Sarah POV
The restaurant's ambient chatter and soft candlelight couldn't drown out the unease gnawing at me. Across the table, Eren's sharp gaze rested on me, his composed demeanor masking whatever thoughts churned beneath the surface. I guess bringing me to dinner was a way for him to try to figure me out.
I forced myself to focus on the meal in front of me, cutting into my dish with practiced precision. Though I had little appetite, I couldn't afford to let anything seem out of place tonight. Zeke's cryptic warnings still echoed in my mind, and the weight of his call threatened to fracture the careful façade I'd been maintaining.
The soft buzz of my phone rattled on the table, and I stiffened instinctively.
Eren's eyes flicked to the screen, then back to me. "Who's calling?"
I glanced down. Zeke. My chest tightened.
"Zeke," I said lightly, reaching for the phone. "I'll take this—it's probably about something work-related."
Eren's brow lifted slightly, but he said nothing, swirling his wine in the glass as I answered the call.
"Zeke," I said, keeping my voice casual, "I'm out right now. Is this urgent?"
"Sarah," Zeke's voice was steady, but the undercurrent of urgency was unmistakable. "We need to talk. I've been digging deeper into the Blackwood family history, and I've found something… disturbing. You need to hear this."
I resisted the urge to glance at Eren, who was now sipping his wine but watching me out of the corner of his eye. I straightened in my chair, keeping my tone level. "I see. Could it wait until tomorrow? I'm in the middle of dinner."
"No, Sarah. You're not grasping this. The Blackwood family's power—what they're tied to—it's not natural. There's a supernatural element at play, something dark."
My fingers tightened around the phone. I forced a small smile, my voice carefully measured. "That's fascinating, Zeke, but it sounds like we'll need more time to discuss it. Let's set up a call tomorrow."
"Sarah—"
"Tomorrow," I repeated, cutting him off gently. "I'll call you first thing. Enjoy your night."
I ended the call and placed the phone face down on the table, exhaling softly as I reached for my glass of water.
Eren's expression hadn't shifted, but there was a calculating sharpness in his gaze. "Zeke seems persistent. What did he want?"
"Nothing important," I said smoothly. "He's been looking into some files I asked him to check. He's convinced he's stumbled onto something big, but it's probably just another wild goose chase."
Eren arched an eyebrow, setting his glass down. "He seems awfully invested. What kind of records?"
I shrugged, feigning indifference. "He's interested in histories, old estates, things like that. I mentioned it once, and now he's treating it like his life's work. I didn't realize it would keep him so busy."
Eren leaned back slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile. "Zeke should be careful. Some histories are better left buried."
There was an edge to his words that sent a chill through me, but I refused to let it show. "I'm sure he's fine. It's just a hobby for him."
Eren nodded, though the intensity of his gaze didn't waver. "You should tell him not to waste his energy on pointless pursuits. There are better ways to spend one's time."
I smiled politely, taking a sip of water to avoid responding. The tension between us felt like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of polite conversation, but my mind was elsewhere. Zeke's words echoed in my thoughts, louder now that I was alone with them. Supernatural ties. Darkness. How much of what he'd said was true?
As Eren paid the bill and we left the restaurant, I could feel his eyes on me, a weight I couldn't shake. He might not have pressed further tonight, but I knew this wasn't over.
Whatever Zeke had uncovered, it was dangerous. And if Eren even suspected that I was digging into the Blackwoods' secrets, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For now, I had to tread carefully. The pieces were slowly falling into place, but the picture they formed was one I wasn't ready to face.
The stillness of the mansion after dinner with Eren was a stark contrast to the quiet tension that had lingered between us all evening. Every shadow cast by the dim sconces seemed to stretch longer, every creak in the floorboards echoing louder than it should. The weight of Eren's warning to stay away from Axel pressed against my mind, heavy and unyielding, though I couldn't ignore the questions it raised.
Eren had been summoned by Victor shortly after we returned, leaving me alone in our bedroom with my thoughts. His parting words—*"Stay away from Axel"—*had been sharp and clear, but they carried no explanation. What was Eren so afraid of? What did Axel know, or worse, what did Axel want?
The sound of the heavy mansion doors closing downstairs signaled Eren's departure, and with it came a strange mix of relief and apprehension. The air felt charged, thick with something unspoken, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
I moved to the vanity, sitting down and brushing through my hair in an attempt to distract myself. The repetitive motion did little to calm the unease simmering beneath my skin. My thoughts flickered to the phone call with Zeke, the warnings and cryptic truths he'd revealed. The more I uncovered about the Blackwood family, the more I realized how entangled I was in their web of secrets.
A soft knock at the door shattered the fragile silence, and my heart leapt into my throat.
