"𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑽𝑼𝑺: 𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑫𝑨𝑹𝑲 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑮"

“𝟐: 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑽𝑬𝑳𝑽𝑬𝑻 𝑪𝑨𝑮𝑬”

The moment the car door slammed shut, I felt as if every connection to the outside world had been severed. Inside, unlike the morning frost outside, the air was trapped in a suffocating heat, thick with Corvus’s smoky, ashen cologne. I pressed my back against the cold leather seat, staying as close to the door as possible.

The distance between us was only a few inches, but to me, it felt like an uncrossable abyss.

Corvus leaned back with a relaxed air, crossing his legs. He didn't take his eyes off me for a single second. His gaze traveled over my skin like a predator searching for the weak spots of its prey. The only thing breaking the silence was the low, deep hum of the engine.

I fixed my gaze on the Istanbul traffic rushing by outside, fighting the urge to look at him. But when I heard his faint, mocking chuckle, I gritted my teeth.

"The life outside that window no longer belongs to you, Elara,"

he said, his voice spreading through the car like velvet.

"Why do you try to run? Avoiding my gaze doesn't change the reality you're in."

I slowly turned my head toward him. Meeting that uncanny glint in his eyes, I felt something tremble deep inside me, but I didn't let it show.

"The reality I’m in is nothing but your tyranny,"

I said, my voice like ice.

"Just because you got me into this car doesn't mean I’ve bowed to you."

With that captivating yet dangerous smile playing at the corners of his lips, Corvus leaned slightly toward me. As the distance between us vanished, I forced myself not to hold my breath. Keeping eye contact without breaking it for a moment, he placed his hand on the seat between us.

"I don't want you to bow, Elara,"

he whispered. His voice came from so deep that it echoed in my chest.

"A woman who bows is ordinary. I love your stubbornness, your unquenchable rage. Our war isn't just a victory to be won; it will be a ruin to be lived through."

He paused, his fingertips brushing the sleeve of my jacket as if by accident.

"And believe me, little girl, the only thing that will survive this wreckage will be the hatred in those beautiful eyes of yours."

I couldn't say a word. His words were as fluid as poetry but as lethal as poison. Without being over-the-top, every word he spoke narrowed the invisible circle around me. I leaned back and looked at the road again, but this time, he could surely hear the pounding of my heart.

As the car moved away from the city's noise and approached the gates of a massive mansion at the end of a forested road, I knew: the real story was only just beginning.

When we reached the massive iron gates at the end of the forest path, the sight before me took my breath away. It wasn't just a house; a modern fortress stood before me. Under the midnight blue sky, the yellow lights leaking from the mansion’s glass facades made the majesty of the stone walls even more prominent.

Dozens of guards waiting at the gate moved as one body, bowing respectfully the moment they saw the car approach.

As the guards opened the heavy gates, Corvus’s black luxury vehicle glided onto the stone path like a monarch entering his own territory.

When the car stopped right at the entrance, Corvus stepped out immediately. But he didn't let the driver open my door. He walked around to my side, appearing before my door like a shadow.

He opened the door and stood before me with his massive frame. Without saying a word, he extended his hand toward me. That hand wasn't just an offer of help; it was the first step into his world. Hesitantly, trying to hide the trembling of my fingertips, I placed my hand in his palm. The warmth and firmness beneath his leather glove reminded me once again that there was nowhere left to run.

He led me out of the car gently but with an authoritative air. Walking a step ahead of me, he headed toward the main entrance. With every step he took, the sound of the marble beneath his feet raced with my heartbeat. When we reached the front, the massive oak door creaked open in silence, as if it had been waiting for us.

The moment I stepped inside, I stumbled from the scent that filled my throat. It was the same as in the car—Corvus’s smoky, ashen, and dangerous cologne had seeped into every corner of the house, becoming the very soul of the mansion. It felt as if even if he weren't here, his presence would continue to press down on me in every square inch.

In the dim light of the hall, orange flames from the fireplace danced on the antique paintings on the walls. Corvus stopped right at the threshold, turned slowly toward me, and began to approach with heavy, deliberate steps, his eyes locked onto mine. The distance between us was so small I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin. Placing his hand on my waist, he pulled me slightly toward him and whispered into my ear, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine:

"Everywhere you catch my scent is now your home, Elara. And remember; every step you take inside this house will find an echo in my heart."