CHAPTER TEN
953 Words
JAYDEN’S POV
His day had begun earlier before sunrise.
Meetings blurred into one another, boardrooms, reports, decisions that carried weight far beyond words. Numbers. Contracts. Faces that waited for him to lead without hesitation. He was used to it. Control came easily to him as it always had.
By the time he left the city, dusk had already settled in.
The drive home was quiet, his mind finally slowing as the familiar gates of the estate came into view. Even from a distance, he could tell something had changed. The house had transformed.
Lights glowed warmer and brighter than usual. Lanterns lined the pathways. Fresh flowers framed the entrance, their colors deliberate, respectful. Everything had been arranged with care and precision just as expected. The Negasi’s household prioritizes perfection especially when it comes to ceremonies and grand events.
Tomorrow was his grandfather’s remembrance ceremony.
The thought settled heavily in his chest. His grandfather had been more than family, he had been foundation. Strength. Legacy. This house, this name, everything Jayden carried had been shaped by that man.
As he stepped inside, staff moved efficiently around him, heads bowed, voices hushed. The air held quiet reverence mixed with urgency. Preparation was in its final stages.
He loosened his tie as he walked, jacket slung over one arm, planning to find Aurora before the evening slipped away. She had arrived earlier, and he hadn’t yet seen her.
Turning down the main hallway, his focus was elsewhere… well.. until something small collided with him. Or rather, someone.
A box slipped and something fell. He didn’t notice at first as his focus was on the person before him Instinct took over him immediately and then he caught her.
The moment she stumbled into his hands, something unexpected happened. She was lighter than he’d expected and warm. His grip tightened automatically, steadying her before she could fall.
“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice calm and grounded.
When she looked up at him, time stalled.
She was beautiful. Breathtaking
Not the polished kind he was used to seeing at events. Not practiced or aware of herself. This was something softer and natural.
Her eyes were wide, almond-shaped, almost feline, framed by long lashes that caught the light. Her nose was pointed, delicate, as if carefully sculpted. Her lips pink, full, slightly parted in surprise pulled his attention far longer than they should have.
He noticed the faint tremble in her hands. The way her breath hitched.
She smelled faintly of clean linen and something warm beneath it.
New, he realized.
He knew every face in this house. Every routine. Every presence.
She didn’t belong to any of them.
When she spoke, apologizing quickly, he barely heard the words. His focus stayed on her face, on the quiet composure she tried and failed to maintain.
He released her slowly, aware of the moment stretching longer than necessary.
“Be careful,” he told her.
Not a command. A concern.
As he walked away, something tugged at him curiosity sharp and unfamiliar. He didn’t turn back, but the awareness stayed.
He had noticed her before.
The day he returned.
She’d been standing near the hall then, carrying linens, her head bowed, unaware of him watching. Something about her had stood out even then. He remembered thinking she was new. Remembered wondering, briefly, who she was.
He didn’t wonder about people.
That night, long after the house had gone quiet, he found himself awake.
Sleep came easily to him most nights. Not tonight.
He went to the kitchen for water, bare feet against cool floors, the house silent around him. He leaned against the wall, taking a slow drink— And then someone walked in.
Barefoot, was what he noticed first.
Her long brunette hair fell freely down her back, catching the faint glow of moonlight spilling through the window. She wore a short, flimsy nightgown—thin enough that it left little to imagination, soft enough that it made her seem unreal.
Angel was the first word that crossed his mind.
He had never thought that about anyone.
The dim kitchen light framed her like something fragile and forbidden. She opened the fridge, unaware of him, and when she turned—
Shock crossed her face.
He watched her choke on the water, watched color rush to her cheeks, watched her eyes widen as they met his.
And he couldn’t look away.
His gaze traced her slowly, deliberately. Not to intimidate but because something in him needed to see her. To understand why she affected him like this.
Her eyes in the low light were even more striking. Those lashes. That soft curve of her lips. Moist. Pouted slightly from surprise.
Desire stirred. So immediate and sharp. He didn’t understand why his body was reacting to her like that. He was used to women curious and chasing after him not otherwise .
He had never felt curious about a woman like this. Never allowed his thoughts to wander so freely. He didn’t do fleeting interests. He didn’t notice maids in nightgowns.
Yet here he was.
“Careful,” he said, his voice low, even. When the words slipped out “clumsy little thing” he didn’t fully understand why. It wasn’t meant to mock her. It was… softer than he intended.
Dangerously so.
When she fled, he let her go, but wanted her to stay. He stayed where he was, staring at the space she’d occupied, his heartbeat slower than it should have been.
Get it together, he told himself.She was nothing. No one.
And yet as he returned to his room, one thought followed him, very persistent.
He had never looked twice at any woman.
Until her.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD