Chapter 40: He Takes Me

Warning: Intense scene ;) 18+

His eyes darkened, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "If it doesn't yet, it will." He released me, his absence jarring, and walked away, leaving me breathless, his threat—and my secret—heavy on my shoulders.

Sylus had become my weakness. And now, for better or worse, he was my secret to keep.

But it wasn't that simple. A chill sank into my bones as I replayed the words I'd overheard, suggesting he might be involved with the Order of the Serpents. If he was tangled up in their world of brutality, then maybe I was just another pawn. My pulse quickened. There was only one way to find out.

The next morning, I went to his atelier. The place hummed with its usual elegance, scented with cedarwood and leather. As I reached his office door, I steeled myself and pushed it open—but nothing could've prepared me for the sight inside.