Claire's POV

I studied my reflection in the full-length mirror with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Beneath the scarlet slip dress, black lace lingerie hugged every curve—a secret meant for one man's eyes alone. The dress itself was pure temptation, its silk caressing my skin while delicate straps framed my collarbones before diving into a neckline designed to drive him wild. I'd spent an hour perfecting every detail: hair curled to glossy perfection, lips traced in deep crimson, the delicate gold bracelet he'd given me last Christmas glinting against my wrist.

Our four-year anniversary.

Four years of patient waiting. Four years of absolute faith.

My mother's voice whispered through my memory like a prayer: "True love waits, sweetheart. Never give your heart away until you're absolutely certain." I'd lived by those words with the devotion of a saint, waiting for Ethan to be ready—for his career, his dreams, our future. "When I can give you everything you deserve," he'd always said, "that's when you'll get your ring."

Tonight was supposed to be that night.

My pulse fluttered like hummingbird wings as I gathered the blood-red roses tied with white ribbon and lifted the custom cake from its box. "Forever Starts Tonight" scrolled across the pristine fondant in elegant gold script.

The elevator ride to the penthouse stretched like eternity, each floor bringing me closer to what I thought would be the most important moment of my life.

I used my key and stepped into what should have been our future.

Instead, I walked straight into hell.

The sounds hit me first. Raw, animalistic moans that made my stomach clench. Then I saw them: Emma, my stepsister, was arched on all fours across his sofa, her back straining as Ethan drove into her with brutal, rhythmic force.

"Did my goody-two-shoes stepsister ever make you feel this good?".

Ethan's hand roughly kneaded her breast, his eyes glazed with lust. "That prude? Couldn't even get wet if she tried. I was fucking bored to death."

White-hot, blinding rage surged through my veins, incinerating every ounce of love and hope I'd ever felt.

Four years. Four years of my life. And Ethan knew, intimately, how much I despised Emma. Her mother was the homewrecker who'd ripped my family apart, stolen my father. And now, Emma was systematically dismantling my future, too.

The air rushed from my lungs in a violent whoosh. My heart didn't just break; it fractured into a million tiny, irreparable pieces. The cake slipped from nerveless fingers, exploding against the hardwood in a shower of white fondant and shattered dreams.

"Oh my God." Emma's breathy laugh was pure venom as she turned to look at me over her shoulder. "Well, this is awkward."

Ethan spun around, his face cycling through shock, guilt, and something that looked almost like relief. "Claire, I can explain—"

"Explain what?" The words scraped from my throat like broken glass. "How long?"

Emma reached lazily for a throw pillow, completely unashamed. "Long enough to know what I'm doing." Her eyes raked over me with cruel amusement. "Though I have to say, that dress is gorgeous on you. Such a shame it's wasted."

"Emma, don't—" Ethan started, but she waved him off.

"Oh please, we're all adults here." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with practiced seduction. "Your little Virgin Mary act was getting old, sweetie. Men have needs."

The room tilted sideways. Four years of "I respect your boundaries" and "when you're ready" and "I love how pure you are." Four years of believing I was treasured, cherished, worth waiting for.

"You said you wanted to wait too," I whispered.

Ethan had the grace to look ashamed for exactly three seconds. "I did think I wanted that. But Claire, we're not teenagers anymore. This whole saving-yourself thing—it's not realistic."

"Don't." The word cracked like a whip. "Don't you dare make this my fault."

Emma's laugh was like breaking glass. "Honey, it's not your fault, exactly. It's just... exhausting. Do you know how hard it is for a man to pretend he's satisfied with hand-holding and goodnight kisses? He's been dying inside."

Something primal and violent erupted in my chest.

The wine bottle—Bordeaux, his favorite, that I'd been saving for tonight—was in my hands before conscious thought kicked in. It connected with his shoulder in a satisfying explosion of glass and burgundy liquid.

"Jesus Christ, Claire!"

