What Was Asked of Her

Gem Benitez works in the shadow of powerful men.

As the trusted assistant to Aidan Han, she is valued for her precision, her discretion, and her ability to endure without complaint. Her body bears the marks of an old fire, but her mind remains sharp - often sharper than those who underestimate her.

When Lucien enters her life, he offers something different: attention without pity, honesty without agenda, and a desire that feels dangerously like the validation she craves. Caught between a man who protects her until she can no longer breathe and one who desires her until she no longer recognizes herself, Gem must learn to distinguish devotion from possession before it's too late.

As corporate rivalries and personal vendettas converge, Gem discovers that loving two people is not the danger.

Belonging to neither may be.

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This story is written for the Open Novella Contest v.2026.

✦ ᑭᖇOᗰᑭT 115 ✦
A prophecy claim that you will love two people. One destined to save your life and the other destined to destroy it. The trouble is, you have no idea which is which.

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(more description coming soon)