“Why?” She raised an eyebrow, parting her sultry, blood-red lips.
“You don’t have the darkness for it. It doesn’t fit you.”You’re torturing me.
“What do you know? Maybe I do.”
She held my stare fiercely.
I smiled devilishly.
Tonight, I’d have a flower goddess and a wicked witch by my side.
L’Opéra Garnier was full of ghosts and tragic incidents.
From secret passages to the lake under the fifth basement, its somber history had created an excessive fascination. It wasn’t the only haunted place, but luxury has its perks. Those being columns and grand staircases in the image of the Roman palaces, Neobaroque architecture filled with ornamentation and sculptures, flaming red curtains and lavish embellishment.
The crowd focused on taking selfies, putting on display the little wealth they had, and engaging in fake interest in conversations—the whole package with all kinds of smiles. Obviously, most of them stopped their socializing at our arrival.
The room filled with a loud silence, leaving the floor to the ghosts. I peered over Lily, whose hand tightened on my biceps, her nails digging through the fabric of my suit. Her dilated pupils couldn’t hide the mask of panic on her face. You’d think she didn’t like the spotlight, to shine under the gaze of the envious. But the way her chest rose and her skin bristled on her collarbone showed her excitement. Fearless and shy, she was a delicious combo.
The crowd stared. Gasped. Gossiped. Most of them had never dared to look me directly in the eyes, whether it was out of fear or disgust. After all, humans’ eyes expel the ugly from their sight. Curiosity, on the contrary, was a sin they gladly gave in to.
And tonight, the most courageous ones tried—after all, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But they soon drifted their gazes away, meeting the strength of my own. They twitched their lips into scared smiles, swallowing their cowardly thoughts.
But this time, it was different. I inspired not only awe and terror but envy. Not for my wealth. Not for my power. But because of Lily.
“Everyone is looking at us,” Lily muttered.
“No. Everyone is looking at you.” My eyes leered upon her, the words escaping my lips. “You look beautiful.”
I quickly dropped my gaze, ignoring her gleaming eyes. We passed toward the crowd—needless to say, I was feeding her to the sharks. A few of my business partners nodded their heads at me, none of them stepping close to Lily. I read the discontentment of my presence through their politeness.
All the men ogled over her, craving what was mine without having any chance to defy me. Their impulses were nothing compared to my destructive one.
Women glared with jealousy at Lily, not having an ounce of her beauty and her passion.
The person by my side would be the most guarded of all tonight.
You don’t steal what belongs to the Devil, or you’ll have to face his punishment.
In the midst of all this tension, a voice I recognized resonated across the crowd. “Lily!”
The Carmin son had pulled Lily by her arm to make her face him. I held her back, keeping her by my side with a firm grip. He stumbled backward, letting go of Lily when his gaze snapped to mine, stunned.
Only then did Junior realize who she came with tonight. The pulse of his heart thudded in his throat before he reflexively looked at the floor. I held his daddy’s stare from afar. Melissa was hanging on his arm in an outfit that revealed way too much for this kind of event. Her eyes narrowed, lingering on Lily.
“Adonis. Come back here,” Christian ground out, clenching his teeth. The vein on his forehead swelled.It looks like Junior is in trouble.
But Carmin Jr. rebelled, not moving. I guess his attachment to Lily was stronger than I thought. Like he could be enough for her. He wasn’t even a man.
“Adonis. It’s great to see you here.” Lily smiled genuinely, ignoring the sinful desire this prick had for her. “You know Radcliff?”
Like we needed an introduction. The absurdity of this scenario irritated me. Adonis held out his hand hesitantly. I darted my eyes to his gesture. It was only a matter of seconds before he pulled his hand back where it came from.
“Can I talk to you in private?” he whispered to Lily.
Lily turned to me with the purest smile. Her scent intoxicated my senses, and I already cursed the sentence that was coming.
“I’ll be back,” she assured me.
