Все главы A TASTE OF SIN: Глава 71 - Глава 80

The grand hall of the Eclipse Spire buzzed with low voices and shifting shadows. Over two hundred members of the Veilwardens waited in tense silence—mages, hunters, and shadow-touched warriors—all expecting answers from the woman who had once been their unbreakable leader. I couldn’t face them. Not yet.I locked myself in the marble bathroom on the upper balcony, hands trembling as I splashed icy water over my face. The droplets ran like silver threads down my neck, but they did nothing to cool the panic burning through my veins. My reflection in the antique mirror looked haunted: violet eyes too wide, silver hair plastered to damp skin, the faint glow of my latent magic flickering erratically beneath my collarbones.A sharp knock rattled the door.I glared at the polished oak. “Go away.”Metal scraped as the lock disengaged. The door swung open, and Darius stepped inside, tall and imposing in his black tactical coat, the silver runes along his sleeves shimmering. His storm-gray eyes

"Belong to you as a mistress, starting from now?", I asked with my eyes wide open.Vladimir’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it sharpened. "Yes," he said calmly, like it was the most reasonable demand in the world. "Your body, your loyalty, your silence. All mine."I swallowed hard, trying to steady the shaking in my limbs. "That wasn’t part of the deal.""It is now," he replied smoothly. "You came to me desperate. Desperation has a price.""And yes you came here knowing what kind of man I am. Don’t act surprised now that I’m not playing the gentleman.”I stood slowly, my chair scraping softly against the marble. “And if I say no?”, I murmured softly.He took a step closer. “Then you walk out of here alone. Straight back into Liam Hartford’s gilded cage. You’ll marry a man who will destroy you from the inside out while your best friend whispers poison in his ear. You came to me for a reason, sweetheart. Don’t pretend you still believe in rescue.”The silence between us stretch

I parked my car in an open-air parking lot in front of the Hartford family company. It was a 70-story office tower that loomed over the city like a steel giant, its mirrored glass windows gleaming under the morning sun. The building stood as a monument to wealth and ambition, humming with silent power. The Hartford family was involved in a wide range of businesses, legitimate ones showcased in headlines and boardrooms, and gray ones whispered about behind closed doors. There are hundreds of people working in the building. People come in and out every day, dressed in expensive suits and polished shoes, their expressions fixed in neutral masks. Everyone has their own desk, their own space, their own importance.Except me.When Tessa first introduced me to Liam, he showed me around his company. We walked those polished marble floors together, his hand on the small of my back as he led me through corridors lined with glass offices and bustling departments. On the surface, he wanted me to

Vladimir drove me to the beach, the car’s engine humming softly as it traced the winding road through the remote coastline. The beach here was so isolated and untouched that few people ever passed by, making it feel like a secret world just for us. We stepped onto the soft sand, cool beneath our feet as the sun began its slow descent toward the western horizon. The orange sunlight spilled across the sea’s surface, mingling with the gentle waves, creating a shimmering dance like a thin veil of gold gauze fluttering in the breeze.We walked side by side in silence, the only sounds the rhythmic crashing of the waves and the faint whisper of the sea breeze. Our footsteps left parallel imprints on the soft sand as we strolled slowly, like a real couple enjoying a quiet moment together. Suddenly, without warning, Vladimir slid his arm around my waist from behind, pulling me gently to a stop. The warmth of his touch was immediate and intimate.He turned toward me, his green eyes locking onto

Vladimir drove the car to the address I gave him. He seemed to know the city well because he drove near my home without even using GPS. My old home, to be exact.Through the window, I could see the pitch-black asphalt road stretching out endlessly, the surface gleaming faintly under the sparse streetlights. Tall trees lined the road on either side, their branches swaying and creaking softly in the chill night wind. The darkness pressed in around me like a weight, broken only by the occasional flicker of distant lights and the rhythmic hum of the tires on the road. The sign in front of me became clearer and clearer. I looked up and saw the words — Green Manor.Green was my family name, and I knew that my home was not far away. The sight sent a sudden cold wave coursing through me; my skin prickled, and I felt an odd queasiness twist deep in my stomach. Old memories lurked just beneath the surface, waiting to rise. When the fear returned, sharp and unbidden, I told Vladimir to stop the