With all the chaos from last night, my mood never fully ca back. Even after Riley was dragged out of my house, I kept thinking about her face, her stubborn voice, and the way Harlan’s temper could turn cold without warning.
I couldn’t relax.
"Lewis," I started, my voice low, "your friend... he doesn’t seem completely unreliable, but I’m worried he might "
I didn’t finish.
Lewis bent down, slipped one arm behind my knees and the other around my back, and lifted like I weighed nothing. The sudden closeness made my breath catch. His scent wrapped around instantly, warm and steady, calming the panic in my chest.
"He’s not good at loving," Lewis said as he carried upstairs, "but he won’t truly hurt her."
Then, as if we were discussing sothing as simple as dinner, he added, "And tomorrow, change the password."
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
I had given Riley the door code because in my mind, my ho was her ho too. She had shared her parents with in the sa way, like we were already family long before blood ever mattered.
Still... her timing last night had been terrible.
When we reached the bedroom, Lewis locked the door behind us. The click of the lock did sothing to . It wasn’t just safety.
It was territory.
It was his quiet promise that no one would cross this line.
He ca close, eyes dark but gentle. "Elena... no one can disturb us now."
Lately, Lewis had been getting more intense. More needy. More hungry for in a way that made my skin warm even before he touched .
And I didn’t mind.
To be wanted by the man I loved fully, openly felt like healing.
We gave in to each other until the night blurred into early morning. When I finally lay beside him, chest rising slowly, I saw a ssage on my phone.
From Riley.
She said she was going to the Whites’ residence tomorrow to get close to Whitney for .
My heart sank.
I sat up too fast and called her imdiately.
Riley answered half-asleep, her voice thick with irritation. "Sis, do you know the ti? You two have a sex life, but I don’t!"
"Riley," I whispered harshly, "stay away from the Carlyn brothers. Don’t get involved with them. They’re dangerous."
"Elena, relax," she mumbled. "I know what I’m doing. And Harlan will be there too."
"That doesn’t make it safe," I said, my forehead creasing. "Keep your guard up. Those two are not as simple as they look. If anything happens, call imdiately. And for now, don’t let people see us moving together too much. If Taylor notices a pattern, he’ll start suspecting you."
"Got it," she said, already fading. "Now go back to sleep."
She hung up.
I stared at my phone, feeling helpless.
A mont later, Lewis ca out of the bathroom, water still clinging to his hair. He lifted the blanket and slid into bed, pulling into his arms like he didn’t want even a breath of space between us.
"Don’t worry," he murmured against my hair. "Riley isn’t as clueless as you think. Didn’t you once tell Lena to let her grow? You care about Riley more than Lena does."
I let out a small laugh, even though my nerves were still tight. "It’s just a habit. I worry. If we have kids one day, I’ll probably be worse."
Lewis’s arm tightened around . His fingers slowly combed through my hair, soothing, claiming.
"Then I’ll calm you down every ti," he said, voice husky. "Sleep."
And with him holding , I finally did.
The next day, I woke up to a surprise.
Just yesterday, I had ntioned wanting to visit the Doltons. Today, Lewis had already arranged it.
Maybe he wanted to make things clear to them, to Tiffany, to anyone still pretending they had a chance. Maybe he also wanted to see for myself that his loyalty wasn’t just words.
Either way, the calm confidence in his actions made feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt in years.
After Luke, I finally understood what steady love looked like.
It was Lewis.
The only thing that stung was his act. The way he still had to appear helpless in front of outsiders. I couldn’t walk beside him the way I wanted. Not openly.
Still, when his car pulled up to the Doltons’ villa, he looked unbothered, like nothing in this world could shake him.
Tiffany was already waiting outside.
She looked stunning, dressed like she had been expecting him all night. She opened the car door with a bright smile, eyes fixed on Lewis.
"Lewis, you..."
Then she saw .
Her smile froze.
I smiled back, sweet and bright. "It’s . Surprised?"
Her expression sharpened. "What are you doing here? You’re not welco."
