Aria couldn't sit still. Every shadow in the vast mansion seemed to move, every creak whispered secrets she didn't want to hear. The storm had not let up, and neither had her racing thoughts. How could a single night change everything?
She had survived the streets, the rain, the fear—but she had not survived him.
A soft click echoed through the hallway. Her pulse jumped. Luciano. Of course.
"You're wandering," he said from the doorway, arms crossed, voice calm but carrying that dangerous edge that made her shiver.
"I… I was just—" she began, but he cut her off with a raised hand.
"You were testing me," he stated, walking closer. Each step was measured, deliberate, like a predator stalking prey. His dark eyes never left hers.
"I wasn't—" she tried again, but her voice faltered.
"Don't lie to me, Aria," he said, his tone low, commanding, almost intimate. "I can see everything in you—fear, defiance, even desire. Don't make me punish you for honesty."
Her stomach dropped. Desire? Her mind screamed no, but her body… disagreed. Every inch of her wanted to recoil, but the heat in his gaze pinned her in place.
He circled her slowly, letting the tension build. "You're clever. Stubborn. Dangerous in ways you don't even understand. And yet… I can't stop thinking about you."
Aria stepped back, heart pounding. "Stop. You don't… you don't know me."
"I know enough," he said, his voice almost a whisper now. "Enough to want you. Enough to fear losing you. You are mine, Aria."
The words hit her like a physical blow. Mine. The possessiveness, the intensity—it terrified her, yet stirred something she didn't want to feel.
She backed into the wall. "I will never be yours," she said, voice shaking but defiant.
Luciano smiled faintly, a predator enjoying the thrill of the chase. "We shall see."
He leaned close, just inches from her face, his breath warm against her cheek. "One touch," he murmured, "and you'll know there's no escaping me."
Aria swallowed hard, heart racing. She wanted to turn, to run, to scream—but her legs refused. Something in her resisted, but something else… wanted him.
Before she could react further, a loud crash from the kitchen broke the moment. Both of them spun toward the sound.
Luciano's expression darkened. "Stay here," he ordered, his voice ice.
Aria froze, watching as he disappeared down the hallway, moving like a shadow. She had no choice but to stay, alone, trembling in a room that suddenly felt smaller, suffocating.
Her mind was a storm of fear, confusion, and a forbidden thrill she refused to admit. He's dangerous. I can't trust him. I shouldn't feel this way.
And yet… she did.
Outside, the storm raged, but inside, something far more dangerous had begun. The hunt, the obsession, the twisted attraction—the game had only just begun.
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