That morning, Anna woke to one undeniable truth. She wasn't a guest in this house anymore.
She was the secret.
Her body still held echoes of last night's heat—not as sensation, but memory. The way Alaric had looked at her after it all. Not like a man sated. Like a man sealing a pact.
In the bathroom mirror, she studied her reflection. No marks. No evidence. But her eyes had shifted—sharper now. More knowing.
Downstairs, the air felt brittle. Evelyn sat at the table, scrolling her tablet. "You look tired, Anna."
Anna managed a faint smile. "Didn't sleep much."
Alaric stood by the bar cart. Suit impeccable. Face ice-cold as ever. Without last night, no one would guess this man had shattered every code he lived by.
"Don't go out alone today," Alaric said flatly.
Evelyn glanced up. "Why?"
"Security," he replied. Too quick.
Evelyn held his gaze a beat longer than usual. "Since when are you this worried?"
Silence dropped.
Anna's pulse kicked up—not fear, but recognition. This wasn't safe play anymore.
"Avernon's unstable," Alaric shut it down. "I'll arrange the driver."
Not a suggestion. A done deal.
For the first time, something twisted in Anna's gut. Alaric wasn't just protecting her. He was directing her life.
~~~
Afternoon took Anna to a quiet café near her old university—the one spot in the city that didn't feel like Alaric's domain. She claimed a corner table, chasing who she'd been before Avernon, before the mansion, before the secret.
Her phone buzzed.
Alaric
> Where are you?
She stared at the screen before typing.
> Café near campus.
The reply hit fast.
> Come home. Now.
She exhaled, fingers tightening.
> I'm fine.
His response hummed through her.
> This isn't about fine.
Minutes later, a shadow fell over her table. Not Alaric. A stranger. Polished. Too polished.
"Lyanna Mirelle?" he said softly.
Anna froze. "Who are you?"
"An old family friend of the Devanos." Thin smile. "More precisely... someone who knows too much."
Her breath caught.
"You shouldn't be alone," he went on casually. "But maybe this is an opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
He leaned in. "Alaric Devano has enemies. And you... you look like his new weak spot."
Her phone vibrated on the table—a call. Alaric's name lit the screen.
The man glanced at it, smirking faintly. "Answer it. I want to hear his voice when he realizes I got to you first."
Anna shot to her feet. "Stay away from me."
"Oh, Anna," he murmured. "You're already too close."
He slipped out before she could react.
Trembling, Anna answered. "Alaric."
"Voice changed," he said sharply. "Who's with you?"
"No one. But—"
"Someone was," he cut in. "I'm on my way."
That tone wasn't cold. Wasn't unhinged.
It was lethal.
That night in the mansion, Alaric slammed his study door shut.
"From today," he said low, inches from Anna, "you don't go anywhere without me knowing."
"You can't lock me up."
"I'm not locking you up." He stepped closer, voice dropping. "I'm protecting what's already been touched."
The words prickled her skin.
"Someone's watching you," he pressed. "And it has nothing to do with morals."
"Because of me?" Anna's voice barely whispered.
"Because I want you," he said plainly. "And the world always collects on things like that."
He tilted her chin up, forcing her eyes to his. "Stay by my side, and you're safe."
"And Evelyn?"
The name hung like a blade. Alaric didn't answer right away.
"Evelyn lives in the illusion she chose," he said finally. "You... you live in the reality I built."
The silence weighed heavy. Not romantic. Not tender.
But real. And it shook Anna to realize she wasn't just falling for the wrong man.
She was being pulled into a power war, and Alaric had chosen her as something he'd guard... at any cost.
In Avernon City, protection from a man like Alaric Devano never came free.
~~~
Avernon never forgot. Morning screens at Devano Corporation blared business news—rising charts, fake smiles, titles safe on paper. But behind those skyscraper walls, something had shifted.
And Evelyn was starting to feel it.
"You're different," she said that afternoon in the family room. Voice soft, eyes not.
Anna looked up. "Different how?"
"Quieter." Evelyn's smile was small. "Or maybe... more guarded."
It didn't sound like an accusation. That made it dangerous.
Anna chose silence. In this house, some things stayed safer unanswered.
From the corner, Alaric watched—silent. Posture relaxed, but his gaze never fully left Anna. Not a lover's look. Not a brother-in-law's. A claimant's.
"There's another gala this weekend," Evelyn continued, rising from the sofa. "Foreign investors. Come with us, Anna."
Anna's head snapped up. "Me?"
"Of course." Evelyn patted her arm lightly. "You're family."
The word landed like deliberate irony.
Alaric spoke at last. "I'll handle security."
Evelyn eyed him. "You sound... overly protective."
One beat. Two. Alaric didn't blink.
"It's not a friendly city," he said evenly.
Evelyn nodded slowly, but Anna caught it—the faint crack behind her smile. Suspicion taking shape, starting to breathe.
The night before the gala, Alaric summoned Anna to his study. No text. No knock. Just an open door and her choice made.
"We need to agree on one thing," he said.
Anna lingered in the doorway. "About what?"
"How you stand beside me in public."
Her breath hitched. "I don't stand beside you."
"You will." No hesitation. "And people will see it."
He closed the distance—enough to crowd the room, but no touch. "Tomorrow, you're not alone. You won't look free."
"What do you want me to look?" Anna asked.
"Untouchable."
Not flirtation. Warning.
"And Evelyn?" Softer now.
Alaric paused. "Evelyn believes what she wants."
"What if she sees too much?"
His gaze hardened. "I won't let her touch you."
Protective. But something darker coiled beneath, twisting Anna's gut.
~~~
The gala gleamed in Avernon's tallest hotel. Crystal chandeliers. Designer gowns. Smiles trained to hide intent.
Anna stood at Alaric's side. Not behind. Not among the crowd. Beside him. Eyes lingered too long. Whispers dipped too low to be chance.
Alaric didn't stop it—he amplified it, stepping closer, his presence a silent line drawn.
A woman approached, laugh light. "His sister-in-law? Intriguing."
Alaric answered first. "She's with me." Not us. *With me*.
Evelyn, nearby, turned sharply.
Their eyes met.
Anna saw it now—confusion hardening into question.
On the hotel balcony, night air cut sharp. Evelyn followed Anna, alone.
"You okay?" Evelyn asked.
"Yeah."
"Sure?" Evelyn searched her face. "Because Alaric's treating you... different."
Anna held her breath. "He's always like that."
"No." Evelyn shook her head slowly. "Not with you."
Silence stretched. The city sparkled below—beautiful, ruthless, indifferent.
"Whatever's happening in this house," Evelyn said quietly, "I hope you're honest with me."
Anna looked at her sister—the woman who'd always shielded her, unaware the shield had cracked from within.
"I never meant to hurt you," Anna said at last.
Evelyn's smile thinned. "That's not an answer."
In the car that night, Alaric didn't start the engine right away.
"You shouldn't have been alone with her on the balcony," he said.
"I'm not yours," Anna shot back, sharper than she intended.
He turned. Eyes dark. Steady. "No. But you're the responsibility I claimed."
"Without my consent?"
"By existing here." Softly. "That's enough."
Silence filled the car. Not charged with desire this time—but awareness. Their bond had tipped. From want... to exposed risk.
And Anna realized something that quickened her pulse beyond fear: if Evelyn uncovered the truth, it wouldn't just break hearts.
Avernon didn't punish forbidden love. It punished weakness. And now, eyes were turning their way.