Take a bite of the Forbidden Love

Chapter 7

The rhythmic thrum of the heavy New York rain against the windowpane was the only sound echoing through Levitt's new apartment. She had spent the entire day hauling boxes, unpacking kitchenware, and meticulously arranging her books until her muscles throbbed with a deep, satisfying exhaustion.

For the first time, she sat down to eat a quiet dinner she had prepared herself, officially marking the start of her independent life. A day after tomorrow, she would step into the bustling offices of the fashion magazine to begin her career. She had successfully stood on her own feet.

Yet, as the night deepened and the storm outside escalated into a furious tempest, a profound sense of loneliness settled over her. Her mind drifted relentlessly back to the Goh's Blue Mansion—specifically to the knowledge that tonight was the night Demetrius was scheduled to return from London.

She missed him. Despite the four years she had spent building walls and keeping her distance, his quiet, commanding presence had become the hidden anchor of her world. Just knowing he was in the same building had always given her a secret, fragile happiness.

By midnight, Levitt was cradling a warm mug of lavender tea, letting the steam soothe her frayed nerves. Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder shook the building, followed immediately by a series of loud, frantic knocks at her front door.

Her heart leaped into her throat. Nervous, she set her mug down and crept toward the entryway, her breath catching as she peered through the tiny peephole.

Her jaw dropped. Standing in the dimly lit hallway, completely drenched from head to toe, was Demetrius. Water was dripping rapidly from his dark hair, his broad shoulders soaked through a heavy wool coat.

Instinct overrode all her carefully constructed caution. Worried sick and propelled by a wave of intense longing, Levitt threw the door open.

"Demetrius! Are you insane?" she scolded immediately, her voice a mix of shock and panic as she looked at his shivering frame. "What are you doing here? It is dangerous outside, the storm is terrible! How did you even find my place?"

The word uncle rose to her throat from years of habit, but she forcefully cut it off. She couldn't call him that anymore. Not after the study. Not after everything.

Then, her eyes fell on his neck. Wrapped tightly around his collar was the deep blue scarf she had crocheted, the hand-stitched D.G. initials stark against the damp fabric. He had found it.

Demetrius stood in her doorway, looking thoroughly worn out from his transatlantic flight, his breathing shallow. But it was his eyes that locked her in place. The cold, distant facade was entirely gone, replaced by a raw, unshielded longing that mirrored the undeniable ache in her own chest.

Levitt's mind raced. She thought she had drawn the final boundary when she left the mansion that morning. She thought the box at his door was a permanent goodbye. But the moment he had returned to the mansion tonight and found her gone, he hadn't hesitated. He had walked right through the storm to find her.

The heavy, electric tension between them snapped.

Before Levitt could utter another word of protest, Demetrius stepped across the threshold, kicked the door shut behind him, and grabbed her. His large, damp hands framed her face, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her flush against his chest.

He brought his mouth down to hers in the most passionate, desperate kiss she had ever experienced. It was a kiss born of four years of suffocating restraint, of frantic flights across the ocean, and a fierce, undeniable craving. He drank her in as if he were a drowning man and she was his only air, claiming her lips with a possessive intensity that told her everything he had never said out loud. He had waited so long to hold her like this, and tonight, not even the storm could keep him away.

When he finally parted from her lips, his breathing was ragged. Demetrius leaned forward, pressing his forehead firmly against hers, his eyes closed as if savoring the literal warmth of her skin.

"I missed you so much, Levitt," he murmured, his voice cracking with an emotion he had never allowed himself to show. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to be there... to attend your graduation. I knew it was one of the most important events of your life, and being stuck across the ocean was killing me."

Hearing the vulnerability in his deep voice, Levitt felt the last remaining pieces of her heart melt. She raised her hands, gently cupping his wet cheeks, her thumbs smoothing over his cheekbones to soothe him.

"It's okay," she whispered softly, a tender smile finally breaking through her tears. "It's okay, Demetrius. I'm just glad you're with me now."

As she looked into his eyes, Levitt felt her final protective shield completely crumble. For years, she had let the fear of society, the phantom weight of their forbidden family ties, and the terror of judgment dictate her every breath. She had fought her own heart until she was bruised and bloody inside.

But watching this brilliant, untouchable man stand in her modest apartment, dripping wet because he had crossed a literal storm just to find her, she realized she was done fighting. She was tired of the rules. She let the fears wash away into the rainy night, finally letting herself belong entirely to him.