Ronan returned to the mansion late at night, his body sore from hours of solitary training in the woods. The grand estate was cloaked in shadows, with only the dim lights lining the hallway offering a faint glow.
As he stepped into his room, he stopped abruptly. His eyes landed on the sofa chair near the window, Leia was curled up there, fast asleep.
A frown creased his brow.
’What is she doing here?’ he wondered, stepping closer.
He reached out, intending to wake her gently, but before his fingers could brush her shoulder, Leia abruptly woke up. She blinked rapidly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before looking up.
A soft yawn escaped her lips as she covered her mouth. "You’re back," she murmured.
"What are you doing here?" Ronan asked.
"I was waiting for you," Leia replied and yawned again before looking at the clock. "It’s past midnight. Where were you for such a long ti? I couldn’t fall asleep, so I thought to co here." She rose to her feet and ended up seeing bruises on his knuckles.
"Did you fight with soone?" Leia promptly held his hand, looking at the faint purple bruises on his knuckles.
Ronan pulled his hand back. "It’s nothing. I didn’t fight with anyone. Go back to your room," he said, averting his gaze from her.
"I’ll go... but only if you tell what’s bothering you," Leia murmured softly.
Ronan turned his head, eting her gaze with steely eyes. "You upset ," he said coldly. "I hate how you’ve suddenly started being kind to . Did you forget how we first t? I asked you to co to my bed," he reminded her, his tone laced with bitterness.
Leia’s eyes flickered, but she stood her ground. "That’s because all of you assud I was just another oga," she replied. "Soone who’d submit without question. And no one ever called you cursed in the club. If you think people—"
"Leia, don’t you understand plain words?" Ronan snapped, cutting her off. "I don’t want you around . Just leave." He pointed sharply toward the door.
Her chest tightened, the pain of rejection sinking in. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Ronan exhaled heavily and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, a low growl escaping his throat before he dragged himself toward the bed.
anwhile, Leia quietly made her way to the upper floor. She shut the door to her room and leaned against it.
"Why does he want to stay away?" she whispered. "What changed so suddenly? Why does it feel like he’s starting to hate ?"
A calm voice broke through her thoughts.
"Ronan isn’t used to love."
Startled, Leia turned toward the bed and found Lucien seated there, the soft glow of the table lamp now illuminating his face.
"What do you an by that?" she asked in confusion.
"Co here," Lucien said gently, patting the space beside him. "Sit. Let explain."
Leia slipped off her slippers and climbed into the bed from the opposite side. As Lucien shifted closer, she imdiately held out a hand to stop him.
"Stay where you are," she said firmly, placing a pillow between them like a barrier.
Lucien let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really don’t trust , do you?"
She didn’t answer, only narrowed her eyes slightly as she settled under the blanket.
Lucien sighed, his expression growing serious. "Ronan believes people are inherently selfish toward him," he began. "It’s not really his fault, it’s our father’s. He always treated Ronan as if he was less, like he wasn’t good enough. You must’ve noticed, Ronan doesn’t have friends. And there’s a reason for that. The few he tried to trust only ended up mocking or betraying him."
Leia’s brows pulled together. "But I’m not like that," she said. "I never pretended before him."
"I know. And deep down, even Ronan knows it," Lucien replied. "But that’s what scares him. He’s not used to kindness that doesn’t co with conditions. He’s not ready to give in to the feelings he’s developing for you."
Leia blinked. "Feelings?" she echoed, frowning. "How do you know that?"
Lucien leaned his head back lightly against the wall and gave a small, knowing smile. "Because I know my brothers better than they know themselves. I observe them closely. I also know that Kieran doesn’t like how close you are to ."
Leia remained quiet, listening to him silently.
Lucien added softly, "Ronan pushes you away not because he dislikes you, but because he’s afraid of what you might an to him. And that fear runs deep in him. He feels you may beco his weakness."
"You know so much about them, then why don’t you try to make Ronan feel better?" Leia asked, her tone laced with curiosity, and a hint of challenge.
Lucien gave a short laugh and slid under the blanket. "Because I don’t annoy him when he’s at his most vulnerable."
Leia shot him a sharp look, lifting an eyebrow. "You think I annoy him?"
Lucien smirked, clearly amused.
"Hey! You’re not allowed to sleep here!" she snapped, grabbing the blanket from his side and tugging it hard.
But Lucien matched her strength, pulling it right back. Neither was willing to give in.
Leia huffed, then used both hands to yank at the blanket while stretching out a leg to push him off the bed. But just as she applied pressure, Lucien’s hand shot out and caught her leg mid-motion.
In a swift movent, Leia lost balance, and the next mont, she found herself sprawled on top of him, her hands landing on his chest with no blanket between them.
"Argh! Let go!" Leia protested, struggling to escape, but Lucien’s arms had already wrapped tightly around her waist.
"The more you push away," he murmured, "the more I want to be closer to you." His lips brushed her ear before nipping her earlobe gently.
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