"It's a simple question, Colton." The older man pressed the end of the gun against my bleeding forehead, his finger resting on the trigger as my fiancée glanced at me with a loveable gaze. "Your future darling or the city."
The look in his eyes qui...
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I smoothed the silken black gown, its starkness a stark contrast to my usual pastels. The fabric clung to my curves, a whisper of sensuality I hadn't known I possessed. My reflection, framed by the ornate mirror, was a stranger in a stolen dress.
I've never felt so beautiful.
The bun at the nape of my neck held my braids neatly in place, but two strands, stubborn and rebellious, escaped to frame my face. I traced them with a finger, a fleeting touch of melancholy. A part of me, a tiny voice buried deep within, whispered that I was still a caged bird, adorned for a feast I wasn't meant to attend.
But Lennox was waiting.
Louis' words echoed in the silence of my room, "He's ready, Angelica."
A smile stretched across his face, a cruel mockery of warmth. It was a smile I'd come to recognize, a smile that meant Lennox was expecting me, waiting for me, wanting me. A shudder rippled through me, a strange mix of fear and excitement.
I followed Louis down the grand, echoing hallway, my bare feet whispering against the polished marble floor. The air was thick with the scent of lilies, their sweet fragrance a suffocating blanket. Every corner, every turn seemed to lead to danger, to Lennox, to the unknown.
The sound of violins, oboes, and flutes, a symphony of elegant torment, drew me closer. The ballroom was empty, a vacant stage lit with the cold glow of chandeliers. It was a tomb, a gilded cage. And Lennox stood at the center, his silhouette outlined by the dancing light. He was regal, imposing, his dark eyes burning with a fire that promised both pleasure and pain.
He turned, his gaze sweeping over me, and a slow, predatory smile spread across his lips. It was a smile that sent shivers down my spine, a smile that both terrified and captivated me.
"Angelica," He whispered, his voice a velvet caress, laced with a threat I couldn't quite decipher. "You look... exquisite."
He took a step towards me, then another, his eyes never leaving mine. With every step, the beat of my heart quickened. A war raged inside me — fear against desire, defiance against submission.
I had become a captive of this man, this monster who had stolen my innocence, yet in his eyes, I saw a glimmer of something else, something akin to admiration. I was a bird, trapped in his gilded cage, and he was the hawk, ready to claim his prize.
Tonight, I would dance with the devil.
In the grandeur of an opulent ballroom, the air thrummed with the melodic strains of violins and a touch of melancholy. Amidst the lavish revelry, a captivating dance unfolded, a waltz that defied the cruelties of a twisted world.
Lennox Haven was a sight to behold. His crisp white suit, adorned with a flowing cape, emanated an aura of icy elegance. His gaze, piercing and cold, belied a heart consumed by darkness. Yet, as he extended his hand towards me, his eyes softened, a glimmer of vulnerability peeking through the façade of cruelty.
I was a vision of innocence in my flowing black gown. My heart fluttered with love for the man who held me captive, a paradox that defied reason. my shy smile illuminated the ballroom, casting a warm glow upon Lennox's hardened features.
As we twirled around the dance floor, our movements were synchronized, an unspoken connection that transcended our opposing roles. The beautiful melodies seemed to wrap us in a cocoon, shutting out the chaos of the world. It was as if time stood still, leaving only the two of us lost in a moment of stolen intimacy.
"My angel," Lennox murmured, his voice velvet-smooth.
My eyes held a mixture of adoration and a hint of longing. "Len," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
With each step we took, the boundaries between captor and captive blurred. Lennox's cruelty seemed to soften, replaced by a tender caress. My innocence lent a glimmer of hope to his darkened soul.
As the music reached its crescendo, Lennox dipped me gracefully, his hand holding my waist, his other hand trailing down my back, a silent caress. Our gazes locked, a whirlwind of emotions swirling in his sapphire eyes, a tempest of desire and something else, something I couldn't quite decipher.
"Oh, my fallen angel," He murmured, his voice a silken thread against the thrumming music. The words, laced with venom in other contexts, felt like a whisper of adoration in this moment.
My breath hitched. The words, spoken so softly, held more weight than any declaration of love ever could. His words were an admission. He saw me, not just as a pawn, but as something more, something he held dear.
His touch tightened, a possessiveness that sent shivers down my spine. A silent promise.
