Her Pov:He walks away, expecting me to trail after himābut I donāt move. His game, his rules? Not anymore. He can keep thinking heās in control, but Iām done playing along. This time, Iām setting the rulesāand he wonāt see me coming.I returned to the hall, my heels echoing against the marble floor as I made my way back to the barāthe same place I stood before everything started to unravel.I order a drink, not because I need it, but because I need something to ground me. Something to keep my hands busy as I turn around and lean against the counter, my eyes sweeping over the room.The atmosphere is thickāoppressive, electric. Power hums through the air like a storm waiting to break. The people here aren't just rich or well-dressedāthey're dangerous. You can see it in their posture, feel it in their eyes.Every single one of them is the kind of person you donāt look at twice if you want to keep breathing. Their presence doesnāt just command respectāit demands fear. You donāt even nee
Her Pov:The air in the room is thick with tension, a current I canāt escape, not even as I push through the sea of bodies in pursuit of Edward. The music pounds in my ears, the bass matching the erratic rhythm of my heartbeat. I barely register the murmured conversations and clinking of glasses around me; my focus is locked onto his broad frame as he weaves effortlessly through the crowd.He knows Iām following him. And heās letting me.My heels click against the marble floor, my strides long and determined, but no matter how much I quicken my pace, he stays just out of reachātaunting me, luring me deeper into his game.Bastard.The moment he turns down a dimly lit corridor, my patience snaps. I quicken my pace, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. The moment I round the corner, I find him thereāwaiting. His back is against the wall, hands tucked into the pockets of his suit, one leg lazily crossed over the other. The golden glow of the sconces lining the corridor casts shadows
Her Pov:The world around us blurs into nothing. The music, the murmuring voices, and the glint of chandeliers overhead-all of it fades. There is only Edward, his hold on me suffocating, his presence an unshakable force.I should pull away. I should demand answers and force him to explain the weight behind his words. But I don't. Because deep down, beneath all my resistance, I know the truth.He is dangerous.And worse-I am drawn to it.Edward's fingers skim along the curve of my back, his touch featherlight yet commanding. He tilts his head, his stormy gaze burning into mine, daring me to look away first. But I won't. I refuse to.Instead, I square my shoulders and meet his challenge head-on. "What happens when I stop being relevant?"A slow, knowing smile curves his lips, but there is no warmth in it. Only a promise-a warning. "You won't."The certainty in his voice sends a shiver down my spine, but I swallow it down. He speaks as if my fate is already sealed, as if I am an inevitab
Her Pov:Alina....His past? His love? Then why am I here?If I were just a pawn, he couldāve erased me. Instead, he kept me.My eyes cut to the devil beside me.What does he want?The weight of the unspoken question lingered between us like a ghost, suffocating and unseen. My mind swirled with possibilities, and none of them settled well in my stomach.Edwardās grip on my waist tightened further, fingers pressing into my flesh as though reminding me who I belonged toāor who owned me. I wasnāt sure which was more accurate.Before I could collect my thoughts, another voiceādeep, rich, and tinged with something almost melodicācut through the thick tension.āWell, this is a surprise.āThe conversation shifted as a man stepped forward, emerging from the shadows of the gathering.He was tall, lean yet powerful, with sharp features carved in a way that seemed both regal and dangerous. Midnight-black hair fell carelessly over his forehead, a striking contrast to the ice-blue eyes that settle
Her Pov: I bite my lips as I almost feel my anger pouring out as he pulls out his fingers just before my release, leaving me in distress and restlessness. I look at him, shooting daggers to him, but that only widens the smirk on his face. And I might have to be sick in the head to find him fascinating at the moment as a little light from outside falls on his face. His dark hair styled in a beautiful way as a hair strand fell loose on his piercing grey eyes, the same grey eyes that were so deep..The little light created a shadow on his face making his cheekbones higher and sharper and his neatly trimmed jaw appear sharper than a fucking machatte. So alluring with his enchanting scent of wildflowers.... No... No... What the fuck am I thinking? It .. It has to be the hormones that this bastard left unsatisfied.. Yeah, it has to be it.. I can't be that desperate to find him appealing. Just as I managed to tear my gaze away from him, the car jerked to a sudden halt, sending me forward.
His Pov:I wait at the downstairs as I didn't have the courage to go upstairs. I still couldn't forget the way she cut the call off on me or the way she talked with me. She needs to be tamed, and I fear I would do in right there and then without caring about the party if I am in the room with her.The party is important for both of us. Pathan threw the party for us, not because he's happy with us being a couple, but because he's upset, to be precise, he hates that I married her. A girl with no family background, especially with no Russian roots. It took me years to win their trust and to be the third highest most powerful member of the Bratva even after my dad being one of them.It's not that I didn't know how pathan would react. But I simply just didn't care. All I cared about was making her mine. Claiming Liana as mine, even if that meant putting everything at stake for her. All the efforts of the past 10 to 12 years. I still need the bratva, so I do need to play my role carefully.