The city of Azure Bay stretched out beneath Eva, its lights twinkling like scattered stars, each one marking a life of luxury and privilege. It was a world she had always tried to stay on the edges of—never fully part of it, never fully removed. The wealth, the power, the danger—it was all part of a reality that she couldn't escape, even if she tried.
Her footsteps echoed in the grand lobby of the towering building, the polished marble floors reflecting the high-end elegance of the space. The architecture, all sleek lines and dark elegance, seemed to match the vibe of the city itself—cold, calculating, and undeniably dangerous. Eva tugged at the collar of her leather jacket, feeling the weight of her hybrid identity, and more importantly, the weight of the secret she carried within her. A secret she could never share with anyone, especially not here.
She wasn't supposed to be in places like this. She wasn't supposed to meet people like him.
Yet, here she was.
The elevator doors slid open, and Eva stepped inside, her gaze fixed on the mirrored walls, reflecting the unease she felt. The meeting had been arranged out of necessity, not choice. But she wasn't here to socialize. She was here for business.
When the elevator finally stopped, Eva's heart raced. She stepped out into the plush hallway, her heels clicking on the floors as she approached the office door. She wasn't sure what to expect from the man inside, but she was certain of one thing—he would be trouble.
Lucian.
The name alone made her skin prickle, as though his very presence was capable of stirring up something dangerous inside her.
Eva knocked twice before pushing the door open.Inside, the room was dark, with only a few lights casting long shadows across the walls. The vast windows behind the desk overlooked the city, and in the dim light, the figure of a man stood out like a dark silhouette. Tall, imposing, his back turned toward her, but Eva could feel his eyes on her as soon as she entered. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
He didn't need to turn around for Eva to know that this was him. Lucian.
The air between them crackled, filled with an intensity that immediately made her feel out of place. It was the way he stood, like he owned not only the room but the world outside it. The world she had long avoided.
Eva cleared her throat, trying to mask the unease in her chest. "Lucian," she said, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her stomach. "We need to talk."
Lucian slowly turned, his piercing silver eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, neither of them moved. There was no greeting, no formalities—just a quiet, calculating stare that seemed to pierce through her very soul. The kind of gaze that made her feel as though he already knew everything about her.
"Eva," he finally said, his voice a low, velvety drawl that seemed to vibrate through the air. It was smooth, too smooth. Almost predatory. "I've been waiting."
His words didn't sit well with her. Waiting for what? She couldn't tell, but the sense of being watched, of being measured, left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She forced herself to step forward, not wanting to show any sign of weakness. "I'm here to discuss the arrangements," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Lucian's lips curved into a smile, but it wasn't a reassuring one. It was something darker, something knowing, as though he were enjoying the unease he saw in her eyes. "Of course. But we both know it's never just business when you and I are in the same room."
Eva tensed at his words. He was right—there was something about the way he said it, the way he looked at her, that made everything feel charged. There was an unspoken tension between them, and it only seemed to grow with every passing second.
She wasn't used to feeling exposed like this, not in a world where she was always in control, always careful. But Lucian was different. He made her feel vulnerable, like every wall she had built around herself was slowly crumbling.
"I'm not interested in whatever game you think you're playing," Eva snapped, her voice sharp, trying to regain some of her composure. She wasn't about to let him see how much his presence affected her. "Just tell me what you want."
Lucian took a step forward, closing the distance between them with a slow, deliberate movement. Eva held her ground, but her pulse quickened. He stood too close, the air between them thick with his presence, his power.
"You're fascinating, Eva," he said softly, his voice dropping a notch, becoming more intimate, more dangerous. "You're a mystery I'm dying to solve."
Eva's breath hitched, but she didn't back away. "Don't waste your time. I'm not some puzzle for you to play with."
His eyes darkened for a moment, a flash of something unreadable flickering in them. Then, his expression softened, just slightly, as though he were enjoying the struggle in her eyes.
"I don't think you understand," he said, his voice now low and almost dangerous. "You're already caught up in this world, Eva. There's no going back now."
Eva shook her head, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I'm not like you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucian didn't respond at first. Instead, he stepped closer, closing the final inches between them. His presence was overwhelming, and Eva's instincts screamed at her to move, to run, but her body betrayed her. She didn't want to move.
"Maybe," he murmured, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. "But you're much more like me than you think."
His words lingered in the air like a promise, something she didn't want to hear but couldn't ignore.
And just like that, he was gone. One moment, he was standing right there, so close she could feel the heat radiating from him, and the next, he was turning away, walking to his desk.
"Think about what I've said, Eva," Lucian's voice called over his shoulder, rich with a dark certainty. "I'll be waiting."
As she left the office, the weight of his words pressed down on her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that her life, her carefully constructed world, was about to unravel.