Adeline sat in the dimly lit lounge of the estate, the quiet hum of the city outside doing little to calm her racing thoughts. Her hands wrapped tightly around a cup of tea, but she hadn't touched it in minutes. Every creak of the floorboards, every faint click of shoes echoed like a warning. She could feel Donovan's presence even when he was not beside her—always alert, always commanding.The moment the door opened, the atmosphere shifted. Selena stepped in, moving with the effortless grace of someone who had always known her way around both people and power. She had already crossed paths with Donovan and Adeline in the office earlier, but her return tonight carried a subtle weight—a reminder that her connection with Donovan had history, a depth Adeline could never reach."Selena," Donovan's voice broke through the quiet, calm but edged with warning. "You shouldn't have stayed this long."Selena's lips curved into that familiar, teasing smirk. "I came for a reason," she said lightly, almost casual—but Adeline caught the underlying heat in her voice, the sharpness that hinted at more than just a friendly visit. "And Donovan… you always make it hard to resist coming back."Adeline's stomach clenched. She had always known Donovan's past held shadows, but seeing them manifest in front of her, tangible and confident, made her feel exposed. She tried to steady herself, reminding herself of her own place: she was the one Donovan chose, the one who belonged to him now. Yet the way Selena's gaze lingered on him, playful and knowing, sent a thrill of panic through her chest.Donovan stepped closer to Adeline, a silent anchor against the tension. His hand brushed hers, possessive, grounding her. "She's from the past," he said quietly, voice low enough that only Adeline could hear. "That's all she is. Don't let her unsettle you."Selena, however, didn't retreat. She crossed the room with deliberate ease, eyes glinting as she took a seat nearby, letting her presence hang in the air like a challenge. "You've changed," she said to Donovan, her tone both admiring and slightly mocking. "More… commanding than I remember. Dangerous. It suits you."Adeline's pulse quickened. Every word, every look between them was a reminder of the history she would never share, and it made her uneasy in ways she hadn't expected. She had faced killers, thugs, and blood-soaked missions—but this subtle, quiet tension, the game of dominance and desire, threatened to unravel her in its own way.Donovan's hand tightened around hers. "You're my present," he murmured, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "The rest… doesn't matter. Not her, not the past. You're the one I want. Don't forget that."Selena's smirk softened for a fraction of a second, a glint of something unreadable in her eyes. Then she leaned back, voice light but firm: "I didn't come here to interfere tonight… yet I can't help but remember the old ways. The games we used to play, the plans we used to make. Some things never truly die, Donovan."Adeline felt a shiver run through her body. She wanted to speak, to assert herself, but Donovan's dark gaze held her in place, protective and commanding. She knew he would handle Selena, but the knowledge did little to ease the fire of jealousy igniting inside her.For the rest of the evening, Selena lingered—never overstepping, yet never fully retreating. Every movement, every glance carried a tension that made Adeline's chest ache. And Donovan, as always, was the storm at her side: dark, protective, and dangerously possessive.By the time Selena finally excused herself, the room seemed smaller, the shadows longer. Adeline exhaled shakily, leaning into Donovan, feeling the warmth and strength radiating from him. "Why does she unsettle me so?" she whispered, voice trembling.Donovan's lips brushed hers in a fleeting, possessive kiss. "Because she reminds you what you cannot have—and that's why she will never take me from you," he murmured, his hand pressing firmly over hers. "You're mine, Adeline. Only mine."And in that moment, the tension shifted slightly, but the shadow of Selena's presence lingered—a warning that the past, though controlled, would always be there, waiting to test them both.
