Chapter 1: Crimson Temptation
The first time I saw him, I didn't know the danger that came with the name.
Lucien.
His presence seemed to carve through the room, subtle yet undeniable, like a shadow slipping into the edges of light. I could feel his eyes on me before I even saw him, the intensity of his gaze wrapping around me, pulling me in. I could almost taste the electricity in the air, thick with something unspoken, something forbidden. But I was foolish then, thinking that a glance could never hurt. A glance had never killed anyone.
That night, I was surrounded by the usual faces—polished smiles, empty laughter, the hollow clinking of glasses—but none of them mattered. The moment I stepped into the ballroom, I felt like an outsider, my breath unsteady beneath the weight of a thousand expectations. The society event I was dragged to was never my scene, but my family had insisted, their relentless demands an unspoken threat. It was a mask I wore, a mask I hated.
But then, there he was.
Lucien stood across the room, as if he had materialized from the darkness itself, his presence drawing the light to him. The other guests hardly noticed. Or perhaps they were too afraid to.
Tall, impossibly handsome, with sharp features that could have been carved from stone. His dark eyes, cold yet burning, caught mine across the room, and I couldn't look away. He wasn't smiling, but the slight curve of his lips suggested a secret only he knew—one that sent a shiver straight to my core.
I should have turned away. I should have.
But my feet betrayed me, pulling me forward against every ounce of reason I had left. There was something about him that was magnetic, dangerous, an allure that made my pulse race, and not in a way that felt safe. It felt… wrong. But then again, I wasn't the kind of person who ever followed the rules.
I moved through the crowd, my heart pounding louder with each step I took toward him. The closer I got, the more I could feel it—the weight of his gaze. I wanted to run, to escape, but at the same time, I couldn't. Not from him.
"You're late," a voice came from behind me, smooth as velvet but dark as the night itself. I froze. His voice.
Turning slowly, my stomach flipped at the sight of him, so much closer than I realized. Lucien was standing inches away now, his presence overwhelming, suffocating.
"I—" I stammered, but the words died in my throat.
He wasn't smiling, but his lips curled up at the corners as he studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
"Did you think you could escape it?" he asked, his voice low, sending shivers up my spine.
I didn't know how to answer him.
Escape it? What was he talking about?
Before I could respond, he moved past me, his arm brushing mine. The touch was brief, but it felt like fire had burned its way up my arm, spreading like a slow ache through my body. It was as though every cell in my body had come alive, and I cursed myself for not moving away, for not breaking free of the magnetic pull he seemed to have over me.
The room was too warm now, the music too loud, the chatter too far away. I couldn't focus on anything but the man in front of me, and the suffocating draw of his presence.
"Enjoying the party?" His voice was quieter now, a whisper in my ear that made my breath hitch.
"Not really," I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.
His lips twitched in amusement. "You don't belong here, do you?" he asked, as if he could see right through me.
I didn't answer. There was no need. He was right. I didn't belong in this world of pretentious smiles and hollow conversations. But this? This felt dangerous in a way I didn't understand, in a way I didn't know how to run from.
"Neither do you," I replied, my words coming out bolder than I intended.
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. He was watching me—intently, carefully, like a predator circling its prey.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. "But tonight, you're going to make an exception."
Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd as if he had never been there at all. My heart hammered in my chest, and I struggled to catch my breath.
I didn't know it then, but that moment would mark the beginning of something I couldn't escape. A temptation so deep, so consuming, that there would be no turning back.
And I would find myself caught in its crimson grip.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur, the sound of laughter and music dulling into the background. I found myself haunted by his words, his presence, the way my body seemed to crave his touch even though every instinct screamed that I should run. It was only when the clock struck midnight that I realized the truth: I had already made my choice.
I was already falling into his world.
And once you fall into Lucien's world, there's no escape.