All Chapters of Love's eternal blaze : Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

Adele sat nervously in the passenger seat of the sleek black car, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat as Lucian’s hands gripped the steering wheel. She stole another glance at him, trying to make her movements appear casual. His white shirt, pristine and neatly rolled up to his elbows, revealed veiny, tan forearms adorned with intricate tattoos that seemed to tell stories she’d never be privy to. A hint of another tattoo peeked out from where three of his upper buttons were undone, just above the firm plane of his chest. His dark, inky hair kept falling forward in soft waves, framing his sharply curved features with an almost artistic perfection. The faint scent of his cologne, musky and rich, lingered in the confined space of the car, distracting her in a way she didn’t care to admit.The silence between them felt like a living thing, oppressive and heavy. Adele’s gaze wandered out the window, trying to fixate on the blur of trees and buildings they sped past, but her attention

After dinner, Adele lay down in her room, her eyes fixed on the glittering chandelier above her bed. The silver crystals twinkled as it caught the faint light, scattering it in soft, mesmerizing patterns across the walls and ceiling. For the first time in a long while, she felt at ease, a rare comfort she hadn't known in years. She let her thoughts wander, drifting to her foster parents and the disaster of a marriage they'd tried to force upon her. The catastrophe that almost happened. She shuddered at the memory but quickly pushed it away, focusing instead on the tranquility of the moment.Her body sank deeper into the plush mattress, and she exhaled a long, slow breath. The weight of the day pulled at her, and her eyelids grew heavy. She didn’t realize when her brain shut down as she finally succumbed to sleep, her long lashes brushing against her cheeks as her breathing steadied into a soft rhythm.The following morning, Adele was startled awake by a knock at her door. Mrs. Owens e

Adele rushed into her room and closed the door behind her with a thud, leaning against it as if the solid wood could shield her from the whirlwind of emotions stirring inside her. She couldn’t comprehend how she’d managed to walk back here because her legs seemed to have developed a mind of their own, propelling her forward while her mind remained fixated on the encounter with Lucian. Her fingers trembled slightly as she brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, and without even realizing it, she made her way to the bed. Sitting on its edge, she sank into the mattress as if its softness could absorb the tension in her body.Her thoughts were a chaotic mess. The ghost of Lucian’s grip lingered on her arm, the memory of his touch sending a confusing shiver down her spine. His eyes, those gray, penetrating eyes, had briefly flashed with something she couldn’t quite name, something raw and dangerous, before his expression had turned playful. That moment replayed in her mind again and ag