I was still lost in thought when my phone suddenly rang, pulling me back to the present. My brows furrowed—it was already late.
Who could be calling at this hour? I wondered, walking over to the dresser where I’d left it.
The screen lit up with a name that made my heart skip; it was Lucien. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveI[F]ire.net
Without even thinking, I picked up the call. "Hello," I answered, my voice softer than I intended, as my heart was pounding in my chest just at the sound of his name flashing on the screen.
"Come out," Lucien demanded. There were no greetings or anything.
"Excuse me?" I asked in shock, gripping the phone tighter.
Did he really expect me to walk out of the house... now?
"It’s almost eleven, Lucien," I whispered, glancing over my shoulder as if someone could hear me. "How can I come out at this hour?"
My mind started spinning. Alistair was still at home, and Mrs. Lancaster... if she caught even the slightest hint of me sneaking out at night, she’d make sure to punish me brutally. And then there was Melissa.
God, she was such a pain in the ass.
If she saw us together, she would start her games with Lucien as well.
She’d try to find a way to get close to him, like she had always done.
But Lucien wasn’t some toy she could steal out of spite.
He was mine, and I would burn everything down before I let someone like her take him away from me.
But going out to meet him at this hour, sneakingly, was really...
Well... it wasn’t like I hadn’t done something reckless before. But tonight was different. Everyone was home... One wrong step and everything could go south.
"If you won’t come... I’ll come inside and—" Lucien’s firm voice came through the speaker.
I rolled my eyes instantly.
Really? Was that his idea of persuasion? A threat?
My grip on the phone tightened as my gaze turned cold.
He couldn’t talk to me like that. I hadn’t climbed out of the grave just to be handled like I was some foolish little girl with no voice.
Yes, my heart was a mess. Yes, Lucien drove me absolutely insane.
But that didn’t mean I would ever tolerate being spoken to like I was his property.
"Are you coming, or should I—"
"No," I cut him off sharply. "Stay right where you are," I said, voice low but steady. "Because I’ve got something to say too."
I didn’t care anymore about who might be watching or what anyone would say.
I just needed to make things clear with Lucien that he couldn’t dominate me as he wished.
Still, I wasn’t stupid... I moved carefully not to make noise as I slipped out of my room and tiptoed down the hallway. My heart pounded against my ribs with every step.
At the back of the mansion, I found the side gate near the servant quarters and waved the night guard over.
"Open it," I whispered.
He hesitated but did as I said. "I’ll be back in a moment," I added in a hushed voice. "So don’t lock it."
He nodded, not asking anything, after all... They weren’t the old staff who dared disobey me.
But what I didn’t know was that someone had already seen me from the window of their room.
And a storm was already brewing, while I had just walked right into it!
As soon as I stepped outside, I spotted Lucien.
About a hundred meters away, under the dim streetlights, a sleek, flashy car was parked like it was screaming to be noticed.
And there stood Lucien, leaning against the bonnet, attracting all the attention.
His head was bowed, eyes glued to his phone, but his handsomeness was evident. That aura of danger wrapped in elegance... which could make your heart stutter and your mind scream run, while you move subconsciously toward him to be destroyed willingly.
He looked up the moment I approached, as if he had sensed my appearance before I announced it.
"You’re finally here," he said, his voice cool yet full of urgency.
Without a word, I walked right past him and opened the car door, sliding into the passenger seat.
Then, I tilted my head slightly and gestured for him to get in, too, while keeping my composure.
If he wanted to talk, he could sit beside me like a man, not stand there looking like a fantasy, making me lose my mind and my knees go weak, while I was there to talk about something serious.
"I missed you," Lucien murmured the moment he got into the car, his eyes locked on me calmly.
How could he say that with that straight face?
I didn’t respond. I kept my gaze ahead, fingers clenched around the edge of my seat, silently begging for my heart to slow down. It was pounding like a fool... But I couldn’t let him hear that.
"Really?" I asked sharply. "Is that why you decided to threaten me just now? Telling me that you’d come inside without permission?"
Lucien blinked. He had clearly not expected this response from me. "Pardon?" He looked genuinely taken aback for a second, but quickly masked it, his brows furrowing. "You’re upset because I asked you to come out like that?"
"Shouldn’t I be?" I turned to face him now, while keeping my look stern. "You know exactly what kind of place I live in. I’m under twenty-four-hour surveillance... My every movement is being watched. Do you have any idea what kind of hell it would’ve unleashed if I got caught sneaking out?"
I paused, then lowered my voice.
"I already have enough people trying to control me... If you’re going to be one of them... then don’t stand here saying you missed me."
Lucien didn’t speak right away.
He stared at me, the corner of his eye. The air in the car turned heavy between us.
"Control you?" He began.