MasukDAMIEN’S POV
The house went quiet three minutes after Lilith made her exit. The quietness did not come immediately, It was dramatic and slow… like even the air realized she was gone and decided to follow too. I stood at the top of the stairs longer than I needed to. I had changed into a clean shirt, something prickly. It didn’t help. I could still hear the echo of the front door inLucian POVThe door closed behind Damien and I stood in the quietness he left behind.I gave it exactly three seconds, then my phone rang.Enzo never called unless the information couldn't wait, and Enzo's version of urgency was not the kind that announced itself with raised voices or unnecessary words. When I answered, the first thing I heard was his breathing, but it was tighter than usual."Two of our men are dead."I went still."Confirmed?""Yes."The line cut.I held the phone for a moment after, not moving. The study was quiet around me. Two men.I set the phone down.So Damien's parting words weren't theater after all. I had watched him walk out of here with that unhurried confidence he'd spent years perfecting. My brother always loved a curtain line. He always knew exactly which sentence to leave hanging in the air as he turned away."You should be careful, brother."I had almost smiled.I was not smiling now.My jaw tightened once, and then I straightened my cuffs, smoothed
Third Person POV On getting to Sophie's apartment that afternoon, Lilith did not bother to knock properly. Her fist struck the door impatiently and before Sophie could reach it fully, Lilith had already pushed it open. After then Lilth went on to rush inside like she was escaping from a burning building outside. The apartment was warm from the heat of the lamp that was glowing in the corner just beside the biggest couch in the room. A cup of tea was sitting on the coffee table. Sophie was standing next to. The television as well was murmuring quietly in the background. “Babes?” Sophie finally found the voice to speak with her hands spread apart, “What happened?” Lilith did not answer. Instead, she walked past her quietly like someone moving underwater, strutting further and further until she reache
Damien’s POV Lilith’s hands were still around me. Her fingers were twisted in the back of my shirt and I could literally feel her body trembling against my own. It was like a shaking coming from deep inside the soul It was the tremble of a broken spirit. “I thought she was my friend…” Her voice vibrated against my neck bone. “I thought… I thought…” Her voice trailed…she could not finish the words. I didn’t need her to. My stomach tightened as ideas already started to form in my head. Then after some time, the strongest guess I could pick in my head found its way out through my mouth. “Is this about Isabella?” The way she immediately stiffened and how her arms started to loosen around me tol
Lilith’s POV I resumed work at the boutique early that morning. It was earlier than my usual resumption time. New stock had arrived. Boxes were littered everywhere…stacked by the entrance…. half-open with tissue paper flying out like baby leaves. Instead of going straight to my office, I stayed on the floor. I rolled my sleeves and crouched beside one of the girls, helping her sort some dresses by size. I also adjusted mannequins myself, even carried lighter boxes without being asked. I didn’t hide behind the glass walls of my office like I used to. I realized that I actually liked being here. There was just something steady about it. Something that felt like mine. My phone started to beep not quite long after that I paused to wipe my hands lightly against my skirt before pulling it out.. I slipped an earbud into my
Lucian POV It was late. Sophie’s apartment was quiet except for the steady sound outside her balcony doors. The curtains were half drawn. I was lying back against her bed, and my breathing was also just as unsteady. We just had the most energetic sex ever. This wasn’t new. It was intense, familiar, and really great. The kind of intimacy built from repetition and uniformity. We knew the places to touch. When to pause. How to move without asking. There was no hesitation in this world and no rules. After the whole exercise, I found myself leaning on one elbow and looking down at her naked form, partially wrapped with a bed sheet My fingers traced slowly over her waist, idle, and possessive. “This is why I miss you," I blurted carelessly. “You’re the only one who knows h
Lilith’s POV I kept my focus on Isabella. The question lay hanging in the space between us like a divider. It had come out of nowhere. Or maybe not nowhere. No. Maybe she had been watching me longer than I realized. I studied her face, trying to see if there was any hint of accusation in it. Or worse still… mocking. There was nothing like that. She only looked genuinely curious. After a few seconds, she shrugged lightly, as if to brush off the tension. “Well… you’ve been married for a while,” she said, lifting one shoulder. “Except if it’s medical or something.” I let out a breath of relief. I had been getting all worked up for nothing, I hadn’t even noticed I had been holding my breath. My fingers loosened around my cup. “No. It’s not medical,” I half







