Chapter 4

After changing into an oversized shirt and a pair of lounge shorts, I lingered in front of the vanity mirror for a few extra minutes, making sure there were no leftover traces of tears in my eyes. I took a deep breath, forcing my expression into something resembling composure, before making my way back downstairs to the dining room.

When I arrived, all three of them were already seated. Lion sat at the head of the grand table, while Jewell occupied the chair to his right, attentively plating food for him. Damon sat on the opposite side, casually tapping the empty seat beside him—the only vacant spot remaining, positioned directly across from Jewell and right at Lion’s side.

“Take a seat over here, baby girl,” Damon invited, pulling out the heavy wooden chair for me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled softly, taking the seat.

“I hope you like lasagna, Snow,” Jewell spoke up with a warm smile as she served a portion onto my plate. “I tried asking Lion about your favorite dishes, but he mentioned you prefer sweets, so I baked some chocolate chip cookies for dessert as well.”

My gaze involuntarily shifted toward Lion. He was staring blankly down at his plate, holding his silver fork, completely indifferent to the chatter around him. Yet, the heavy, suffocating weight of his aura radiated across the table.

“That’s just how Lion is,Jewell. Quiet on the outside, but he knows a whole lot about Snow,” Damon interjected, throwing a subtle wink in my direction. “Honestly, you should be careful around him. He might just know what Snow likes doing late at night far better than you do.”

Jewell let out a soft, surprised cough at Damon’s suggestive joke, while I nearly choked on my own breath.

“Damon,” Lion warned, his deep, baritone voice dropping an octave lower. He didn't bother looking up at any of us, but the lethal edge in his tone was impossible to miss. “Just eat.”

“I’m just kidding, bro. Don't take everything so seriously,” Damon chuckled lightly, taking a slow sip from his crystal glass of water. But even as he laughed, I felt the smooth leather of his dress shoe slide beneath the table—daringly grazing against my bare calf.

I immediately yanked my legs back, my head snapping up to glare at Damon. But he merely stared ahead at Lion with a picture-perfect expression of innocence, as if he hadn't just touched me under the table.

My mind raced. What the hell was going on? Why did Lion feel so distant, so unattainable right now? Was it purely because Jewell was present? Or was he frantically trying to hide the unspoken shift between us ever since I became a woman?

“Snow, are you alright? You haven't touched your food yet,” Jewell asked, a genuine note of concern lacing her sweet voice.

“Ah... yes, I’m fine. Just a little exhausted from school,” I forced a polite smile, finally picking up my fork to take a small bite.

As dinner dragged on, the conversation flowed effortlessly between Jewell and Damon. Jewell gushed animatedly about her upcoming vacation plans with Lion and how attentively he treated her at the corporate office. Every sweet, domestic detail spilling from her lips felt like a jagged blade slowly carving into my chest.

In the middle of her story, a sudden, searing gaze burned into my skin. I raised my eyes from my plate, only for my vision to collide directly with Lion’s dark, smoldering gaze. His face was an unreadable mask, but beneath the warm glow of the chandelier overhead, I caught the intense darkening of his eyes as his gaze fixated entirely on my mouth—specifically on a tiny smudge of red sauce clinging to my bottom lip. His jaw clenched tightly. Slowly, deliberately, he reached for the linen napkin beside his plate, forcing his gaze away from me as his knuckles turned white around the fabric.

“Excuse me. I’ll be back,” Lion abruptly announced, pushing his chair back and standing up before he had even touched half of his meal.

“Where are you going, babe?” Jewell asked in confusion.

“Pantry. Getting something to drink,” he answered coldly, turning on his heel and walking straight toward the kitchen without another word.

Silence settled over the table in his wake. Jewell quickly resumed chatting with Damon, but I couldn't hear a single word anymore. My entire focus, my racing heart, and my chaotic mind were completely glued to the dark corridor leading to the kitchen... and to the man who had just disappeared into it.