Elena couldn't sleep again. Her mind replayed the evening's events over and over the way Camilla smiled too easily at Victor, the subtle flicker of possessiveness he didn't fully hide, and the sharp edge of jealousy she refused to admit aloud.
Her hands clenched the sheets as she tried to calm herself. This is ridiculous, she thought. He's my employer. I signed a contract. I can't feel… anything.
The faint click of the door made her freeze.
Victor Hale stood there, his silhouette framed by the dim hallway light. He didn't smile. He didn't speak. He just looked at her dark eyes burning with a mixture of curiosity, calculation, and something unspoken.
"You're awake," he said softly.
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, her voice low.
He stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind him. "I noticed," he said, his tone almost casual, yet sharp enough to make her pulse skip.
"You noticed?" she asked, incredulous.
Victor's lips curved slightly. "Yes. You're restless. Thoughts racing. Tension in your shoulders. You're too aware of me."
Her chest tightened. "I'm not aware of anything except that you're… frightening."
He took a careful step closer, stopping just short of her bed. "I see," he murmured. "And yet, here you are. Waiting. Watching. Thinking."
"I'm not " she began, but he cut her off with a slow, deliberate shake of his head.
"You're lying," he said quietly. "Every moment in this house, you feel me. You fight it. And yet… you notice me more than anyone else."
Elena swallowed hard. "You're imagining things."
"Am I?" he whispered, tilting his head, his dark gaze holding hers. "I watched you tonight. Every reaction. Every glance. Jealousy doesn't suit you, Elena but it suits me to see it."
Her stomach flipped. "Stop saying things like that."
"Why?" he asked softly. "Because it's true?"
She wanted to look away but couldn't. His presence was magnetic, suffocating, and intoxicating all at once. Her pulse raced, her breath uneven.
"You're dangerous," she whispered, almost to herself.
Victor's lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. "And you're learning fast."
Her heart thudded. "I'm not learning anything except that you make me… feel things I don't want to feel."
"Good," he murmured. "Feeling is the first step toward obedience."
Her eyes widened. "Obedience?"
"Yes," he said, his voice low, deliberate. "You can fight me. You can resist me. But eventually, you'll realize it's easier to follow than to fight. And yet… I suspect that even if you obey, your heart will still betray you."
Elena's lips parted, and she swallowed hard. She had no words. Her body betrayed her. She felt the tension coiling in her stomach, her pulse hammering at the thought of him standing so close.
Victor leaned down slightly, so their faces were just inches apart. "You're too tempting," he whispered. "Too strong to ignore, too stubborn to control completely. And yet… I want to try."
Her breath caught. "Try what?"
"To see how long you can resist me," he said, stepping back but not leaving. "Because Elena… I don't break easily. And neither do you. That makes this game… interesting."
She wanted to scream, to push him away, to deny every fluttering, traitorous feeling inside her but she didn't.
Instead, she watched him, heart pounding, knowing he had won a battle she didn't even realize had begun.
Victor straightened, dark eyes glinting. "Go to sleep," he said quietly. "Tomorrow will demand more of you. More control. More patience. And maybe… more surrender."
Elena swallowed, her throat dry, and nodded. He left, the door clicking softly behind him, leaving her alone with her racing heart and dangerous thoughts.
She lay back down, staring at the ceiling, trying to deny what she knew already:
Victor Hale was not just dangerous.
He was irresistible.
And the cracks in her resistance were growing faster than she could stop.