Chicago's night skyline burned like a crown of fire, skyscrapers clawing toward the heavens as if begging for salvation. But salvation didnt belong here. Chicago was built on blood, on secrets, on the kind of sins whispered only in backrooms and behind closed doors.
Lucinda Morreti stood at the heart of it all, her empire glittering like a jewel against the citys chaos. Éternelle wasnt just a fashion houseit was an empire. Men and women across the globe bowed to her designs, her influence, her name. To the world, she was untouchable. To her enemies, she was a fortress of steel.
But fortresses, no matter how high, always cast shadows.
And in those shadows waited Hades Slayer.
He wasnt just a man. He was a presencean aura that twisted the air around him. Wherever he walked, whispers followed. His name was spoken like a curse, as if the mere sound could call him forth. There were rumors, always rumors: that he rose from nothing, that his empire was built not on wealth, but on bones. That the shadows clung to him, bending like loyal dogs, obeying a master no one dared to defy.
For Lucinda, he wasnt just an enemy. He was a storm brewing at the edge of her horizon.
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A Clash of Empires
Their worlds collided at a gala meant to showcase Éternelles newest line. Crystal chandeliers glittered above, violins whispered in the corners, and men old enough to be her father bowed as she passed. She walked like fire wrapped in silk, every movement precise, every glance calculated.
But the moment she stepped onto the marble staircase, the air shifted.
She felt it before she saw him. A tightening in her chest, the strange electricity that prickled along her skin. And then, there he wasHades Slayer, leaning against a marble pillar as if he owned the room. Black suit tailored to perfection, shadows almost clinging to his frame. His gaze locked on her with the weight of a predator who had finally cornered his prey.
Their eyes met. For one heartbeat, the gala vanished. It was only themthe Queen of Éternelle and the Devil who had come to unseat her.
Lucinda didnt flinch. She descended the stairs with her head high, her voice slicing the tension. Slayer.
Queen. His lips curved, slow, mocking, dangerous. How gracious of you to invite me to your throne room.
I didnt.
Exactly. His smirk deepened. I dont wait for invitations. I take what I want.
The words were simple. But the way his voice wrapped around them, the way the shadows behind him seemed to twitch and coilevery inch of it screamed danger.
And desire.
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Tension Like Fire
As the night dragged on, Lucinda tried to ignore him. She commanded the room, investors hanging onto every word, models and executives bowing with respect that bordered on worship. But every time her eyes swept across the hall, she found him watching.
Not politely. Not discreetly.
Watching like a wolf watches a deer. Watching like he already knew she would break.
Finally, she could no longer resist the pull. Their paths crossed near the balcony, away from the crowd. He didnt move aside. Instead, he stepped closer, his cologne mixing with the night air, his shadow falling over hers.
You walk like you own the world, Hades murmured, voice low, velvet laced with steel. But tell me, Lucinda does the world know how fragile your crown really is?
Her breath hitched, but she lifted her chin, her aura flaring. Commanding. Royal. Dangerous. Fragile crowns still rule kingdoms, Slayer. Remember that.
For a moment, silence stretched. And then he leaned closer, his lips brushing near her ear, words a whisper that coiled down her spine like smoke.
I dont want your kingdom, Lucinda. I want you.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, fury and heat tangling in her chest. She wanted to slap him. She wanted to drag him closer. She wanted to destroy him.
But before she could answer, the doors to the balcony opened. A waiter stumbled in, startled by the sight of them. The moment shattered.
Hades stepped back, that mocking smirk never leaving his face. Another time, Queen.
And just like that, he vanished into the crowd, shadows swallowing him whole
Lucinda gripped the balcony railing, knuckles white. The city glittered below, indifferent to the storm that had just entered her life.
But thenher phone vibrated.
A message. No name. No number. Just words in black against the white screen:
The Devil has come for your crown. And he wont leave until you kneel.
Her blood ran cold.
Because deep down, beneath the fury, beneath the fireshe wasnt sure if she feared kneeling to him… or craved for something else
🔥 End of Chapter One 🔥
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