumult. More exposed, I feel vulnerable, almost offered to his gaze.His hand brushes my cheek, slides along my jaw, then pulls away instantly, leaving me panting, craving the touch he denies. I hold back a sigh, but he senses it, I can tell by the shadow of a barely sketched smile."You see? You're already







