Illecebrous (18+)

Chapter one

The house had been buzzing with anticipation all day. My mother was in one of her typical flurries, darting from the kitchen to the dining room, adjusting silverware and obsessing over the smallest details. It wasn't every day we had guests—especially not guests like these. My aunt Evelyn and her husband, Adrian, were coming back for dinner after ten long years away.

The last time I saw them, I was such a young girl. Back then, Aunt Evelyn was larger than life—perfect in every way. The aunt with glamorous clothes, always jet-setting off to somewhere exciting with Adrian by her side. And Adrian? He was my favorite person in the world. To me, he was the epitome of everything good—a charming, funny, and gentle man who treated me like I was important. I adored him as only a little girl could.

But that was a decade ago. I wasn't a little girl anymore.

I took a slow breath and smoothed down the fabric of my dress, feeling the soft cling of the material as it hugged my body. It was simple, a black cocktail dress that fell just above the knee—elegant but not flashy. I wasn't trying to get attention, not in an obvious way. Still, there was something exhilarating about the thought of seeing Adrian again. The childlike adoration I once had for him had morphed into something more complicated, something I didn't quite have a name for yet.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, noting the woman who stared back. I wasn't the awkward, shy girl I used to be. My hair fell in soft waves over my shoulders, my makeup was subtle but polished, and my confidence was evident in the way I held myself. Tonight would be different. I wasn't the kid running around at family dinners anymore.

There was a knock at the door, and my younger brother Ethan poked his head in.

"Mom's freaking out. You ready?"

"I'll be down in a minute," I said, giving him a quick smile. He didn't notice the difference in me—nobody in my family really did. But that was fine. I liked having a quiet power, something unspoken but undeniable. I wasn't a child anymore, and I wanted to be seen for who I had become.

The dining room was bright and welcoming when I walked in. My mother had outdone herself, the table set with her best china, candles lit, the smells of roasted chicken and fresh bread filling the air. My father stood near the head of the table, his usual easygoing smile in place as he poured himself a glass of wine. Ethan was already sitting, scrolling through his phone, disinterested in the night's significance.

But none of that mattered once I saw them—Evelyn and Adrian—standing near the fireplace, deep in conversation.

Evelyn looked just as polished as I remembered her—blonde hair pinned in a neat twist, her figure slim and graceful as she spoke with her hands. She had always been elegant, always the woman I'd admired from afar for her poise and sophistication. She hadn't changed much.

But Adrian—he had changed.

He stood beside her, one hand in his pocket, his posture relaxed but attentive, listening to her intently. His dark hair had started to show streaks of gray, and there were lines around his eyes that were new, faint creases that spoke of the years that had passed, of time lived and experiences gained. But beneath those subtle changes, Adrian was still the same man I remembered—serious, composed, and quietly handsome. His presence filled the room in a way that made everything else fade into the background.

I paused for a moment at the edge of the room, letting my gaze linger on him before I crossed the threshold. As a child, I had idolized him. Adrian had always been the calm to Evelyn's energy, the thoughtful one, a man of few words but always with a reassuring smile. He had treated me with a kind of gentle affection that, at the time, felt fatherly—warm, protective, safe.