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Chapter 48: The First Move

Author: MELLA
last update publish date: 2026-06-19 00:25:43

The heavy steel doors sealed shut with a low, hydraulic hum that echoed like a gunshot through the silence of the master pavilion. The red emergency lights continued to pulse against the walls, casting long, bleeding shadows over the tangled black silk and damp charcoal furs.

I lay perfectly still where Julian had left me, my cheek pressed against the rough fur, my bare skin shivering as the sweat from our encounter rapidly cooled in the chilling air of the bunker. Every muscle in my body throb
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