LOGINChapter 204: Too Close to SeeAlina’s POVThe next morning felt strangely normal, and that was the first thing that made me uneasy.Nothing was out of place at first glance. The sunlight came in through the curtains the same way it always did, soft and quiet, touching the walls like nothing had changed. Lucien was beside me, still asleep, his breathing steady, his face calm in a way I rarely saw when he was awake. For a moment, I just lay there and watched him, trying to convince myself that everything was fine.But something inside me refused to settle.It was not fear, not exactly. It was something quieter than that, something that sat deep in my chest and refused to move. A feeling that something had already begun, and I was the only one who could feel it.I slipped out of bed carefully so I would not wake him, wrapping my robe around me as I stepped out of the room. The house was silent in a way that felt unnatural. Not peaceful, not comforting, just… still.As I walked down the s
Chapter 203 : The Storm Before the CalmI woke up to the quiet hum of the city outside, but the silence in our apartment felt heavy, almost suffocating. My hands trembled slightly as I sipped my morning tea, though I tried to tell myself it was just nerves, nothing more. But deep down, I knew better. Something was coming, something I couldn’t ignore.Lucien was already in the study when I stepped in, leaning against the desk with his phone pressed to his ear. His brows were furrowed, jaw tight, the kind of tension that made my chest ache. I didn’t dare interrupt at first, just watched him. Every word he said sounded calm, controlled, but I could feel the storm behind it.“…Check again. If anything moves, I want to know immediately. No mistakes,” he said quietly, almost to himself.I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. My heart had been racing since the package arrived yesterday — the one from Dima. I had tried to convince myself it was just a threat, empty words, but the memor
Chapter 202 : The Name We Didn’t ExpectAlina’s POVThe truth did not arrive loudly.There was no shouting.No dramatic entrance.No gunshots or broken glass.It came quietly. Almost gently.That was the worst part.I was sitting at the small table in the corner of Lucien’s office, the one people barely noticed. I liked it there. It made me feel invisible, and lately, invisible felt safer. Papers were spread in front of me—not important ones. Just copies. Things Lucien said didn’t matter much.But they did.They mattered to me.Lucien was standing by the window, phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and controlled. He sounded calm, but I knew him too well now. When he spoke that softly, it meant he was angry. Or worse—disappointed.I wasn’t listening at first. I was tracing lines on a document, trying to connect dates that didn’t make sense.Then I heard my name.“Alina?” Lucien said suddenly.I looked up. “Yes?”He ended the call without another word and turned toward me. His face
Chapter 210 : Standing in the LightI couldn’t sleep that night. My mind kept replaying the package, Dima’s name, the feeling of his eyes on me even when he wasn’t there. I could hear the faint hum of the city outside, the occasional car, but every small sound made my heart jump.Lucien was already up when I finally went downstairs, standing near the window with his phone in hand. He didn’t notice me at first. He looked calm, almost too calm, but I could see it in the way his fingers gripped the phone—tight, restless. I knew that look. That quiet storm that never left his eyes when he was planning something serious.“I thought you were asleep,” he said without turning.“I couldn’t,” I whispered. My voice sounded small, even to me.He finally looked at me. “You shouldn’t think about it so much. Dima is nothing we can’t handle.”I swallowed hard. “I know… but it’s not just about you, Lucien. He’s coming for me too. He’s trying to get to you through me.”His jaw tightened. “Then we’ll st
Chapter 200 : The Message Meant for MeI knew something was wrong the moment the house went quiet.Not the normal kind of quiet—the heavy one. The kind that presses on your ears and makes your skin feel too tight, like the air itself is holding its breath.Lucien had left early that morning. He didn’t kiss my forehead like he usually did. He didn’t tease me or tell me to stay out of trouble. He only looked at me for a long second, his eyes dark and tired, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.“Stay inside today,” he said.I laughed it off. “I always stay inside.”But now, hours later, I wished I had taken his tone more seriously.I was in the sitting room, curled on the couch with a book I hadn’t really been reading. My mind kept drifting—back to the meeting from the night before, back to the names I wasn’t supposed to hear, back to the way Lucien’s jaw tightened when Dima’s name came up.He had told me I was safe.I wanted to believe him.A soft knock came from
Chapter 199: The Weight Between UsAlina’s POVI did not sleep well that night.Every time I closed my eyes, my chest felt tight, like something heavy was sitting there, pressing down. The house was quiet, too quiet. Even the sound of the clock on the wall felt loud. Tick. Tick. Tick. Each second felt like it was counting toward something I could not see yet.Lucien was beside me, but I could tell he was awake too. His breathing was slow, controlled, but not relaxed. When he sleeps deeply, his hand always finds mine without thinking. Tonight, his hand stayed still.That scared me more than anything.I turned slightly on my side and stared at the wall. I wanted to ask him what was wrong. I wanted to say his name. But I didn’t. Something inside me told me that if I spoke, everything I was holding in would break open.So I stayed quiet.⸻The next morning, I burned the toast.It was such a small thing, but it made my eyes sting. I stood there in the kitchen, staring at the blackened brea
Chapter 191 : The Weight I Didn’t Say Out LoudAlina’s POVI didn’t break the way people expect you to break.There was no screaming.No collapse to the floor.No tears soaking pillows in the middle of the night.It was quieter than that.It started with small things.I forgot where I put my phone
Chapter 194: Shadows in the CircleThe morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, but I barely noticed. My mind was consumed with the investigation I’d been working on for days. Every detail about Dima — his contacts, his movements, even whispers from people Lucien trusted — ran through my hea
Chapter 192: The Choice to Stand(Alina’s POV)That night, sleep refused to come.Lucien lay beside me, his breathing slow and steady, but I knew he wasn’t really sleeping. I could feel it in the way his arm stayed stiff around my waist, like he was guarding something fragile. Like he was guarding
Chapter 189: Standing My GroundThe morning sun barely broke through the clouds, and I felt a restless energy coursing through me. I couldn’t sit still. Dima’s last move had shaken me more than I wanted to admit, but I refused to feel powerless anymore. No more hiding. No more waiting for Lucien to







