Semua Bab MARKED BY THE VAMPIRE PRINCE : Bab 21 - Bab 26

Aritzea POVIt had been two weeks since that night.Lucian hadn’t brought it up again. He didn’t mention the cold shower, the snapped words, or the sharp silence that settled between us after. He didn’t apologize again. I didn’t ask him to, I wasn't really angry or mad at anything.We just… moved past it. Or tried to.Sort of.We still spoke, of course—about work. About the case. About the new bodies popping up randomly and the leads we were finding. But everything else? It was clipped. Bare-boned. Quiet.No more dry teasing over breakfast. No more eye-roll-worthy comments about my temper. No more of that ridiculous smirk he always wore when he knew he was getting under my skin.And weirdly, I missed it.Which is exactly why I decided to keep my distance.The banter had made me feel something. Comfortable, maybe. Familiar. Like we were... close. And I couldn’t afford to feel that way. Not with him. Not with a vampire. Not when I still didn’t know which side of the line Lucian would f

Aritzea’s POVRejecting Lucian offer to be his plus one to the gala didn't bother me at all. It wasn't like I was loosing sleep or feeling overwhelming guilt over it.No, not at all.However, now standing in front of the mirror, tightening the last button on my jacket, it didn’t feel so smart anymore.I stared at my reflection critically — black tailored blazer cinched at the waist, slim trousers pressed so sharply they could probably cut someone, black button-up shirt tucked in clean and perfect.My hair was pulled into a sleek bun at the back of my head, a few wisps framing my face just enough to look effortless, not messy. Minimal jewelry. No nonsense.I looked like I could strangle someone with a silk tie and not wrinkle a single thread.Good. That was the goal.I smoothed my hands down my jacket but my brain... had other ideas.Because suddenly, all I could think about was Lucian. I could already picture it — him walking into the gala with ‘her’ clinging to his arm.I didn’t know

Aritzea POV If I had a coin for every time someone looked at Lucian like they wanted to eat him, I’d be richer than half the damn bastards in this room.And that was saying something.I leaned against the pillar, arms folded, pretending to look like any other perfectly bored bodyguard—but my gaze never strayed far from him. Lucian moved through the crowd like a wolf in a ballroom of sheep, equal parts disinterest and magnetism, oblivious to the way people stared like he was the second coming of something sinful.He wore black, of course. Not just any black. The kind of black that swallowed light and gave it nothing back. Tailored within an inch of its life, cut sharp across his broad shoulders and tapered to his lean but powerful frame like sin personified.The silver buttons at the cuffs gleamed whenever he moved, and his dark hair had been slicked back, a few dark strands falling rebelliously over his forehead, leaving his sharp jaw on full display.Naturally, the entire room was