BRIELLE’S POVBrielle could hear the sturdy footsteps of Lord Darius as he moved down the passage, coming to his room, of course, but she didn't move at all.She lay stiff on the bed, not making a sound and faking a sleep that didn’t want to come.Her mind racing in circles, she reflected on what she had just witnessed a few minutes before.Lord Darius and Madeline... Her heart was constricting again as she recalled Lord Darius smiling at the traitor, and she bit back the hiss threatening to burst out from her lips.What had they talked about? She was more than intrigued, wanting to know if Lord Darius was having affairs with the cunning lady and other submissives.Repressing the stinging tears that burned at the back of her eyelids, Brielle knew that crying over a man who had complete freedom to do whatever he wanted would be ridiculous.He was not loyal to her, and he had never promised to be, so why was she overthinking this? Why was she even bothered? He’d been this way even befor
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle reached for the large book at her nightstand, which she had been reading for a few days to keep herself occupied in this deserted mansion.Smiling as she flipped over to where she had left off, Brielle plopped up on the bed, eager to get lost in the fictional romantic narrative.She had just taken her bath and dressed in one of the garments Lord Darius had explicitly chosen for her, and she had planned to keep herself occupied until he returned from wherever he had gone earlier today.She did this daily—Eat, bathe, sleep, and read books. The schedule was the same every time.She was considerably feeling much better now, but Lord Darius still treated her as if she were some frail being, and he kept her at arm's length, refusing to have intercourse with her even when she had shyly requested it some days back.Recalling that fateful day, a blush crept up her cheeks, but she wasn’t ashamed. If anything, she was glad she’d spoken up. At least he’d know that she still
DARIUS’S POVDarius gazed around the small romantic dinner he had made up earlier and even more so at the lovely lady who sat at his table.Brielle, as always, looked stunning and took his breath away.He had created this little fiesta in the garden with the help of his servants. With lights and candles lighting up everywhere and the scents of roses and lilies filling the air, the panorama in front of him was breathtaking. Also, the live music coming from the piano playing in the background helped to calm the breezy atmosphere. "Do you like it?" Darius inquired, clearing his throat and breaking the silence that seemed to have persisted since she arrived.“Like? I'm not sure why you did this, Master, but... I love it." She stammered, her beautiful rosebud lips extending into a faint smile.Fuck! She was a goddess! Darius thought to himself, his heart aching, and he so much wanted to grab her hands from across the table and shamelessly kiss those lovely fingers of hers.However, he h
MADELINE’S POVMadeline could hear their voices, hushed as they came from the garden where they were ostensibly dining.Tightening her hands, she kept telling herself that everything the maids had told her back at the mansion was a joke, but as she approached the garden, she could see, without a doubt, that the maid's gossips were true.Madeline didn't want to envision the scene in her brain, and even though one of the servants had given her a quick graphic description of what was allegedly going on over here, she didn't want to believe it.No matter how much Lord Darius pretended to appreciate Brielle, especially because she was his mate and had recently been through a terrible circumstance, he would never sink so low as to arrange a romantic dinner date for the both of them.'It's a stunning location. For this date, Lord Darius purchased silver-encrusted candles and freshly plucked roses.' One of the maids had whispered back at the corridor while Madeline listened earlier on.'The m
BRIELLE’S POVLord Darius didn't want to let her go, and she didn't want the kiss to end, too, so she said nothing and did nothing.She was having a good time, and it would be a shame to cut him off or take her lips away from his.Eyes fluttering open and shut as he kissed her lips, Brielle basked in this heady feeling.His hands were in her hair, lovingly caressing it, and his touch melted every worry in her heart.This man... He was toying with her heart and doing strange things to her insides."Oh, Brielle..." He sighed, his voice deep and sensual, and Brielle murmured in disappointment as he finally drew his lips away from hers."I think we have to finish our food, lady. If we keep going, I don't think I'll be able to stop, and we might end up fucking about like rabbits in the backyard. Would you like that?" Brielle's cheeks flushed brazenly as he asked the simple question, and her thighs clenched simultaneously. She couldn't even hide her embarrassment, and he laughed loudly, m
SOME DAYS LATER BRIELLE’S POVBrielle's eyes flashed awake as she tossed and turned violently on her bed, realizing she couldn't sleep.She was having difficulty falling asleep, and she had no idea why.Was it because her mind was preoccupied with Lord Darius, and she was wondering what he was doing at the time?'Brielle, you brought these unneeded thoughts on yourself.' The voice in her head chimed in, and rolling her eyes, Brielle brushed off the allegations.She had brought these rogue thoughts upon herself only because she had asked to return to her room a few days before. No, no…Brielle realized she couldn't stay in his room forever, and the sooner she left, the better for her because she'd be able to focus more on her duties here, as well as stop her heart from falling hard and fast for him.She'd lost track of how many days had passed since she'd made that request, and it was not because she was careless but because time seemed to move faster here.It had to be five or six da
DARIUS POVDarius's nerves were calmed the moment the piano's lovely tone filled the room.Furthermore, he couldn't believe Brielle was so skilled at tuning the keys on the piano board. He would not have believed it if someone had told him, but now he saw it with his own two eyes.Damn, he was in awe. When she’d told him that she knew how to tune the keys, he had looked at her in disbelief,Rolling his eyes, he’d waited for her to start tuning out some jargon, but she had surprised him. In a rather pleasant way, and to say he was taken aback would be an understatement. As he listened to her play, he was irrevocably stunned, and every shard of bitterness that clouded his heart earlier fell away.She was bringing back memories of Eve that he had kept hidden for so long, and even though the images of his long-lost lover muddled his thoughts, Darius couldn't focus at all. Hell, he couldn't bring himself to look away from Brielle because the scene in front of him was exquisite and entra
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle immediately closed her eyes when Lord Darius pressed his lips down on hers.Her lips parted as he extended the kiss, their mouths lapping one other softly, and she gasped again as their tongues touched in melodious harmony. She didn't dare pull away as he began to kiss her aggressively. No, she couldn’t move an inch. And this was because she enjoyed every minute and didn't want it to end.However, just as she began to lose herself in the sensation of Darius, he suddenly took his lips from hers, and Brielle let out a faint whimper, clearly unhappy with this gesture.He leaned forward, tenderly kissing her eyelashes, then her cheek. From there, he moved to her neck, his hands roaming her in a smooth caress. Brielle tried to hold the piano stand, wanting to steady herself.And Darius continued to kiss her neck, down to her chest, and then..."Master, what are you doing?" Brielle gasped, letting out another small scream as Lord Darius ripped her nightgown off rapid