— SYLUS —
She was smiling as blood flowed from the cuts on her palm, dripping slowly onto the pavement, yet she was smiling not out of relief. Not because I had arrived there was something brighter in it.
A dangerous kind of delight.
For a moment, I just looked at her most people would have been trembling after having a knife held to their face. They would have cried or shaken, clinging to whoever had saved them. She stood there, blood on her hands, with a grin that belonged to someone who had just solved a puzzle.
Looking beautiful and quite insane. My gaze stayed on her face, trying to understand her expression. Her expression held something I had never seen on her before something bright, almost expectant, as if she were waiting to see whether I would disappoint her.
"Would you be willing to kill someone for me?" The question hung between us without warning. Most men would have laughed. Others would have been horrified.
I was neither.
Instead, I searched her face not because I doubted her, but because I wanted to understand.
Why that question?
Why in this moment?
Then my eyes dropped to her hand.
Blood slipped between her fingers, staining her skin, falling one drop at a time onto the pavement. Something in me went quiet she was standing in front of me while blood dripped from her palms, and what was I even doing? Nothing.
Before my mind could register, I took out my bandana, taking her hands in mine as I carefully wrapped it around her wound while she stared at my movement as I finished tying it. I looked back into her eyes.
"If someone puts your life in danger..." My voice came out quieter than I expected.
"...they've already decided how much they value theirs." I stepped closer, soft vanilla and rose with a faint smell of metallic copper from the blood, mixed with her perfume essence, wrapped around me as I tilted her chin, my fingers grazing her soft skin as I drank in her appearance, a bit of her gaze that felt somehow seductive. Soft natural waves of her hair and a neckline that appeared too elegant...
"They don't get to threaten you..." My thumb brushed her jaw lightly. "...and expect to walk away untouched."
I held her gaze. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you come home." It's not a promise. It's a fact. Her brown gaze reflected mine as something softened in her eyes. The corners of her lips curled upward, slow and impossibly tender.
"I thought so," she whispered.
My heart betrayed me as It skipped. A smile.
That was all it took.
I'd spent months trying to understand her, trying to decipher the walls she built so carefully around herself. Yet in that moment, watching her smile at an answer that should have frightened anyone else...
I realized something unsettling she hadn't asked because she doubted me.
She had asked because she already knew the answer.
She simply wanted to hear me say it something about her was different tonight.... But I am not complaining after all, she may be a bit crazy, but she is mine, all of mine. If the world ever demanded a choice between her and everyone else... She would win. Always.
The air between us felt heavy, charged as her eyes held a deep longing, like a fire inside. She didn't just look at me, she seemed to consume me with a gaze that promised everything we were too scared to say. Then, in one swift motion, her fingers gripped the front of my shirt, pulling me down until there was no space left between us, just the heat radiating off our skin. Her lips crashed against mine, not soft or gentle, but demanding and urgent, as if trying to steal my breath. For a heartbeat, time stood still. I forgot how to breathe, how to think, how to remember the blood on her knuckles or the body slumped against the wall behind them.
All those dangers faded under the force of this kiss as they melted away like ice in the summer. My hand found her waist, pulling her against me, feeling every curve and contour fit perfectly with my own. She melded with me as if she were made of water and gravity, completely unraveling the restraint I had built over the years. A low groan escaped my throat before I could stop it a raw, primal sound that revealed exactly what was happening beneath my control.
God.
She had no idea what she did to a man who had seen so much darkness yet never felt anything quite like this. Or maybe she did. Maybe she understood how many walls could fall apart under just one of her touches, because every time she looked at me with those dangerously beautiful eyes I felt them break again and again until nothing was left but desire.
When we finally pulled apart for air, our foreheads touched, breathing unevenly against each other's lips. My hand stayed firmly on her waist, keeping her close as if afraid she might vanish if I let go even a little too soon. "You really don't make this easy," I murmured, my voice rough with something more than frustration something hungry. Something primal. Because every time she reached for me... every time she smiled that knowing smile... I lost the fight against the person I wanted to be when only two hearts beat in sync: mine and hers. And now? Now there was no going back.