But I was already reaching for what remained of the cake, my movements powered by a rage so pure it felt like flying.

Emma's shriek when chocolate and cream hit her face was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

"You psychotic bitch!" she screamed, clawing frosting from her eyes.

"Four years," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the earthquake in my chest. "Four years of loving you. Supporting you. Building a future with you."

"Claire, please, let me explain—" Ethan stepped toward me, wine dripping from his hair.

"Get away from me." I backed toward the door, designer heels crunching on broken glass. "Both of you."

"Good riddance," Emma snarled, still wiping cake from her cheek. "Maybe now he can be with a real woman instead of playing house with a child."

I turned to the door, my hands still trembling, but my spine rigid. "You know what? " I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "You're perfect together. A cheater and a homewrecker. How poetic."

My mind replayed endless nights: the hours I'd spent helping Ethan perfect his résumé, the meals I'd skipped to cover his rent when he lost his job, the gentle way he used to tuck my hair behind my ear and whisper, "You're my future."

All lies. Every single word.

The door slammed behind me with the finality of a coffin lid.

---

The first bar I found was exactly what I needed—dark, anonymous, and pouring doubles without judgment. I'd never been much of a drinker, but tonight seemed like the perfect time to start.

"Rough evening?" The bartender had kind eyes and the weathered face of someone who'd heard every sob story twice.

"Rough life," I muttered, throwing back my second whiskey like medicine.

That's when I noticed him.

He sat alone at the far end of the bar, an island of sharp lines and quiet, undeniable power. His blond hair caught the amber glow of the lights, highlighting a jawline that looked carved from marble. His eyes, the color of a winter sky, were fixed on nothing in particular as he slowly rotated his glass in his hand, lost in thought. He wasn't overtly watching anyone, yet his presence was magnetic.

Perfect.

The alcohol made me bold—or maybe it just burned away my ability to care about consequences. I slid off my stool and walked over, my red dress swishing around my thighs like liquid fire.

"This seat taken?"

He looked up as I approached, and for a fleeting moment, I forgot how to breathe.

"Depends." His voice was whiskey and smoke, refined but rough around the edges. "Are you planning to throw anything at me?"

Despite everything, I laughed. "Only if you give me a reason to."

"Fair enough." He gestured to the empty stool with long, elegant fingers. "Bad night?"

"The absolute worst." I signaled the bartender for another drink. "My boyfriend of four years is apparently screwing my stepsister. On our anniversary."

"His loss," he said simply."Any man stupid enough to betray loyalty like that doesn't deserve what he's throwing away."

The certainty in his voice made my throat tight. "What's your name?"

"Lucius." He studied my face like he was committing it to memory. "And you are?"

"Claire. Claire Morrison."

"Well, Claire Morrison," he said, raising his glass in a subtle toast, "to new beginnings."

We drank in comfortable silence, and I found myself studying his profile in the dim light. There was something almost ethereal about him—too perfect, too still, like a Renaissance statue come to life.

"Take me home with you," I said suddenly, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

His hand stilled on his glass. "You're drunk."

"Not that drunk. I know exactly what I'm asking for."

"Do you?" His voice dropped lower, almost dangerous now. "Because I'm not the kind of man you take home to feel better about a cheating ex-boyfriend."

"Good," I said firmly. "I don't want to feel better. I want to forget everything."

He finished his drink in one gulp and stood, pulling out his wallet .

"My car's outside."

The night air was sharp against my flushed skin as he guided me toward a sleek black Mercedes with his hand warm against my lower back. But as we paused under a streetlight, I caught sight of his eyes again and froze.

The streetlight caught his eyes.

They glowed.

Not the reflection of light, not a trick of alcohol — but a faint, golden glow pulsing from within.

For a heartbeat, the world held still.

"What are you?" I whispered.

Lucius smiled faintly, his voice a murmur against the night. "You'll find out soon enough, Claire."