Today, I answered the video call immediately, after flicking on my bedside lamp to brighten the room. I was still in the clothes I’d worn to class: a corset top that lifted my t**s just right and a pair of baggy jeans. All day, my classmates had complimented me on the outfit, feeding into my vanity. Sure, I already knew I looked good, but it was different hearing it echoed back at me. And then there was Jacob—his eyes following me from the moment I walked into class until I left—but I hadn’t given him the satisfaction of a single glance in return.
The call connected and Lucien appeared on the screen in a grey suit, every line of it immaculate, framed against a floor-to-ceiling window. Moonlight poured in behind him, washing his features in silver, his eyes deepening into something hypnot
