chapter three

Chapter 3

Serena’s pov

The moment Lucien stepped into the room, every ounce of peace inside me vanished.

I could still remember those hands on my body from last night; the way his voice sounded against my ear. 

The way he touched me was like he already owned every sinful part of me, and now he was standing in front of me as Cassian’s son.

My soon to be step son.

I needed air.

“Excuse me for a minute,” Cassian suddenly said after his phone buzzed. His jaw tightened slightly as he checked the message before walking away towards the hall on the left.

The second his hand left my waist, I moved.

Far away from Lucien, far away from Paulo.. far away from everybody.

A waiter passed beside me and without thinking, I grabbed a glass of champagne and the bottle from his tray before heading straight outside.

Cool night air slammed against my skin the moment I stepped into the garden.

The pool lights reflected against the water beautifully, but I was too irritated to appreciate any of it.

My chest rose and fell unevenly as I continued walking deeper into the garden until the voices from inside became distant.

“What the fuck…” I cursed under my breath.

I downed the champagne in one gulp then angrily threw the glass across the floor.

CRASH!

“Why him?” I muttered, gripping the bottle tightly. “Out of every man in this stupid world… it had to be that bastard’s son.”

I raised the bottle to my lips and drank straight from it.

“Was that meant for me?”

I jerked violently as the bottle slipped from my hand immediately.

CRASH!

“Oh shit,”

I bent quickly, trying to pick up the broken pieces before someone noticed, but a sharp sting cut through my finger instantly.

“Fuck!”

Blood slowly trickled down my finger.

But before I could react properly, Lucien crouched beside me.

“What are you doing?” I snapped.

He ignored me completely, as he wrapped his fingers  around my wrist firmly before pulling my injured hand toward him.

Then slowly… He licked the blood off my finger.

My heart beat went into gear eight instantly. Everything around me suddenly felt too quiet.

His eyes remained locked on mine while his tongue slowly brushed against my skin again, and for one horrifying second, I forgot how to breathe.

I pushed him away immediately and hid my hand behind me.

Lucien chuckled softly, with that same devilish grin from last night spread across his face while both hands slipped casually into his pockets.

“Are you going to hide your pretty finger the same way you’re hiding your true identity…” his eyes slowly dragged over me, “Queen?”

 Calm down…Lie…Just like always. Lie.

I straightened my shoulders.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied coldly. “It seems you have me confused with someone else.”

My heart was racing so fast it felt embarrassing.

I turned and continued walking further toward the darker part behind the mansion, refusing to let him see how badly he was affecting me.

“Too bad,” Lucien’s deep voice followed behind me. “I was actually hoping to return the red lace panties I took from her last night.”

My steps stopped instantly.

Fuck..damn him.

Slowly, I turned around and met him leaning lazily against one of the pillars now, looking completely relaxed while my entire world was practically collapsing.

“You see…” he continued smoothly, “Serena, Queen, whatever name you go by, I honestly don’t care.”

His eyes darkened dangerously.

“But tell me one thing…”

He pushed himself off the pillar and started walking toward me slowly.

“Does my bastard of a father know the amount of cocks you suck  every night?”

“Like I said, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Hm.”

Lucien let out a low scoff, like my denial was something mildly amusing rather than believable, then he started walking toward me again, slow and deliberate, like he already knew I wouldn’t find an escape even if I tried. 

My feet moved backwards on instinct, my heartbeat rising with every step he took forward, until the night air behind me felt colder, heavier, like it was trapping me in place.

I kept retreating until my back met the edge of the garden, the cold tension of the night pressing against my skin, and before I could think of another excuse, he was already there. 

His hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me in firmly, erasing every inch of distance I had desperately tried to keep between us. My breath hitched sharply at the sudden contact, my body reacting before my mind could catch up.

“Lucien, ”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, his fingers moved to my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear with an almost tender slowness that didn’t match the intensity in his eyes, then the back of his hand traced my cheek slowly, unhurried, almost careless, but in a way that felt far too intimate for the situation.

 My body betrayed me before I could even stop it, reacting to him in ways I refused to acknowledge. His hand drifted lower, pausing at the side of my neck, and everything inside me locked instantly, like my entire system had frozen from just his touch.