For a moment, I was frozen, staring at the door as if it might open on its own. Eren was gone—there was no reason for him to return so soon. And yet…
Another knock. Firmer this time.
"Sarah," a voice called softly, and the sound of my name made my blood run cold.
Axel.
I rose slowly, my pulse racing, and approached the door with cautious steps. My hand hovered over the doorknob, torn between opening it and pretending I wasn't here.
"Sarah, I know you're in there," Axel's voice came again, lower, almost coaxing.
I swallowed hard, steeling myself, and cracked the door open just enough to see him. His tall frame loomed in the dim hallway, the shadows accentuating the sharp angles of his face. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a hint of his chest, and his tousled hair gave him a disheveled, almost dangerous charm.
"What do you want, Axel?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
His lips curved into a faint smile, but his eyes held an intensity that made my skin prickle. "Just to talk. Can I come in?"
I hesitated, my grip tightening on the edge of the door. "Eren told me to stay away from you."
A low chuckle escaped him, and he leaned closer, resting a hand on the doorframe. "Of course, he did. He's always been afraid of what I might say to you. But he's not here now, is he?"
My stomach twisted at the implication, but before I could respond, Axel pushed the door open wider and stepped inside, closing it behind him. The sudden proximity made my breath hitch, and I took a step back, instinctively putting distance between us.
"Axel, you shouldn't be here," I said, my voice firmer this time.
He didn't answer immediately, his gaze sweeping over me with a mix of longing and something darker. His presence was overwhelming, filling the room in a way that made it hard to breathe.
"You've been different lately," he said softly, taking a step closer. "Distant. Distracted. What's going on, Sarah?"
I looked away, refusing to meet his piercing gaze. "its nothing"
A humorless smile tugged at his lips. "You're lying."
The accusation hung in the air, and I felt the walls closing in around me. Axel had always been perceptive, too much so, and there was no point in pretending I could fool him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but even I could hear the tremor in it.
He stepped closer again, the warmth of his presence brushing against me like a flame. "You don't belong with him," Axel murmured, his voice low and filled with conviction. "You never did."
I froze, my eyes snapping up to meet his. There was something raw in his expression, a mix of pain and desire that made my pulse quicken.
"Axel—"
"You don't see it yet," he interrupted, his voice tightening, "but I do. I've always seen it."
Before I could react, he reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek. The touch was gentle, but it sent a jolt through me, and I instinctively pulled back.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice rising in panic.
He didn't answer, his hand dropping to his side as he took another step forward, backing me against the edge of the vanity. His eyes searched mine, his gaze both tender and intense, as if he were trying to memorize every detail of my face.
"You're wasting yourself on him," Axel said, his voice barely above a whisper. "He doesn't deserve you. He doesn't love you the way....the way I do."
The words hung heavily between us, and I felt my heart stop. Love. The word was like a strike of lightning, lighting up the darkness around us and leaving me breathless.
"Axel, you don't mean that," I said, my voice shaking.
"Yes, I do." His voice was unwavering, and the depth of emotion in his eyes left no room for doubt. "I've loved you from the moment I saw you, Sarah."
The intensity of his confession made my head spin. I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to process the flood of emotions crashing over me.
"Stop," I said weakly, my hands pressing against his chest to push him away, but he didn't move.
"You can't deny it," Axel said, his voice soft but insistent. "There's something between us. I know you feel it too."
"I'm married to your brother," I said, the words tumbling out in a desperate attempt to anchor myself in reality.
His expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "A marriage built on lies," he said bitterly. "He doesn't deserve you, Sarah. He never has."
Before I could respond, Axel's hands framed my face, and his lips captured mine in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs. It was a mix of desperation and passion, his emotions spilling over in a way that left me stunned and unable to move.
My mind screamed at me to pull away, to stop this, but my body was frozen in shock. His touch was both tender and possessive, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling in my head.
When I finally found the strength to push him away, I was breathless, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
"Axel, stop," I said, my voice trembling. "This isn't right."
His hands dropped to his sides, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable, his eyes searching mine as if looking for something—an answer, a sign, anything.
"Tell me you don't feel it," he said quietly, his voice breaking. "Tell me, and I'll leave you alone."
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. The truth was tangled up in a mess of confusion and guilt, and I couldn't bring myself to lie.
The silence stretched between us, and Axel's lips curved into a sad smile. "I thought so," he murmured.
Without another word, he turned and walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. "You can keep pretending, Sarah," he said softly, not looking back. "But you can't run from me forever."
With that, he slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with the storm of emotions he'd unleashed.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands trembling as I tried to steady my breathing. The weight of Axel's confession, his kiss—it was too much to process. My world was unraveling, and I didn't know how to stop it.