Every detail the way her breath caught against mine, that soft gasp that slipped past her lips when our skin brushed, the faint scent of rain mixed with whatever perfume lingered on her neck. It was intoxicating. Overwhelming. Perfectly imperfect, just like us.
She laughed, a low, throaty sound that vibrated against my chest as I effortlessly lifted her into the air. Her arms wrapped around my neck instinctively, finding a hold even with the sudden shift in gravity, while she was caught off guard, though I could feel the heat radiating where our bodies met.
"Let me down," she panted against my ear, her voice muffled but filled with that same dangerous amusement. "You're going to give yourself away if you keep looking at me like that." "And what are they supposed to think?" I murmured, kissing just below her jawline and trailing lower along her throat. My hands tightened on her waist, anchoring her close as if trying to fuse us permanently. "That I'm capable? Or that I'm still human enough to be distracted by something so beautiful and reckless?"
She pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, a smirk on her lips as she adjusted her grip around my neck. "Maybe both," she whispered, tilting her head so our faces were inches apart again. "Or maybe you're just letting your guard down," a playful glint danced in her eyes
"Or maybe I am in control here?" "Careful what you wish for," I whimpered, leaning in until our noses brushed. "Because once I let go of this restraint, there's no telling where we'll end up tonight."
The weight of her against me disappeared as I set her back on the ground. However, the heat between us lingered like a second heartbeat. Her feet kicked lightly in the air, playful and almost childlike. I couldn't help but smirk at how effortlessly she carried herself, even when she was caught off guard.
"How come you were here?" she asked, tilting her head. I could see that mischievous glint in her eyes. She seemed half-expecting some grand reveal and half-wishing for something deeper than words could give.
"Well," I replied, brushing my thumb over her lower lip before reluctantly letting go, "I came to see you, but I didn't expect to find this kind of chaos behind your door." My voice lowered as I shifted slightly closer again, careful not to crowd her space, just close enough to remind her that every inch of me was still electrically charged from what we had just shared. Then I wrapped an arm around her waist again, holding her close so our bodies molded together easily, feeling how she fit into me like water finding its shape.
"I should get going now," she murmured against my chest, pulling back just a little, as if parting were already too painful. "Another shoot tomorrow and then the afterparty for the show."
"Let me make one thing clear." I caught her chin between my fingers, locking my gaze onto hers until she had nowhere to hide.
"You could show me every rotten, vicious thing buried inside that pretty head of yours." My voice dipped deeper than I expected, slowly a grin creeping up my lip. "And I would still look at you like you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
My thumb lazily brushed across her lower lip. "Do you know why?" I leaned in closer, lowering my voice to a murmur.
"Because I don't need you to be good." My eyes traced every inch of her face.
"I just need you to be mine."
A chuckle escaped me. "So whatever darkness you're carrying, sweetheart, don't hide it from me"
My fingers slowly pressed deeper into her skin, pulling her closer until her breath mingled with mine, until there was nothing between us but the sound of her heartbeat against mine, the heat of her body seeping through the dress into me.
"I've got enough darkness of my own to love every part of yours."
She scrutinized up at me, trying to find something in those dark eyes... maybe reassurance, maybe affection. Slowly she nodded once, like it was a silent promise wrapped around those simple words. "Well, goodnight," I finally said, stepping back and nodding toward her open door, as if sealing an unspoken agreement between us. As soon as the door closed behind her, I stood there letting everything sink in. I walked down the stairs, calling for my assistant, "Where is that man?" I asked, my voice low and firm as I went down the stairs and made my way to the alley, I scanned the dimly lit alley for a shadowy figure. The air was thick with anticipation, and every creak of the wooden steps echoed in the quiet night.
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a pair of black leather gloves stained with blood from earlier that evening. The crimson drops fell onto the floorboards, making the moment feel like it was slowing down. With careful movements, I slid each glove on, feeling the cool texture cling tightly to my skin, like a second layer of armor. The faint scent of iron mixed with the dampness of the rain-soaked pavement. "So," I murmured, perhaps to my assistant, as I noticed him standing slightly off to the side, his eyes darting between me and whatever awaited us beyond our sight. "Shall we begin?"
