Chapter 325 - The Manipulator

In the dimly lit master suite of the Vexley mansion, where the flickering fireplace cast long, wavering shadows across the silk-draped bed and gilded walls, Rafael Vexley clung to Eliana Bennett like a man adrift in a stormy sea. His strong arms, usually so commanding and unyielding, trembled slightly as they wrapped around her slender frame. The air was thick with the scent of burning cedar and the faint, lingering perfume of roses from the vase on the nightstand—a stark contrast to the emotional tempest brewing between them. Eliana's warm brown skin pressed against the crisp fabric of his designer suit, her long curly black hair spilling over his shoulder like a cascade of midnight silk. Her honey-brown eyes, wide with concern, searched his face, tracing the lines of worry etched into his chiseled jawline.