جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

The carriage ride was silent, save for the rhythmic clatter of hooves against cobblestones and the distant, fading screams from the cathedral. I sat rigidly on the velvet seat, my hands trembling in my lap. Kaelen sat opposite me, his long legs stretched out, occupying most of the space. He had removed his gloves, revealing large, calloused hands that rested casually on his knees. There was still a speck of dried blood on his cheekbone, a stark red contrast against his pale skin.He watched me. He didn’t blink. He didn’t look away. His gaze was heavy, tangible, like a physical weight pressing against my chest."Stop shaking," he said finally. His voice was calm, devoid of the violence that had just erupted in the church. It was as if killing a man was as mundane to him as swatting a fly."I am not shaking," I lied, though my teeth chattered softly. "I am cold."Kaelen’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smirk. He leaned forward, the movement sudden and predatory. Before I could reco

Morning light filtered through the iron bars, casting prison-like shadows across the blue silk wallpaper. I had slept fitfully, waking every hour to check the door, half-expecting Kaelen to be standing there watching me. But the room was empty.A knock came at dawn. Not a servant’s timid tap, but a firm, authoritative rap.The lock clicked. The door swung open.Kaelen stood there, dressed in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing forearms corded with muscle and scars. He held a tray with a single cup of black coffee and a piece of toast. He didn’t enter. He just waited."Good morning, Elara," he said, his voice smooth as velvet. "Did you sleep well?"I sat up, pulling the sheets around me like armor. "What do you want?""To remind you of the rules." He stepped into the room, placing the tray on the bedside table. The smell of strong coffee filled the air. "Rule number one: You do not speak unless spoken to. Yesterday, you failed."My jaw tightened. "I

The storm broke over the estate that night, mirroring the turmoil in my chest. Thunder rattled the windowpanes, and rain lashed against the glass like frantic fingers trying to get in.I had spent the day in a haze of quiet rebellion. I refused to eat the dinner Kaelen sent up. I refused to read the books he left on my desk. I sat by the window, watching the lightning tear through the sky, plotting. Not an escape—I knew that was impossible for now—but a way to make him feel something other than control. I wanted to see him crack.The door opened without a knock.Kaelen stepped in, bringing the scent of rain and ozone with him. He was soaked, his white shirt clinging to his broad chest, translucent enough to reveal the dark hair beneath and the hard lines of his muscles. His hair was damp, falling into his eyes, making him look wild, untamed.He didn’t speak. He just locked the door behind him and turned to face me."You didn’t eat," he said. His voice was low, dangerous."I’m not hung

That night, the air in the estate was thick with tension.Kaelen had summoned me to his study after dinner. I walked in, my heart pounding. He was sitting by the fire, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The flames danced in his eyes, making them look like molten gold."Close the door," he said.I did. The click of the latch sounded like a gunshot."Come here," he commanded.I walked toward him, my steps slow. I stopped a few feet away."Closer."I took another step. Then another. Until I was standing between his knees.He set the glass down and looked up at me. "You did well today, Elara. You didn’t cry. You didn’t beg. You accepted your reality.""I didn’t have a choice," I said bitterly."There is always a choice," he corrected. "You chose to stay silent. You chose to let me protect you. That is a start."He reached out, taking my hand. His fingers intertwined with mine, warm and strong."But we have unfinished business," he said softly.My breath hitched. "What do you mean?""Last nig

The kiss lingered, a ghost of salt and sorrow on my lips. When Kaelen finally pulled away, he didn’t step back. He kept his forehead pressed against mine, his breathing ragged, as if the act of vulnerability had physically exhausted him. His hand remained cupped around my cheek, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw with a tenderness that felt alien coming from a man who wore violence like a second skin.For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The silence in the library was no longer heavy with threat; it was fragile, suspended in the air like glass about to shatter. I could feel the rapid thud of his heart against my palm, still resting on his bare chest. It wasn’t the steady, predatory rhythm of the Duke. It was the frantic beat of a boy who had just shown his wounds to the world and waited for the blow."You should put your shirt on," I whispered, my voice trembling. Not out of fear this time, but out of a confusing surge of protectiveness.Kaelen blinked, the haze in his eyes clear