The night was quiet, unnaturally so, when Adeline returned to the estate. Her body still buzzed from the adrenaline of the mission, and her mind was weighed down by Rory's betrayal and Donovan's anger earlier. Every step she took felt heavy, as if the shadows themselves were waiting to judge her.Donovan was waiting in the grand hall, his figure carved from darkness. The storm in his eyes from earlier had not faded—it had escalated, boiling over into something that made her stomach twist. His jaw was tight, and the air around him seemed to crackle with danger."Adel," he said, voice low but deadly, "do you have any idea what your hesitation cost us tonight?""I… I'm sorry, Donovan," she whispered, her hands trembling. She had replayed the moment a hundred times—the small stumble, the almost slip, the way her mind had drifted to Rory.He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his anger palpable. "Sorry? Do you think an apology undoes what nearly ruined everything? This is not about feelings. This is about survival, about control. About me."Adeline's breath hitched. The intensity of his gaze, the sheer authority in his tone, sent shivers down her spine. She felt exposed, small, but also… unreasonably drawn to him."You belong here," he said, voice rough, brushing against her ear. "And yet you almost—almost—betrayed that. Do you understand how close you came to disaster?""Yes," she whispered, bowing her head. "I understand. I… I won't let it happen again."The tension in the room shifted subtly. He reached out, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. It was intimate, possessive, commanding—both an apology and a claim. Her pulse raced uncontrollably as their eyes locked."You're mine," he murmured, voice low, almost a growl. "Every thought, every action, every heartbeat—you will not falter again.""I'm yours," she whispered back, almost unconsciously, and the words seemed to ignite something between them. His anger, still simmering, melted just enough to allow a dangerous, intimate closeness. Their faces drew nearer, and for the first time, Adeline felt the sharp, confusing heat of desire and fear entwined. His hand lingered on her cheek, thumb brushing against her lips, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist.Meanwhile, miles away, Adeline's parents sat in their dim living room, fear etched deep in their features. They had finally discovered the villa where she was held, traced through whispers and rumors in the city, but Donovan—the Devil himself—was untouchable. Every call to the authorities had failed. Every attempt at intervention had been blocked. They felt helpless, powerless against the man who had stolen their daughter.Her mother's hands shook as she clutched a photograph of Adeline. "We can't just sit here," she whispered, tears streaking her face.Her father's fists slammed onto the table. "We can't do anything! He's… he's the Devil, Maria! No one can touch him!"Back at the estate, Adeline's world was equally suffocating but in a different way. The adrenaline of near-failure, the fear of Donovan's wrath, and the spark of their growing intimacy left her both terrified and thrilled. She realized then that she had fully crossed the line: she was trapped, yet willingly, in the dangerous orbit of the Devil who claimed her.Donovan's lips brushed against hers briefly, testing, claiming, and the heat that surged through her body made her dizzy. Anger, desire, and loyalty twisted into a single, dark knot inside her. She had made mistakes tonight, almost costing everything, but he had not punished her completely—not yet. Instead, he had drawn her closer, marking her both with fear and want.And Adeline, despite every rational thought screaming otherwise, felt the thrill of belonging—to him, to this world, to the darkness she had chosen.
