Sleep refused to come.Adeline lay on her bed, eyes open, staring into the darkness as though it might swallow her thoughts if she stared long enough. She shifted beneath the sheets, turning to her side, then her back, then her other side. Nothing worked. The mattress felt too firm, the air too thick, her thoughts too loud.She exhaled sharply and pressed her palms into the bed. Her heart wouldn't slow down.Every night in this house carried weight. Every silence felt intentional. She had learned that rest was a luxury here—one she had not yet earned. Donovan's world did not sleep easily, and neither did those inside it.She sat up, rubbing her arms, suddenly aware of how cold the room felt. Moonlight slipped through the curtains, casting pale shapes across the walls. The room was beautiful, lavish even—but it was still a cage. A gilded one."I can't do this," she whispered, though she didn't know what this meant anymore.After a long moment, she stood. Bare feet met cold marble as she slipped out of her room, moving quietly, instinctively. She told herself she just needed air. Space. Something to ground her.That was when she heard voices.She slowed, then stopped completely."…she's becoming a liability," Lucas said, his voice low but sharp.Adeline's breath caught. She pressed herself into the shadow of the corridor, heart pounding so loudly she was certain it would give her away.Another man replied, cautious. "The Don trusts her.""That's exactly the problem," Lucas snapped. "Trust clouds judgment. Desire even more so."Adeline's fingers curled into fists."She doesn't belong here," Lucas continued. "And if she keeps standing where she is, she'll shift things she doesn't understand.""Are you suggesting—""I'm suggesting that weaknesses should be handled before they grow teeth."Silence followed.Adeline didn't wait to hear more.She backed away slowly, every step measured, her mind racing. Lucas didn't know she had heard him. That was her only advantage. One she would not waste.Not long after, she was summoned.Donovan's study was dimly lit, warm amber shadows dancing across the walls. He stood near his desk, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up. He looked powerful in a way that had nothing to do with size—controlled, deliberate, dangerous."You couldn't sleep," he said without turning.It wasn't a question.Adeline swallowed. "No."He finally faced her, eyes locking onto hers. "Why?"She hesitated, then spoke. "I heard Lucas."Something flickered across his expression—not surprise, but calculation."You weren't meant to," he said quietly."I wasn't trying to," she replied. "But he's watching me. He thinks I'm… a weakness."Donovan stepped closer. "And do you?"Her answer came without thought. "No."That seemed to amuse him, just slightly. "Good."Silence settled between them, thick and charged. She became acutely aware of how close he was now—of the heat, the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't threatening. It was something else. Something heavier."You're not afraid of me," he said softly."I am," she admitted. "But not in the way I should be."His hand lifted slowly, stopping just short of her face. He waited. Always waited.When she didn't pull away, his fingers brushed her cheek—barely there, like a question.The world narrowed.Her breath hitched. "Donovan…""You should hate me," he murmured. "You should want to run.""I know," she whispered."But you're still here."He leaned in, slowly, deliberately, giving her every chance to stop him.She didn't.Their lips met—not rushed, not gentle, but restrained, controlled, as if both of them were holding back something far more dangerous. It wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet.It was claiming.When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, breath warm, voice low. "This changes things."She nodded, trembling—not from fear, but from the certainty settling in her chest."Yes," she said. "It does."He stepped back first. Always control. Always restraint."You should go," he said. "Before I forget myself."She turned toward the door, heart pounding, knowing something irreversible had just begun.Behind her, Donovan watched.Lucas was plotting. The house was shifting. And Adeline was no longer just surviving.She was becoming something else.