Lewis answered calmly, cutting through her tone. "I brought Riley to visit your father."
Tiffany’s jaw tightened. She clearly wanted to stop us, but she couldn’t not without disrespecting Lewis directly.
I stepped out and took in the property.
The villa had a traditional courtyard design, but roses were everywhere. Bright blooms climbed over white walls and crawled around black roof tiles. It was beautiful in a dramatic way like sothing pure being wrapped tightly in temptation.
I pushed Lewis inside.
Peter Dolton was in a tea room, writing quietly. The atmosphere was peaceful, like the outside world couldn’t touch it.
The mont he heard the wheelchair, he looked up.
"Lewis?" His face lit up. "Co, co. Look at this."
Then his gaze shifted to , and he paused, studying my face like he was matching it to a mory.
"This is Ms. Gardner, isn’t it?" he asked.
Lewis’s hand squeezed mine. "Peter, this is my wife, Riley. Riley, this is Peter the man who saved my life."
I blinked, surprised.
I expected Peter to be loud, proud, maybe even arrogant especially with Tiffany acting the way she did.
But Peter was graceful. Humble. Kind-eyed.
There was a calm strength in him, like an elder who didn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
"Peter," I greeted softly.
He put down his pen quickly. "You should have told you were bringing her today. I didn’t even know her preferences." He turned slightly, calling out, "Tiffany, tell your aunt to add two more dishes!"
"It’s okay," I said quickly. "I’m not picky. I can eat anything."
Peter waved it off. "Nonsense. It’s your first ti here, and you’re Lewis’s wife. How could we treat you casually?"
His warmth felt real.
Tiffany, on the other hand, didn’t even try to hide her disdain. "She said she doesn’t need anything, so why add more dishes? She’s not that important."
Peter’s face tightened. "Brat..."
Then he looked at with an apologetic smile. "Ms. Gardner, forgive her. I only have one daughter. I spoiled her too much."
"Peter, you’re too kind," I replied.
He gave Tiffany a firm look. "Go."
Tiffany huffed and left, shooting a glare on her way out.
Lewis’s eyes followed her only briefly before turning back to Peter. "What are you writing?"
"An old poem," Peter said, amused. "I wrote the first part. The rest is yours."
He handed Lewis the brush.
I watched Lewis take it.
This was my first ti seeing him write like that. His hand was steady. His strokes were bold and clean, like he didn’t hesitate in anything he did.
Even the way he wrote felt like him controlled, powerful, precise.
I couldn’t help staring.
How could a man be this good at everything?
No wonder Tiffany had been obsessed. His charm wasn’t just his status. It was the way he carried himself, like he belonged at the top.
"Lewis," I said honestly, "your writing is amazing."
He finished the last stroke, then pulled a fresh sheet toward him.
He wrote quickly, confidently:
There’s a beauty I’ve seen, whose image stays in my mind. One day apart, and I miss her madly.
My face heated.
"Lewis," I whispered, embarrassed, "Peter is still here."
Lewis didn’t care. "He’s seen everything."
Peter chuckled warmly. "Yes. I was young once too. You two have a strong bond."
I gave a small nod, trying to hide my smile.
And then a woman’s voice ca from behind us, gentle and clear.
"Lewis’s here? I cut so fruit."
My heart gave a strange little jolt.
That voice.
It was the sa voice I heard at the gazebo last night.
I turned quickly.
A woman walked in wearing a white dress embroidered with magnolias. A matching flower was tucked into her hair. Her features were striking deep-set eyes, a graceful mouth, the kind of beauty that felt both soft and dangerous.
Lewis glanced toward her and said calmly, "This is Amber Dolton, Tiffany’s aunt."
As I studied her, I realized she was studying too.
Not casually.
Closely.
Like she was asuring sothing she couldn’t na.
"Amber," I greeted, keeping my smile polite.
But inside, that strange feeling returned quiet, sharp, and uneasy like my instincts were warning before my mind could understand why.
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