I wasn't planning to be awake. I just wanted water. That's it. One glass. Maybe two.
But fate? It always has its twisted sense of humor.
As I walked into the dining room, half-asleep and shirtless, I noticed the faint blue glow on the table. A buzzing sound echoed softly in the silence.
Her phone.
"Aish… this girl," I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my messy hair. "She leaves it everywhere and then acts like the world's ending when she can't find it."
It wasn't even charged properly. Typical Adeline.
Tomorrow morning she'll be storming around the house like a hurricane yelling, "LUKAS! HAVE YOU SEEN MY PHONE? I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!"And then I'll have to calm her down with coffee and kisses before she drags me into her chaotic day.
But just as I reached for it, the screen lit up again—buzzing with another message.
Two texts. At this hour. 2:16 AM.My brows furrowed.
Curiosity? Maybe. Concern? Definitely.I picked up the phone.
Of course, I knew her password.
Her birthday. She thinks I don't remember, but that day is carved into me like a scar I never want to heal.
I unlocked it.
And I swear, I wish I hadn't.
Because the message that blinked on the screen in front of me?
Unknown Number:You think you're safe, princess? Cute. Try checking your brakes next time.
I froze.
And then another:
One wrong turn and you'll be the next memory everyone mourns.
My jaw clenched. My entire body went rigid.
I felt it—like a cold blade against my spine.This wasn't a joke. This wasn't empty bravado.
This was a threat. A calculated, timed message.And the fact that she didn't tell me—That she was trying to handle this alone again—That broke me.
I gripped the phone tighter, knuckles whitening.She probably didn't even see this yet. Or maybe she did and didn't want to "bother" me while I recovered.
God, this woman.
"Princess," I whispered to the empty room, looking toward the hallway where she slept, curled up like nothing in the world could touch her.
But something was trying to.
And now?
Now they'd touched me.
And the moment I find who sent that message—They'll wish they were never born.
This girl…She really thinks I only know her from the day she was five and saved my life—Or maybe from the day I was officially assigned as her bodyguard.
Nah, doll. Not even close.
You think that's when it all started?That I suddenly noticed you then?
Let me tell you something—
I knew you long before that.Not from childhood.Not from duty.
I knew you the moment you walked into that gala.
You didn't know who I was—Didn't care.Didn't try to impress anyone.
You stood there, wrapped in elegance, with that fire in your eyes that dared anyone to come too close.
And I watched.
I watched you laugh. I watched you command the room without saying a word.And right then, you became my obsession.
Not the mafia princess.Not the girl with guards and secrets.
You.
The one who had no idea that a man in the shadows had just found the reason to burn cities for.You were never supposed to be mine, but damn it—You've been mine since that night.
You just didn't know it yet.
Since that night at the gala… I've known you.Every blink, every smirk, every goddamn time you fake that you're fine.You think you're hiding things from me?Nice try, doll.
But next time?Come up with a better plan.Because I see everything.You might fool the world with that calm mask and perfect posture—But you forget... I've memorized your chaos.
And trust me,No secret stays hidden from me for long.
She stormed down the grand staircase, heels clicking like warning bells across the marble floors.
Hair in a messy bun, lips pressed in frustration, and that black turtleneck tucked into high-waisted pants?Deadly.My personal brand of destruction.
That soft curve of her waist, the defiance in her eyes, the elegance of chaos wrapped in black YSL heels—she didn't even know the kind of war she waged on my soul just by existing.
She was muttering curses under her breath.Something about her "stupid phone" and "being late".Completely unaware that I was already watching her. Obsessively. Like always.
She hadn't even noticed me—leaning back in the shadows of the living room, one leg crossed over the other, her "stupid phone" spinning between my fingers like a loaded weapon.
"Looking for this?" I finally said, voice cold… calm… too calm.
