His Touch, Her Ruin のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

**Amelia’s POV**Every breath came out shaky and shallow. The cold concrete under me was freezing. The metal cuffs on my wrists saw my skin raw from friction. I could feel pain from every part of my body for resting in one position. I was unsure of how long I had been here. Hours, maybe days, but time passed differently in a location like this. Once again the bulb above me flickered.I flinched.The silence I felt here wasn’t peace. It was a trap, anything coiled just prepared to snap.Then I heard it.Footsteps.Calm, deliberate, heavy with intention.The door creaked open and the man from the garden entered. The one with the rough scar over his cheek like it had been carved into him to show ownership. Or a warning.Silently closing the door, as though he did not wish to awaken the dead.“Well, princess,” he murmured, his voice languid and cruel, “you caused quite the stir.” That too has proven my point to be accurate. You are quite different from the others.”I kept silence.“You kn

**Amelia's POV**Though Nico has vanished before dawn, his pillow still had his body's warmth. And as usual. He is always vanishing before I could name whatever was between us.His cologne persisted on the sheets. God, how pitiful was it that I buried my head in them for a moment too long?I sat.What went on last night. Those things. Him saving me, the terror in his voice when he held me, the manner he carried me like glass and fury intertwined. Were not nothing.They could not be.And yet, I was still here.Confused.Between possessing and protecting, between being his weapon and being his flaw, floating somewhere.Then I heard a knock at the door. It was sharp. Clinical.Opening the door.Three women stormed in like thunder. Clad in tailored in black. Hair pulled back so tightly it gave their cheekbones cut worthy sharp appearance."Good morning Miss Romano," the lead one said, already glancing at me. Mr. Valente has arranged your styling. Tonight you will be at a gathering. Gather

**Amelia's POV**The ballroom gleamed like a deception, golden chandeliers dangling like crystal daggers, silk and poison-dressed humans with too sharp smiles and too flawless words.But what startled me was not the lights or the murmurs.It was the guy in front of me.Nico.He stood motionless, his dark suit crisp, his head somewhat turned, gazing at me with that silent storm behind his eyes. Couples danced in fluid, practiced motions around us, circles like predatory clothed in grace.His voice drew me from the swirl."Dance with me."I squinted. “Here? Now?”He did not repeat himself.He stretch his hand, palm open.For a second, I stopped. From the odd rush in my chest, not from terror. Like getting inside of something permanent.My hand fell onto his.My heart raced as soon as our skin made contact.He did not smile. But His fingers clamped tightly around mine. He drew me towards the center of the floor. The crows gave way. From instinct rather than politeness. Nobody obstructed

A gentle warmth licked across the bed as sunlight poured in through the half-drawn curtains. The sheets had a faint scent of something darker, cedar, and fresh linen. Storm and smoke.And him.Nico.My eyes sprung open.There was no one on his side of the bed.The memory struck like a slap. My body stopped still under the blanket.The dance.The alcohol.The bathroom.The vomit.Oh. Lord.What have I do?I grabbed a pillow and covered my face, groaning. At this point, perhaps suffocation seemed to be the better choice.A gentle knock came at the door just as I was thinking about never showing my face again.With a gentle smile, Maria peeked her head in. "You're awake, cara mia." Good Morning."I mumbled through the pillow, “Good morning maria. Where’s Nico?”She answered, "He left early this morning for a meeting.He said he'd be gone most of the day,"I let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I mean… okay. Thanks, Maria.Maria laughed knowingly, but she said nothing.After she left, I dragg

**Nico's POV**I stood there, in silent.Though the door snapped behind her, the echo remained. For a long time, my fist closed and chest tight, I sat staring at the wall. Weak and enraged, Amelia exited as though I were the enemy. Perhaps I was. But still, it did not change the justification behind my concealment of the truth.She saw me as a cruel human.She had no idea that cruelty was the sole armor I had remaining.I stood with a hand across my hair. She doesn't understand yet. What Valerio is capable of. What the truth about her past could do to her.Damn it, running my hand through my hair."I did not want to lose her.""Not to the actual truth. Not to him." I murmured.Hours after I watched the security footage, I simply wanted to check if she arrived back to her room safely.And yes she did.But, the guilt did not disappear. Nor does it reduce.Too many fires to extinguish. Too many dangers crawling near. But by the morning I was gone. I made sure she would not be by herself.