Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of attempted sexual assault, physical violence, and intense emotional distress.
Reader discretion is advised.
These scenes are written to reflect the harsh realities of the world the characters live in — they are not romanticized or glorified.
The story emphasizes protection, survival, and healing.
CHAPTER : 3 [ CRIMSON RAIN ]
The storm outside was merciless. Rain lashed the windows of the Romanov mansion, a never-ending rhythm that could lull anyone to sleep. But inside, peace reigned only in illusion.
Selena slept curled in a nest of soft sheets, her breath light, her lashes fluttering slightly with every boom of thunder. She was dreaming—dreaming of Dimitri, of the way he said her name like a secret, the way he touched her like she was made of glass. She smiled in her sleep.
But then, a loud crack of thunder jolted her awake. Her heart raced. She sat up and glanced at the clock—it was past midnight. Rain trickled down the windowpane. A chill crept into the room, not from the temperature but from something... else.
She reached for her phone on the nightstand. No messages. No missed calls. "Leo?" she whispered to herself.
Suddenly, she heard it—soft but distinct. Footsteps.
Someone was walking past her bedroom door.
Fear gripped her chest.
She slid out of bed silently, tiptoeing to her closet. Her breath came faster, heavier. She opened the closet and slipped inside, clutching her phone with trembling fingers.
She dialed Leo's number.
It rang.
And rang.
"Pick up, please," she whispered. "Please, Leo."
The line clicked. "Señorita?" Leo's voice teased, low and husky. "Did you miss me already?"
"Help," she breathed.
The tone in Leo's voice changed instantly. "Selena? Where are you? What's happening?"
Before she could reply, the closet door burst open.
A large man loomed above her, a devilish grin on his face. His eyes scanned her—her silk nightdress clinging to her form. His smile widened.
"Well, what do we have here?" he said, voice dripping with lust.
"Get away!" she screamed.
He snatched the phone from her hand and threw it across the room.
"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling as he pulled her out of the closet. His breath was foul, his touch invasive. He forced her against the wall, his lips attacking her skin.
"Don't touch me!" she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks.
He slapped her. Hard.
"Shut up," he growled. "You should be honored. You're going to be mine tonight."
He yanked her dress, tearing the straps. Her shoulders were exposed, skin glistening with tears and fear. She screamed again, pushing at him, hitting, scratching.
She managed to break free and ran. Barefoot, half-dressed, she stumbled down the hallway, slipping once, catching herself. The hall seemed never-ending.
But he was faster.
He grabbed her by the hair and threw her onto the dining table with a sickening crash.
"Please!" she cried, sobbing.
He turned her forcefully, pressing his lips to her skin —his hands roaming, aggressive, vile.
"You're mine now, doll. He won't be saving you."
"STOP!" she screamed.
Her cries echoed through the hall. On the floor, her phone lay shattered.
Suddenly—
BOOM.
The front door slammed open.
A gust of wind and rain swept in, and standing there was Dimitri—Leo—drenched to the bone, rain dripping from his coat, from his raven-black hair.
His eyes—no longer teasing, no longer soft—burned with a darkness so cold it could shatter stone.
He took one look at Selena—torn dress, bruised skin, tear-streaked face.
Then at the man holding her.
Something snapped.
"You," Leo growled. The word felt like a death sentence.
He was across the room in a second.
He grabbed the intruder by the neck, lifting him with a strength that was inhuman.
"You touched what's mine," Leo said, voice low and venomous.
And then he slammed the man onto the glass table.
CRASH.
Glass shattered everywhere.
He didn't stop.
Fist after fist, he pounded the man into the marble floor. Blood sprayed. Bones cracked. The man's screams turned into gurgles.
"You want to hurt her?" Leo roared. "You want to touch her?"
He twisted the man's fingers one by one until they snapped like twigs.
"Leo…" Selena whimpered from behind.
Luka entered the room, wide-eyed.
"Boss—"
"Coat," Leo barked.
Luka rushed over, removing his coat and wrapping it around Selena, gently shielding her from the horror.
She sobbed into Luka's chest. "Please… make it stop…"
Leo delivered one last blow, shattering the man's jaw.
He stood, panting, hands covered in blood.
"Clean this up," he ordered Luka.
He scooped Selena into his arms, her body trembling violently.
"Leo…" she whispered.
"I'm here, Señorita. I'm here."
He carried her upstairs, his chest tight with rage and guilt.
She couldn't stop shaking.
"It's over," he whispered. "You're safe."
He helped her into her room, not once looking at her exposed skin. He gave her space, letting her change behind the screen, and when she called his name, voice soft and broken, he came to her.
"Can you… stay?" she asked.
He nodded, laying beside her.
"Your arm," she whispered.
He offered it, and she rested her head on it, curling into his warmth. She clung to him as if he were the only thing tethering her to reality.
She fell asleep like that—held by a monster, protected by her demon.
He watched her sleep for a long time. Then, gently, he moved, covering her properly.
He locked the door. The windows.
And then he left.
The rain was still falling when he drove to the Petrov estate.
Luka was behind the wheel. "Everything's ready, Boss."
Leo didn't respond.
They crashed through the gates. Guards rushed them. Luka shot with deadly precision.
Inside, chaos erupted.
Leo found the Petrov heir.
"You sent your dog to my home," he said, grabbing the man by his collar. "You touched what's mine."
"Please—" the heir begged.
Leo beat him into unconsciousness.
"This is your warning," he said to the rest. "Next time, I'll kill your bloodline."
They left the mansion.
"Do it," Leo ordered.
Luka pressed a button.
The Petrov mansion burst into flames. The fire danced, unforgiving, even under the rain.
Leo lit a cigarette, watching it burn.
Next morning…
Selena awoke to sunlight and the scent of flowers.
Leo had the entire mansion cleaned.
He decorated her room with her favorite books and fresh roses.
"Good morning, Señorita," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
He acted as if last night hadn't happened.
But she could see it—the fear in his heart. The way he looked at her, terrified she might hate him.
But she didn't.
She took his hand and said, "You protected me."
His jaw tightened. "I didn't want you to see that side of me."
"I don't care," she whispered. "You're mine. Just like I'm yours."
Leo stared at her. She smiled.
He kissed her forehead gently.
And in that moment, Selena knew—no matter how dangerous, how twisted Dimitri Romanov was… she loved him.
Because he had made her feel safe in a world of monsters.
And for him, she was willing to become one too.
Selena was not a weakness.
She was Dimitri Romanov's reason to burn the world.
TO BE CONTINUED➡️