The evening sky over the Verden estate was a palette of deep purples and soft oranges, the fading light stretching shadows across the manicured gardens. Liana moved carefully through the winding paths, every sense alert, every heartbeat pounding with tension. She could feel the weight of Darius' schemes pressing down on her, the invisible eyes of her parents watching, the estate itself seeming to hold its breath.
Eren was already waiting near the fountain, kneeling among the roses as though tending them could somehow protect them from the storm. His dark eyes flicked to her, a quiet question in their depths, and she felt a shiver of both fear and longing.
"I shouldn't have come," she whispered, though she stepped closer, drawn to him despite the danger.
"You did the right thing," Eren murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Every stolen moment… every heartbeat… is ours. No one can take that away, not even him."
Before she could reply, the faint crunch of footsteps on gravel sent a shock of fear through her. Darius had arrived again, moving with deliberate elegance, his eyes sharp and calculating.
"Miss Liana," he said smoothly, his voice like silk hiding steel, "I wondered if I might find you here… alone… or perhaps not entirely alone?"
Liana pressed herself closer to Eren, hands trembling. "I… I was just walking," she said carefully, trying to sound calm.
"And you, sir?" Darius asked, turning to Eren with a faintly dangerous smile. "Tending the flowers… or tending… something else?"
Eren remained composed, though the tension in his posture was taut. "I am performing my duties," he said evenly, hiding the protective fire burning within him.
Darius circled them slowly, his gaze sweeping over them, savoring the tension like a predator. "Attachments like yours… they cannot remain hidden forever. Fascinating, though… how boldly you dare defy the world."
---
Liana felt her chest tighten. Fear, excitement, and longing collided inside her. She leaned subtly into Eren, seeking comfort and protection, feeling the warmth of his presence against her trembling body.
"You remain calm," Eren whispered, placing a firm hand over hers. "Every heartbeat matters. Trust me. We will not be discovered if we remain steady."
Darius' eyes narrowed as he moved closer. The air seemed to thrum with danger, every rustle of leaves, every distant footstep magnified in Liana's senses. He paused near the fountain, voice low but sharp.
"You cannot hide from me," he murmured. "Secrets are fragile. And yet… your attachment is undeniable."
Liana's breath caught. She felt the danger like electricity in the air, yet at the same time, the closeness to Eren, the brush of his fingers against hers, sent warmth and courage through her.
"You are safe… for now," Eren whispered, his arms subtly closing around her, grounding her amidst the storm of tension.
---
The shadows lengthened, and Darius began to retreat slowly, his gaze never leaving them. But even as he disappeared, Liana's heart continued to race. She pressed her face against Eren's chest, feeling his steady heartbeat, and whispered, "I… I don't know how much longer I can endure this. The fear, the secrecy, the danger… it's relentless."
Eren's arms tightened around her, holding her close. "As long as we have each other, we endure. Fear walks alongside love, but love… our love… is stronger than any fear. No one can touch that, Liana. Not your parents, not Darius, not the world itself."
Her chest swelled with a mixture of terror, longing, and fierce determination. No matter the traps, no matter the schemes, no matter the pressures, she would not abandon him. She would fight, hidden in the shadows if she must, but their love… their forbidden, impossible, unblessed love… would survive.
They stood together in silence, the roses around them glowing faintly in the fading light, their hearts beating in quiet rebellion against a world that refused to bless them. In that stolen moment, amid shadows and danger, they shared a connection more powerful than fear itself, a bond that no trap, no scheming, no force could sever.
---
As night descended, Liana finally whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of relief and longing, "We will endure this… together?"
"Always," Eren replied, dark eyes holding hers with a fierce intensity. "No matter the danger, no matter the world, no matter the darkness… we endure. Together. Forever."
And as the moon rose over the estate, casting silvery light across the garden, Liana realized that even in a world that would never bless their love, they had found something stronger—something unshakable, undeniable, and eternal.
A love forbidden… yet invincible.