Semua Bab The Devil's favorite : Bab 11 - Bab 20

The night felt unusually calm around the Moretti mansion. A thin mist rolled over the gardens, softening the edges of the marble fountains and making the roses gleam like wet glass. Aria leaned against the veranda railing, watching the guards change shifts below. The faint hum of engines from the distant city was the only reminder that danger still lived somewhere beyond the gates.Enzo’s voice drifted from the corridor behind her. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, Miss Russo.”Aria smiled faintly. “You’ve said that three times tonight.”“And I’ll keep saying it until you listen.” His tone carried a mixture of duty and quiet concern.She turned toward him. “I’m just going to the chapel down the road. Ivy asked me to drop the flowers before midnight.”Enzo frowned. “Lucian won’t like it.”“He won’t even notice,” she replied, trying to sound casual though her pulse jumped. The mansion walls were closing in on her lately—too much silence, too many eyes. “I’ll be quick.”Enzo hesitated. “

The storm had been building all evening, rattling the grand windows of the Moretti mansion. Lightning split the sky above New York, illuminating the city in jagged bursts of silver. Rain pelted the rooftops like bullets, echoing the violence that had already touched Aria’s life. Inside the mansion, the air was thick with tension. Every shadow seemed alive, every whisper of wind a warning of the chaos outside and the storm within.Aria stood near the tall bay window in the sitting room, her fingers brushing the cold glass. The flickering light of the fireplace painted her face with both warmth and shadow, highlighting the storm in her eyes. Memories of last night’s attack surged through her mind, the gunfire, the men falling under Lucian’s wrath, the way he moved like death itself incarnate. His hands were never gentle, never tender, yet he had fought to protect her. Blood stained his sleeves, but it was not his own, and somehow, that made it worse.The weight of fear and fascination p

The mansion felt unusually quiet that afternoon, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath. Aria moved through the corridors, carrying a tray of tea, but her mind was elsewhere. Lucian had barely spoken since breakfast, his attention drifting between business reports and the way she moved in his presence. He was distracted, and she could see it in the subtle lines of his face, the sharpness in his eyes slightly dulled, replaced by a tension that was unfamiliar to those who knew him.She had caught him staring more than once, the intensity of his gaze so heavy it made her skin crawl with awareness. It was not fear entirely. It was something more. Something dangerous and magnetic. She found herself stealing glances at him too, though she tried to hide it. Every time their eyes met, a jolt shot through her chest. She hated the effect he had on her and yet could not pull away.Matteo appeared in the doorway of the sitting room, leaning casually against the frame, arms cross

The mansion was unusually quiet that night. A heavy silence pressed against the walls, making every footstep echo like a warning. Aria had just finished organizing some documents in the study when a sudden movement in the hallway caught her attention. At first, she thought it was Matteo checking the security feeds—but the figure was too tall, too imposing.Lucian.He moved with that familiar, predatory grace, a storm barely contained beneath the surface. Aria’s heart, which had grown accustomed to his controlled presence, suddenly skipped. But what she saw next froze her blood.Lucian was standing over one of his men—someone she recognized from the security detail. The man’s face was pale, eyes wide with fear, and his hands shook as he clutched a folder of sensitive documents. Lucian’s voice, low and sharp, sliced through the quiet like a blade.“You betrayed me. After everything I’ve done for you?”The man stammered, trying to explain, but Lucian’s hand shot out, gripping the folder

Lucian stood in the center of his office, his posture tense and unreadable, studying Aria with eyes that held both fire and calculation. She had avoided him since the incident with the traitor, her heart bruised from the harsh words they exchanged. She was ready to slip away again when he spoke with quiet authority.You will accompany me tonight.Aria blinked, stunned. She expected distance. Silence. Anything but this.A party. He added, closing the file in his hand. You stay beside me. You do not leave my sight.She hesitated. After everything that happened, the thought of facing crowds made her chest tighten. But there was something in his voice. Not a request. Not a demand. Something else. Perhaps safety. Perhaps ownership. Perhaps both.I do not know what to wear. Aria murmured.Lucian snapped his fingers once and Matteo appeared in the doorway.Bring it in.Two women from the styling team stepped forward carrying a long black bag. They unzipped it to reveal a gown the color of ri