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— ELLA —
The morning sun filtered through curtains, casting soft stripes across my bedroom floor. I stood before the mirror, adjusting a silk scarf around my neck. Last night's memories lingered on my skin, reminders of his touch and the electric static between us when we kissed under moonlit skies. My heart fluttered at the thought: how could someone so dangerous feel so real? I moved quickly, rushing to prepare for today's gig, the commercial shoot that would define this project. Yet every step felt heavy with anticipation. The city buzzed outside as rush hour traffic choked the streets below.
Today, every moment blurred into perfection. From the lighting setup to the camera angles, everything clicked effortlessly, like a puzzle piece finally fitting into place after years of searching. Hours later, as the shoot wrapped up, I found myself backstage again. This time, I was dressed casually in a sleek black outfit, perfectly tailored- and an elegant beige dress. It was simple and elegant enough for tonight's afterparty, yet comfortable enough. My phone buzzed against my thigh while I adjusted my earrings near the vanity table. But right now, all that mattered was catching my breath before stepping back into the spotlight.
The beige dress clung to me, almost like a second skin. Not flashy...just quietly stunning. The corseted waist pulled in tight, and the hem brushed the floor as I walked. My hair was up, a little messy but in that way where it looked effortless, stray strands falling and softening my face. Each step made my heels tap against the marble, barely louder than a sigh. I went with just enough makeup to make my eyes catch the light nothing overboard, just intense enough to be noticed.
I entered the room and noticed golden chandeliers casting a soft honey glow over the groups of models and executives standing there. Candle flames flickered in brass holders on low tables, fending off every little breeze that came through the open windows. The air was heavy with perfume and champagne and something else.
Something electric....
I could feel it, that buzz, running through me even before I saw him sitting at the bar. The golden glow of the party seemed to fade a little, replaced by a sharp, stinging cold that spread across my chest. He looked absolutely breathtaking, his hair, which was messy last night, was now perfectly styled. He wore a crisp white shirt and tailored trousers, making him look like he had stepped out of a noir film. When our gazes met again under the chandeliers, a smile curved my lips. Everything felt right until I bumped into her.
"Sorry," I started as we collided, but she cut me off with an icy glare. She didn't just seem annoyed, she looked disgusted as if I were a clumsy nuisance ruining her perfect evening.
"Gosh, you ruined my expensive dress! You crazy woman," she hissed, venom dripping from her words. "Are you blind?" Her tone turned sharp enough to cut. Before I could stammer out another apology, "I am sorry..."
She swung a heavy hand filled with wine toward me. A dark red splash soaked through the front of my beige corseted dress, spreading like red ink in water as droplets slid down my skin and pooled at the hem of my skirt. The room seemed to hold its breath, eyes turned toward us, judging, whispering, pointing.
A sharp click of boots stopped the crowd rummaging. Sylus cut through the crowd without hesitation. His presence commanded silence as he reached me in one fluid motion. "Are you okay?" His voice was soft; his hands were gentle yet firm as they steadied me.
His jaw tightened into a dangerous line as he turned slowly to face the woman who had just attacked me. His glare was so intense that she flinched slightly under its weight before muttering something too quiet to hear. "Go get cleaned up," Sylus said softly again as I nodded weakly behind him. He led my dripping form toward the bathroom doors with steady grace, masking how much he wanted to protect me.
Sylus insisted on getting a new dress and asked me to wait in the bathroom. I was in there, looking at myself, looking like a soaked bean bag, as I heard the door click open. I glanced up only to see the same haughty woman from before her chin lifted high as if she owned the place. When our eyes met over the edge of a towel rack, her smirk curled wickedly thin, like a knife slicing through the air.
"You bitch," she sneered. "Climbing up using the investor? You've got some nerve." Her lips pressed into a hard line as she crossed her arms, staring down at me with pure contempt in her dark eyes. I frowned slightly trying to understand her meaning before I asked calmly, "What?"
"Don't act so innocent." Her voice dripped with venom as she stepped forward, her eyes on me as if, I were some disgusted lowborn insect trying to crawl up. I had seen those gazes before something in me went silent. My eyes went dead cold as my finger dug into her neck, grabbing her before yanking her closer. " Investor? Who is it, then?", My voice was calm, feeling unsettling in the moment as she scoffed, "Oh, playing pretend, are we?"
"It's the Sylus Morano."