She froze mid-step and turned, her eyes widening the moment she saw the phone in my hand."Lukas... you touched my phone?!"Accusation. Guilt. Panic. All dancing behind her pretty hazel eyes.
I stood, slowly, deliberately, like a predator cornering prey."You left it uncharged. Unattended. Buzzing like a bomb. What did you expect, doll?"
She stepped forward, reaching for it. I pulled it back.
Her mouth opened. "You unlocked it?"
I nodded, my smirk sharp enough to draw blood."Your birthday as the passcode? Tch. You really think I don't know every little thing about you?"
She took a step back, and I took two forward.
"The death threats… the messages… You weren't going to tell me?" I whispered darkly.I could feel it—that other side of me—rising. The part I kept buried beneath tailored suits and cold smiles.The mafia king my enemies feared.The man she hadn't fully seen yet.
My fingers curled tightly around the phone."You want to play it safe, hide things from me, make decisions on your own like you're still just a spoiled little princess? Not on my watch."
I tossed the phone onto the couch like it disgusted me."Next time someone even thinks of threatening you—" I stepped even closer, lowering my head until our lips were inches apart, "—I won't leave corpses behind. I'll leave ashes."
She swallowed.
"You're mine, Adeline. And if someone thinks they can hurt what belongs to me… they'll learn what it means to bleed slow."
Her breath hitched.
I trailed a finger along her jaw."And you… doll... You're not allowed to disappear. You're not allowed to go silent. You're not allowed to scare me like that."
My voice dropped to a growl."I don't care if it makes me a monster—I'll tie you to the damn bed if that's what it takes to keep you safe."
She stared at me, stunned.
"Understand this," I said, now cupping her cheek, thumb brushing her lips, "I'll burn this world down to protect you. So don't ever lie to me again."
She was trembling slightly now. Not from fear. From the weight of what she meant to me.
I kissed her forehead, lingering there.
"Mine," I whispered.
And this time, it wasn't a request. It was a promise. A vow. A threat.
Her words died on her tongue when I grabbed her wrist and yanked her flush against me.
"You think I didn't notice?" I growled into her ear. "The way you walk around this house like temptation carved in silk? That you can wear that and not get devoured?"
Before she could respond, I crashed my lips onto hers — not sweet, not slow.
It was pure fire.
Violent. Hungry. Possessive.
I kissed her like she belonged to me — because she did. Like every inch of her mouth, every shaky breath, every soft whimper between our locked lips was mine.
My hand fisted in her hair, tilting her head back just the way I liked, giving me full access to consume her, to own her. Her fingers clawed at my shirt, her knees going weak as I bit her bottom lip, then sucked it, slow and brutal — like punishment and reward all in one.
She moaned — soft, desperate — and I swallowed the sound like oxygen. I kissed her deeper, harder, until her body trembled under mine, until the air was heavy with need, and she could no longer stand without me holding her up.
I broke the kiss just enough to whisper against her lips, breathless, dangerous:
"You taste like f**king sin, sweetheart. And I'm starving."
Then I kissed her again.
Darker. Deeper. Like it was the last kiss before the world ended.
Because with her?
It was.
I finally pulled back, letting her breathe, her lips swollen, eyes dazed, and chest rising and falling like she'd just survived a storm. A storm called me.
I stared at her, my hand still gripping her waist, refusing to let go.
"You're not going anywhere," I said, my voice low and unforgiving. "I'm done watching you slip through my fingers, hiding things, pretending like you can face the damn world alone."
Her eyes widened slightly, but I didn't let her speak.
"I'm staying with you. Got it?"
It wasn't a suggestion. It wasn't even a request.
It was a fucking declaration.
I leaned in again, brushing my lips against hers with a cruel softness — a stark contrast to the wildfire we'd just created. My thumb grazed her cheek as I whispered, "You're mine, doll. And I'll burn this world down before I let anything take you from me again."
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.
The look in her eyes told me everything — fear, desire, confusion… but most of all?
Surrender.