Lucien leaned in just enough for his breath to brush my ear, warm and controlled, sending a dangerous chill down my spine.

“I’m pretty sure,” he whispered, voice low and almost amused, “the hickey on your neck says otherwise.”

The nut  in my stomach tightened  instantly.

Shit.

I shoved him away hard enough to break whatever invisible hold he had on me, my breathing uneven as I tried to regain control. That was when I saw her…Celine…walking toward us.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her gaze moving between us with immediate suspicion.

“Nothing,” I answered quickly, touching my face that felt like a bill board sign of everything I was feeling.

Lucien didn’t even look shaken.

“Lucien?” Celine blinked in recognition. “Is that really you?”

His entire energy shifted instantly, like he had just stepped out of a completely different version of himself.

“Hey baby sis,” he said easily, like nothing had just happened. “How have you been?”

Celine moved toward him without hesitation and hugged him, and I stood there watching them, still feeling the ghost of his touch on my skin, still trying to steady my breathing like I hadn’t just been completely unraveled.

Celine pulled back slowly, then turned her eyes on me.

“What’s up with you, Serena? Why do you look so pale?”

“It’s ehm… it’s nothing,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

“Well, it’s not like I care,” she cut in flatly. “Go find my father. The press wants pictures of both of you.”

“Yes… sure.”

I didn’t argue.

I turned and walked away immediately, each step heavier than the last, even though I didn’t look back, because somehow, I already knew he was still watching me.

I moved back into the house, still trying to steady my breathing from the encounter in the garden. 

The noise of the party faded behind me as I walked deeper into the mansion, searching for Cassian. 

He wasn’t in the main rooms, so I headed toward his study, assuming he would be there.

But the closer I got, the more I heard it.

“ Fuck, Daddy... god I fucking missed you.. right there daddy!!”

“That's right.. you feel so fucking good. My nasty little slut”

Fuck, it was Cassian pounding into one of his whores.and the fucking door was opened

“You bastard,” I whispered under my breath. “Really? Today of all days?”

I turned immediately to leave before anyone noticed me, but before I could take another step, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and slammed me back against the wall.

The impact knocked the air out of my lungs.

I looked up..and my breath caught up in my chest.

Lucien.

“What are you doing?” I snapped, struggling against his grip.

My head turned slightly and through the corner of my eye, I could still see Cassian inside the room with her, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

I tried to push Lucien off me, even kicked at him, but he only shifted closer, pressing his leg between mine to stop me from moving.

“Tell me,” he said calmly, watching my reaction instead of letting me go, “I’m a bit curious… why are you getting married to Cassian?”

My eyes narrowed instantly.

“What? What kind of stupid question is that?”

“It’s an important one,” he replied, voice low. “One that might make me let you go… if you answer truthfully.”

“Because I love him, you fool.”

He chuckled under his breath like I had just said something ridiculous.

“Are you serious?” His gaze darkened slightly. “We both know that’s a load of crap, and I’m very sure you’re not marrying that cheating bastard for his money either.”

“If it were love, or money,” he continued, leaning in just a little, “you would’ve walked in there and lost it. You would’ve screamed, broken something… maybe even killed her. But you didn’t.”

His eyes held mine, sharp and unreadable.

“You just stood there, calm and detached.. almost like you don’t care at all.”

My pulse started to race for a different reason now.

“So tell me the truth,” he said quietly. “Why are you really marrying him?”

I swallowed hard, refusing to give him what he wanted.

“Didn’t you hear me?” I snapped. “I said I love him.”

A slow smirk tugged at his lips again.

“That stubborn act won’t save you.”

Before I could react, his grip tightened slightly, his hand sliding from my wrist to my chin, forcing me to look directly at him.

“I gave you a chance to tell the truth,” he said softly, almost dangerously calm, “so you could be spared from what’s coming.”

My breathing hitched. “But since you still want to play stubborn…”

He leaned in just a fraction closer.

“…I’ll just carry on with my plans.”

My brows furrowed.. I was confused by that statement.

“And what’s that?”

His eyes darkened completely.

“To ruin you.”