CHAPTER TWENTY:HURT AGAIN
1254 Words
The first light of dawn filtered through the towering, draped windows of the grand bedroom, painting golden streaks across the velvet carpeting and dancing upon the embers still faintly glowing in the fireplace. The silence in the castle was deeper than ever—comforting, warm, and oddly tranquil. For the first time since she’d stepped foot into Lucien Virell’s shadowy world, Aurelia felt cocooned. Safe.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. She hadn’t dreamt. Not of her past, not of her fears—only of warmth.
She shifted ever so slightly, instinctively curling inwards, and felt the solid weight of an arm tighten gently around her waist. Her heart skipped. She tilted her head just enough to see his face. Lucien, still fast asleep.
Peaceful.
Almost human.
His dark lashes rested lightly on his pale skin, and his lips—always so cold and sharp in words—were now parted slightly in serene repose. He looked…young. Not ancient, not cruel. Not the merciless CEO or the infamous ruler of the underworld. Just a man.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
She watched him for a long moment, barely breathing, committing this quiet version of him to memory.
Aurelia had fallen asleep in his arms, tangled in limbs and warmth and confusion. It had been overwhelming—the way he’d held her, whispered nothings against her skin, touched her as though she were something precious. There had been no words of love, but there had been care. Hunger too, yes, and desire that burned hotter than the fire itself, but underneath it all—something gentle. Something… aching.
Her fingers brushed lightly against his chest, and she found herself tracing the hard lines of his collarbone through the undone shirt he’d never bothered to remove. He stirred then, but didn’t wake.
Aurelia hesitated before daring to press a soft kiss to his bare shoulder, letting her lips linger just a little longer than necessary.
“Lucien,” she whispered.
He didn’t stir.
She didn’t know what she wanted from him—answers, promises, or maybe just one more moment like this. Just a sliver of clarity in the chaos of everything else. She was falling. Hard. And it scared her.
Eventually, the warmth of his body and the rhythmic sound of his breathing lulled her into a doze again. They slept like that for what felt like hours.
But when she woke again—he was gone.
The bed was cold where he had been. The fireplace had long died. And the vast room echoed with silence.
Aurelia sat up quickly, the blanket sliding off her bare shoulder. “Lucien?”
No answer.
She stood, wrapping herself in the fur-lined robe that hung at the foot of the bed. Her body still ached—not from pain, but from the lingering fire of the night before. And her heart… trembled with something she dared not name.
She paced the room. Checked the hallway. Called out for him.
Nothing.
Not a note. Not a word. Not even the head maid appeared.
It was as though he’d vanished into mist.
Hours passed.
She waited in the library. Then the music room. Then the west garden.
Each minute stretched endlessly, dragging her deeper into confusion. Had it meant nothing to him? Had she overstepped? Let herself be vulnerable again to a man who would only abandon her?
Her thoughts were spiraling.
By nightfall, Aurelia stood in front of the massive dining hall doors. She hadn’t eaten all day. But she hadn’t felt hungry. Only empty. The chandelier above the long table glowed dimly, casting shadows on silver cutlery no one was using.
Just as she turned to leave, she heard it—the front doors creaking open.
Footsteps echoed in the entrance hall.
Aurelia froze, heart pounding as she raced toward the sound.
And then… there he was.
Lucien.
Tall. Composed. His suit immaculate. His face unreadable.
The weight in her chest lifted, only to crash again when she saw his eyes. Cold. As if last night never happened.
“Where were you?” she asked, her voice cautious but raw from holding it in.
He didn’t answer right away. His gaze swept over her, coldly, clinically. “That is none of your concern.”
The breath caught in her throat. “You disappeared.”
“I had business.” His tone was like ice.
“Business? After everything last night—Lucien, does last night mean anything at all to you—”
“Mean ?” he cut in sharply. “No aureila I don't feel”
Her body recoiled as though he’d struck her.
“And do not forget your place, Aurelia.” His voice dropped to a dangerous low. “One night of weakness does not change the terms of your presence here.”
She blinked, stunned. “ Weakness?” I thought we've past this
Lucien stepped closer, and she could smell the faint trace of blood on his collar. “I made a mistake indulging you.”
Her throat tightened.
He continued, cool and calculated. “You were bought. Paid for. And while I may not always show it, I do honor contracts. But don’t confuse that with affection.”
Every word pierced her like a blade.
“You—You didn’t mean any of it, do you?” she whispered.
He said nothing.
“And here I thought…” Her voice cracked. “Maybe, just maybe, you were something more.” You hold me, console me.
"Were you having fun with me all this while? " she asked in a trembling voice.
His jaw clenched, but his eyes betrayed nothing.
He should have console her, tell her everything is not what they seem instead he hurt her in a way he already started regretting.
"What's wrong with having a little fun." he replied.
She trembled but did not waver instead she stood straighter, blinking back tears. “I won’t beg for your attention, Lucien.”
“Good,” he said coldly. “Because I done acting nice.”
And with that, he walked past her.
Her knees gave way.
She collapsed onto the floor, the velvet carpet soaking up the tears that finally fell.
---
In the shadows of the upper corridor, Lucien stood still, his body taut with restraint.
He had not gone far. He never truly left.
The moment he’d felt her stir in his arms that morning, his instincts screamed to run. She was becoming dangerous. Not because she posed a threat—but because she was making him feel.
Which has make her become a target and prey to many of his enemies who wants him dead and he knows their are eyes everywhere not after the sound he heard last night by the door after she fall asleep that is why he had vanished into the forest. Spent the day with blood on his hands—some willingly spilled, others less so. He’d hoped the violence would purge the warmth she’d left in him.
It hadn’t.
Seeing her again had taken everything in him not to pull her into his arms and hold her like he had before.
But he couldn’t afford weakness. Not with enemies watching. Not with secrets that could destroy them both.
He’d hurt her.
And he hated himself for it.
Lucien’s hand curled into a fist.
He would protect her—even if it meant being the monster she thought he was.
Even if it meant breaking both their hearts.
---
- Writer
