The moment Riven stepped through the heavy oak door, the stale scent of the room wrapped around him like a shroud. The air was thick with unspoken truths and the weight of all that had been left unsaid. His eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the chandelier, flickering faintly above the scattered remnants of last night's chaos.
Cassian was there—leaning against the marble countertop, arms crossed, eyes dark and unreadable. No words greeted him. No welcome, no accusations, no soft apology. Just silence and that heavy, possessive tension that seemed to crackle in the air between them.
Riven's heart pounded, a tempest of desire and dread coiling in his chest. The fire between them hadn't dimmed; if anything, it roared fiercer—twisted now with the pain of betrayal and the ache of longing.
Without hesitation, Cassian stepped forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His lips crashed against Riven's in a kiss edged with pain, ownership, and a desperate hunger. It was a claim, a warning, and a plea all at once.
Riven's breath hitched as he melted into the fierce embrace, fingers tangling in Cassian's hair. The kiss deepened, fiery and demanding, igniting every nerve. But beneath the passion lurked the sharp sting of lies—secrets they both carried like weapons.
When they finally broke apart, Cassian's gaze bore into Riven's, searching, accusing, aching.
"You left without a word," Cassian whispered, voice rough. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?"
Riven swallowed hard, the weight of his own guilt pressing down like a vice. "I thought it was the only way to keep us both safe."
Cassian's jaw clenched. "Safe? Or just easier for you?"
The room trembled with the force of their unspoken emotions, the fragile bond between them stretched to its breaking point. But even as suspicion and pain threatened to consume them, the undeniable pull of love—flawed, fierce, and unyielding—held them together.
"I'm here now," Riven said, voice low but steady. "No more running."
Cassian's expression softened, the raw edge of anger giving way to something vulnerable. "Then don't leave me again. Not like this."
The night stretched on, heavy with whispered promises, fevered confessions, and the slow unraveling of the lies that had driven them apart. In the shadows of their shared past, they fought to rebuild trust—one searing touch, one fragile word at a time.