CH-21

VIN’S POV

The cold night air hit my face the moment I stepped outside the building, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside me.

As usual, Danny was waiting near the gate.

The moment he noticed me approaching, he straightened from where he had been leaning against the car and silently opened the door. Without exchanging a single word, I slid into the back seat.

The engine started almost immediately, and the car smoothly rolled away from the gate, heading toward the palace.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Danny had been serving the royal family for most of his life. He had driven me since I was young enough to barely see over the car window. He knew when to talk and when silence was the wiser option.

Still, his eyes were too sharp to miss anything.

“What's wrong with your hand, Prince?”

His voice was calm, but his gaze briefly flickered to the rearview mirror, watching me carefully.

I glanced down at my hand.

The injury was not obvious unless someone was really paying attention. The skin across my knuckles was scraped and faintly swollen.

“Nothing major,” I dismissed flatly.

Danny studied me for another second before nodding.

He did not ask anything further.

He knew better.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

But inside me, everything was chaos.

My emotions were still running wild, colliding violently against each other. Anger. Frustration. Something darker that I could not even name.

Normally, when things spiralled like this, there was only one place I went.

My mother.

Her warm embrace had always been enough to calm the storms inside me.

But tonight… there was someone else I needed to see first.

Gia.

By the time we reached the palace, dinner had already ended.

Warm lights glowed from the tall windows, and laughter echoed faintly from somewhere inside.

I stepped out of the car, my jaw tightening slightly.

The last thing I wanted right now was to see happy faces.

“Brother! You are back.”

My sister appeared in front of me so suddenly that I nearly walked into her.

Sometimes I wondered if she had supernatural senses when it came to knowing everyone’s movements.

“Come, let me serve you dinner,” she said cheerfully, grabbing my arm.

I raised an eyebrow.

“How did you know I was back?”

My gaze slowly moved over her appearance.

“And why are you so… dressed up at this hour?”

She was wearing a heavy traditional dress layered with jewellery that shimmered under the lights.

She giggled.

“I told Danny to inform me when you arrived so I could serve you dinner.”

Then she pointed proudly at her outfit.

“As for this… well, Nanny and I dragged Gia to the Moon Goddess Temple to seek blessings. We just returned.”

She burst into another fit of giggles, clearly enjoying herself.

I shook my head slowly, giving her a tired smile.

“I’m not hungry,” I said.

“But thank you.”

Then I paused before asking,

“By the way… can you tell me where Gia’s room is? I need to speak to her about something important.”

“Oh, sure,” she said casually.

“She’s next to your room.”

My eyes narrowed instantly.

That wing of the palace was strictly reserved for family members.

Not guests.

“Why is she there?” I asked slowly.

My sister waved a hand dismissively.

“I moved her there. That way you two can spend some time together if you want.”

She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

“No one ever goes to your floor anyway.”

My irritation climbed several degrees higher.

Still, I simply nodded.

I had barely taken two steps when she spoke again.

“But remember—no hanky-panky before marriage!”

She tried to suppress her laughter.

I turned back toward her slowly.

“Sister-in-law,” I said smoothly.

“As you already know… she is mine.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“My woman.”

The shock on her face was almost amusing.

She clearly had not expected me to accept the engagement this easily.

But both of us knew the truth.

I did not really have a choice.

Seeing her stunned expression, I decided to tease her a little more.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice.

“Besides… you know how important net practice is, right?”

For a moment she blinked in confusion.

Then realization hit her.

By then, I had already started walking toward the stairs with a smug smirk.

“Vincenzo! You, nonsense!”

“I’m telling Alpha about this!”

Her voice echoed through the hall.

I chuckled softly.

“I know my brother,” I called over my shoulder.

“He’ll understand.”

I threw her a quick wink before climbing the stairs.

“Shameless!” she shouted again.

I could not help laughing.

God, her energy was contagious.

She could brighten anyone’s mood with just a smile.

No wonder my brother was completely wrapped around her finger.

But the moment Gia crossed my mind again…

My mood dropped like a stone.

The warmth vanished.

Darkness returned.

By the time I reached the second floor, the earlier amusement had completely disappeared.

I stood in front of her door.

For a moment, I simply stared at it.

My chest felt tight again.

A thousand conflicting thoughts swirled in my mind.

I forced myself to take a slow breath.

I needed to stay calm.

One wrong move… and too many hearts would break.

That was something I never wanted.

Not even in my worst nightmare.

I lifted my hand to knock.

Then stopped.

Why should I knock?

When she herself had no sense of shame… why should I bother with manners?

My jaw hardened.

Without another thought, I pushed the door open.

Inside, Gia sat in front of her dressing table.

Two maids stood beside her.

One was adjusting something behind her while the other arranged jewellery on the bed.

So much jewellery.

My eyes lingered on it for a moment.

Wow. She already received quite a lot.

Good.

After all… is not that what she came here for?

My voice cut sharply through the room.

“LEAVE.”

All three women froze.

The maids immediately bowed and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Only then did the music become noticeable.

Soft and rhythmic.

Shape of You played quietly in the background.

Gia looked up through the mirror.

And my gaze slowly travelled over her reflection.

Her hands rested on her ankle as she tried to remove her anklet.

The strings of her blouse had come undone, hanging loosely at the side.

Her back…

Completely exposed.

Smooth.

Bare.

White skin glowing softly under the light.

One small push…

And the blouse would slide off her shoulders.

My fingers twitched slightly.

I would be lying if I said the temptation did not cross my mind.

Inside me, Nate stirred restlessly.

He was practically drooling at the sight.

His instincts screamed to claim her.

To touch her.

To taste that smooth skin.

I forced him back with effort.

“Calm down,” I warned silently.

“For now.”

The lyrics of the song drifted through the room.

I am in love with the shape of you…

The words struck something strange inside my chest.

I looked back at her reflection.

Her lips were slightly parted.

Her eyes wide with surprise.

She clearly had not expected me to enter like this.

Her frozen posture.

Her unawareness of how dishevelled she looked.

Everything about her screamed vulnerability.

Slowly… I walked toward her.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

Her back remained in front of me.

That flawless skin almost seemed to call for attention.

And as a gentleman…

How could I deny it?

I stopped directly behind her.

She slowly straightened her back and lowered her foot to the floor.

Our eyes met in the mirror.

Neither of us looked away.

The air between us suddenly felt suffocating.

Thick.

Heavy.

My hand slowly lifted.

For a second… I hesitated.

Then the tip of my finger brushed against her skin.

Warm.

Soft.

Alive.

Her entire body shuddered instantly.

Goosebumps rippled across her back under my touch.

My eyes darkened.

Her reaction did not escape me.

My fingers slowly traced the line of her spine.

She sucked in a quiet breath.

That was when realization finally hit her.

Her cheeks flushed pink.

Embarrassment.

Nervousness.

Maybe something else too.

And how could I possibly ignore that?

A slow, dangerous smile curved across my lips.

Perfect.

Her vulnerability… made the moment even more irresistible.

**