Damn him

Serena followed Lucian through the long, dimly lit hallway, her pulse quickening with each step. The entire mansion reeked of power and control, from the marble floors beneath her feet to the heavy doors that lined the corridor. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn and run, to find a way out of this suffocating trap before it was too late. But she couldn’t, not yet. Not now that Lucien had shown her some confusing evidence.

Lucian’s broad shoulders moved effortlessly with each stride, his was presence commanding even in silence. He had barely spoken a word to her since dragging her out of the dining room.  

Serena hated him. She hated how he had taken her and how he had thrown her entire world into chaos. But most of all, she hated the way her body responded to him.

Her skin tingled when he was close. The way heat pooled in her stomach at the thought of his hands on her. He had become her enemy.

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus. Whatever game Lucian was playing, she couldn’t afford to lose…she just had to play along. At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a heavy oak door which revealed a lavish study lined with dark bookshelves and filled with the rich scent of cigar smoke.

Waiting inside and leaning casually against a desk, was Enzo Romano.

Serena recognized him immediately, He was Lucian’s second-in-command.

Serena noticed that they were opposites. Lucian was cold precision, Enzo was effortless charm. His dark hair was slightly tousled, his sharp green eyes glinting with amusement as he took in the sight of her. He had a cigarette dangling between his fingers, his smirk widening as his gaze flicked between her and Lucian.

“Well, well,” Enzo drawled, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. “The infamous princess finally makes her appearance.”

Serena’s glare was immediate on him. “I wasn’t exactly given a choice.”

Enzo chuckled, pushing off the desk. “Yeah, Lucian does have a bad habit of getting what he wants.” His gaze flicked to his boss, and his smirk widened. “Though, from the way you two walked in here, I’d say you’re getting along just fine.”

Serena’s skin burned at the insinuation, and she scowled. “Go to hell.”

Lucian finally spoke, his voice was smooth and controlled. “If we’re done with the small talk, let’s get to business.”

He moved to the desk where he pulled a small flash drive from his pocket and tossed it onto the polished wood.

Serena eyed it warily. “What’s on it?”

Lucian leaned against the desk, crossing his arms. “Everything I need to bring your father down.”

She soon realized that this his was more than just a power play. This was war between her father and the man standing in front of her. 

She should have felt relief. Her father had never been a good man, he had ruled with fear and violence, treating her as nothing more than a pawn in his empire. But something about Lucian’s confidence unsettled her. She was his captive, yet he was telling her all of this freely.

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re all very stupid for trusting me with this. What if I take it straight to my father?”

Enzo let out a low chuckle. “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmured, stepping closer. “Bold of you to assume you’ll ever leave.”

Serena stiffened. “Meaning” she arched her brow trying to fake confidence.

Lucian smirked. “If you ever do, it’ll be in a body bag.”

The casual cruelty in his voice sent a shiver down her spine and surprisingly, it was not from fear.

Her body betrayed her in the worst way, heat pooled low in her stomach, and her pulse became unsteady. She hated herself for it, for the way his presence made her skin tingle.

Lucian was watching her too closely, his dark gaze studying her reaction. As if he could see every thought running through her head. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she forced herself to step closer and invaded his space the way he had invaded hers. She tilted her chin up, her lips curling into something close to a smirk. “You think you’ve won, don’t you?”

His voice was impossibly soft. “I know I have.”

She should have been terrified. She should have been planning her escape, thinking of ways to slit his throat while he slept. Instead, she was busy thinking about how his breath felt against her skin. And about how her thighs pressed together involuntarily, heat coiling between her legs.

Lucian noticed it. 

The way his smirk deepened told her everything she needed to know. Bastard.

She hated him but she wanted to feel him. The realization hit her like a freight train, a rush of heat spreading through her.

Lucian lifted his hands and his fingers grazed her jaw with deliberate slowness. The touch was light, almost teasing and it sent a sharp pulse of electricity through her veins.

She sucked in a breath, her body betraying her yet again. His thumb brushed the corner of her lips.

“I could make you beg,” he murmured, the words laced with something dark, something dangerous.

Serena’s stomach clenched. God, she hated him.

She Hated how effortlessly he unraveled her. She forced herself to glare and keep her voice steady despite the storm inside her.

“You wish.”

Lucian only smirked, tilting his head slightly. “Oh, princess.” His voice was a whisper now, his lips inches from hers. “I don’t need to wish.”

Enzo sighed dramatically, cutting through the charged silence. “Jesus Christ, the two of you need to get a room or kill each other already. The tension is exhausting.”

Serena snapped out of it, stepping back quickly, cursing herself for getting caught up in whatever twisted game Lucian was playing.

Lucian, on the other hand, looked entirely unbothered. He looked like this was regular routine for him because he looked amused.

She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face Or maybe she wanted to taste it.

Damn him.

Damn her.

Enzo clapped his hands togracingether. “Alright, lovebirds, let’s focus. We’ve got an empire to burn down.”

Serena’s heart was still .

She could not allow herself to be in a bigger trouble because she had always been drawn to dangerous men and Lucien is top in that list.