Selene followed Ethan through the ballroom, her heart pounding. Even as she walked away, Lucian's words echoed in her head.
"Go with him, Selene. But you'll come back to me".
The arrogance in his voice was maddening. But was he wrong?
Ethan pushed open a set of glass doors, leading her onto a private terrace overlooking the city. The night air was cool against her skin, but the heat in Ethan's eyes burned hotter than the summer sun.
He turned to her, jaw clenched. "Tell me you're not falling for his games."
Selene folded her arms. "I barely know him."
"That's the problem." His voice was firm, controlled…but something flickered beneath it. Something deeper. "Lucian doesn't just play games, Selene. He destroys people. He makes them think they have control, then leaves them in pieces."
Selene swallowed. "And you? What is it you do, Ethan?"
His blue eyes darkened. "I protect what's mine."
A shiver ran through her. Was that what she was to him? His assistant? His responsibility? Or… something else?
Ethan took a step closer, closing the space between them. "You don't belong in his world."
She held his gaze. "And what if I don't belong in yours either?"
Ethan exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. For the first time, he looked… uncertain. Like she had hit something raw.
Before he could respond, a voice cut through the night.
"Am I interrupting?"
Selene turned.
Lucian stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame like he had all the time in the world. That damn smirk on his face.
Ethan's expression hardened. "What do you want, Lucian?"
Lucian barely glanced at him. His eyes were locked on Selene. "I was hoping for a dance."
Selene's pulse jumped.
Ethan's hands curled into fists. "She's not interested."
Lucian's smirk didn't fade. "I think Selene can answer for herself."
Silence stretched between them, thick with tension.
Selene could walk away. Avoid the fire before it burned her.
Or she could take a risk.
A slow, dangerous risk.
Without a word, she stepped forward, toward Lucian.
Ethan inhaled sharply but didn't stop her. He only watched as Lucian held out his hand, that smirk deepening when she took it.
Lucian leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "Good girl."
Selene didn't turn back as they disappeared into the ballroom.
But she felt Ethan's stare.
And she didn't miss the way his fists clenched.
She had just started a war.
The ballroom buzzed with life as Lucian led Selene onto the dance floor. The moment his hand rested on her waist, a slow, electric heat spread through her. His grip was light but firm, like he was testing how much control she'd let him have.
The music was slow, sultry, forcing them closer. Their bodies moved in sync, caught in a rhythm that felt as dangerous as it was intoxicating.
Lucian's dark eyes locked onto hers. "Tell me, Selene…" His voice was low, smooth. "Did you step into my arms to make Ethan jealous?"
Selene arched a brow, playing it cool. "And if I did?"
His smirk deepened. "Then I should thank him for handing you to me."
She refused to let him see how his words affected her. Lucian Blackwood was dangerous, the kind of man who could make you forget logic, forget reason, until all that was left was a mess of desire and regret.
"I don't belong to anyone, Lucian," she said firmly.
His fingers tightened slightly on her waist. "That's where you're wrong, sweetheart."
Her muscles tensed. "Excuse me?"
Lucian leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "You don't realize it yet, but you're already mine."
A shiver ran through her. She should step away. Should walk off this dance floor and put space between them.
But the way he looked at her, as if he had already claimed her made her pulse race.
"You're delusional," she murmured.
Lucian chuckled, the sound deep and rich. "Am I?"
His hand slid lower, pressing against the small of her back, pulling her flush against him. Selene's breath hitched. She wasn't used to feeling this… powerless.
And Lucian knew it.
He was testing her, wearing down her defenses with every second.
"You felt it the first time we met," he murmured. "This pull between us. The way the air shifts when we're in the same room." His thumb brushed slow circles against her spine. "It's only a matter of time before you stop fighting it."
Selene swallowed hard. "What do you want from me, Lucian?"
His smirk softened, but his eyes burned with something far more serious.
"Everything."
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Before she could speak, a shadow loomed over them.
Ethan
His face was unreadable..too calm. But the ice in his blue eyes was impossible to miss.
"Dance is over," Ethan said coolly.
Lucian didn't move. Didn't loosen his hold.
Selene felt the tension crackling between them..a silent battle for control.
Lucian smirked, amused. "Jealous, brother?"
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Let her go."
Lucian exhaled, finally releasing her waist. But before he stepped back, he reached for her hand, his thumb gliding over her knuckles. A silent promise.
Then, with an infuriatingly slow smirk, he walked away.
Selene barely had time to process it before Ethan grabbed her wrist, his touch firm but careful. "We need to talk."
She sighed. "Ethan, I…. "
"Not here." His voice was sharp. "Come with me."
Before she could protest, he pulled her through the ballroom, past curious onlookers, and into a private elevator.
The doors slid shut, sealing them inside.
Selene turned to him. "You're mad."
Ethan let out a short breath, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm furious."
She crossed her arms. "Why? Because I danced with him?"
Ethan stepped closer, his eyes flashing. "Because you don't understand what you're getting into."
Selene lifted her chin. "Then tell me."
Ethan gripped the railing behind her, as if grounding himself. "Lucian isn't reckless,he's calculated. He plays the long game, Selene. And when he wants something, he doesn't stop until he owns it."
L
His voice dropped lower, almost dangerous. "And right now… he wants you."
A sharp shiver ran through her.
Ethan's fingers brushed against her cheek, achingly gentle. "I can protect you from him."
Selene's heart pounded. She had spent years fighting for control over her life, for independence, for the right to make her own choices.
But with Ethan this close, his gaze burning into hers…
She wasn't sure she wanted to run anymore.
The air between them thickened.
Ethan's hand skimmed down her jaw, hovering near her lips, as if debating whether to close the distance.
And then..the elevator dinged.
The moment shattered.
Ethan stepped back, his face unreadable. "Stay away from Lucian."
Selene exhaled shakily. "And if I don't?"
Ethan's gaze hardened. "Then he won't be the only one fighting to claim you."
The doors slid open.
And Selene realized something terrifying.
She wasn't just caught between two brothers.
She was caught between obsession and desire.
And she had no idea which one would destroy her first.