His Eyes,My Destiny

Alina’s POV The iron gates creaked open, and the black SUV rolled up the gravel driveway like we were entering a gothic fairytale—or a nightmare. My chest tightened as I clutched my journal tighter to my chest. I hated new places, and this one already screamed secrets. The mansion loomed ahead, a towering structure of cold stone, sharp angles, and ivy-draped walls. It wasn’t welcoming—it was watching. Mom reached back from the front seat and smiled at me. “Try to be open-minded, sweetheart. This is a fresh start.” Fresh start? More like forced reset. I stepped out of the car and the chill hit me, wrapping around my legs like a warning. And then I saw him. Leaning against the doorframe like he owned the world—ripped jeans, tousled black hair, and storm-gray eyes that locked onto mine the second I glanced up. A shiver tore down my spine. Not fear. Something worse. Recognition. Jaxon. I knew his name before Mom whispered it during the awkward introductions. My new stepbrother. Cold, intense, and glaring at me like I’d just stepped on sacred ground. “Stay out of my way,” he muttered low as he brushed past me. But in that split second, his arm grazed mine, and a jolt shot through my body like lightning. What the hell was that? Something in his eyes flickered—something ancient, wild, and terrifyingly familiar. And just like that, I knew this wasn’t just a move. It was the beginning of everything.