chapter 5

Cordelia didn’t respond. Not at first.

I just stared at him, my chest tight, like I’d forgotten how to breathe. And for the first time, I saw it, not just history between them, but something unfinished.

But in Zane’s eyes, I saw something else. Something that made my pulse spike.

He was protecting me.

Cordelia hissed something in French I didn’t understand and stormed off, her heels clicking like gunshots on marble. I was still shaking from the rush of adrenaline when Zane turned to me.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, his tone low but sharp.

“I’m not afraid of her,” I shot back.

His gaze didn’t soften. “You should be.”

Later that night, the party still buzzed below, but Zane and I ended up alone on the rooftop balcony. The air was cooler up here, but my skin was warm, every nerve aware of him standing beside me.

He lit a cigarette, offered me one. I shook my head.

“Why are you helping me?” I finally asked.

He stared out at the city lights, smoke curling from his lips. “Because I like you. And because I hate Liam more than anything.”

That caught my breath. “Why?”

He turned then, and for a moment, I saw something broken in his eyes.

“Because I wasn’t supposed to be the middle brother. I was supposed to be the heir. Until he came back and took everything.”

I searched his face, my voice softer. “You think he’ll hurt me?”

Zane nodded once. “He already has.”

Before I could even process that, he stepped closer and kissed me.

It wasn’t soft. It was fierce, desperate, and confusing.

When he finally pulled back, his mouth brushed my ear as he whispered, “Just remember, Lena… in this house, love is a weapon. And everyone is armed.”

I don’t know when my legs started moving, only that I had to get away. Away from that kiss, from him, from the way my heart was beating so hard I could hear it in my ears.

I didn’t stop until I reached my room, slammed the door, and locked it with shaking hands. I leaned against it, wide-eyed, my lips still tingling.

What the hell just happened?

That kiss… it wasn’t planned. It wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did.

And it felt like my entire body had been struck by lightning.

I started pacing barefoot across the carpet, too wired to sit still. Why did he kiss me? Why did I kiss him back? This was supposed to be a job. A temporary life. No feelings. No entanglements.

But my lips still burned, and my mind wouldn’t stop replaying the way his hands had gripped my waist, the heat of his breath on my skin, the low, dangerous drop in his voice right before his mouth met mine.

Damn it.

I threw myself on the bed and pressed my palms over my eyes, but sleep? Impossible. The night dragged on, each hour heavier than the last, torturing me with thoughts I couldn’t silence.

His touch. His stare. The secrets coiled beneath the surface.

Was I falling for him?

Or worse… was this all part of the trap?