Mihai
MIHAI
I spot her the moment she walks in, and it’s like the air’s been forced out of my lungs. My mouth goes dry, and I find myself frozen for a beat, just watching her.
Fuck.
Maddy looks… different tonight. The usual quiet, reserved girl has been replaced with someone who commands attention. She’s dressed in a pair of fitted jeans that hug her curves in a way that makes it hard to look anywhere else, and that black corset—Jesus Christ, the curves on this woman. I just wanna fucking sink my fingers into?—
No. Fuck no.
Her blonde hair is tied up in a high ponytail, showing off the tattoos that snake down her arms, the ink shimmering slightly under the flickering light of the bonfire.
I swallow hard, trying to get a grip on myself, but it’s not working. She’s always been beautiful, but this? Fuck me, I can’t stop staring at her like a creep.
Connor’s glued to her side, just like I told him to be. He’s watching her like a hawk, making sure no one gets too close. He’s good at this, playing the charming friend while keeping an eye on her, and I know I can trust him with her safety.
Still, a part of me feels like I should be the one next to her. Not Connor.
I’ve been avoiding her since our day by the creek because I know getting close to her would be a big fucking mistake. She’s just a job, that’s all she’s supposed to be. But, fuck me, it’s getting harder to stay away.
“Eyes up here, Vasile,” a deep voice says beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I glance over and see Konstantin Drakos smirking at me, his dark hair slightly tousled, a cigarette dangling loosely from his fingers. His presence is as commanding as ever—tall, muscular, with an air of arrogance that could rival anyone here.
He’s dressed in all black, even his nails are painted black, and the leather jacket only adds to the bad-boy image he cultivates so well.
Perfect Crown material.
“You’re distracted,” Konstantin notes, taking a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air. “By her?” he nods toward Maddy.
I don’t answer, just scowl at him, which makes him laugh softly.
“No judgment,” he says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “But if you don’t want people noticing, you might want to wipe that look off your face.”
I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “What do you want, Drakos?”
He takes another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly before responding. “Just wanted to say hi. Make sure we’re good.” He gestures vaguely to the crowd, his tone casual but pointed. “My family’s position—well, you know how it is.”
Ah, there it is. The real reason for this conversation.
Konstantin’s family—the Drakos family—has been vying for a spot in the Five Crowns, especially after the chaos with the Reyes family. Santiago’s death left a power vacuum, and everyone knows Konstantin’s parents have been eyeing that seat. But securing that kind of power requires more than just ambition. It requires alliances. Connections.
And that’s where my sister comes in.
“Your family’s making moves and we’ve noticed,” I say, keeping my voice low, so no one around us can hear. “But you already knew that.”
Konstantin raises an eyebrow, intrigued. “Go on.”
I lean in slightly, switching to Greek, just to make sure no one else can understand us.
“If you’re serious about taking the Reyes seat, you’ll need more than your family’s reputation. You’ll need to secure the right alliances. And Marina… She’s a key part of that.”
He blinks, the smirk slipping from his face as he processes what I’m saying. “What are you implying, Vasile?”
I keep my voice steady, my tone calm. “You may need to play nice with my sister. Because if your family gets that seat, there’s no way around it—there’ll be an arranged marriage. And you know what that means.”
He stares at me for a moment, his expression unreadable, and I can tell he’s weighing the implications. Marina’s been talking about Konstantin non-stop, and she’s made no secret about her interest. But this isn’t just about attraction. This is about power. And Konstantin knows it as well as I do.
“Arranged marriages,” he mutters under his breath, taking another drag of his cigarette. “So fucking archaic.”
I shrug. “Welcome to our world.”
Before he can respond, Marina walks up, her smile bright and full of energy as she loops her arm through mine. She’s glowing tonight, dressed in a deep red dress that sets off her tan skin and dark hair. She looks stunning, and from the way Konstantin’s eyes flicker over her, I can tell he’s not immune to her charms.
“,” she says sweetly, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Are you monopolizing Konstantin? Because I was hoping to steal him for a bit.”
I chuckle, shaking my head as I step aside. “All yours, sis.”
She grins, turning her full attention to Konstantin. “Come on, Drakos. Let’s see if you can keep up with me.”
Konstantin looks at me for a moment, before he takes Marina’s hand and lets her lead him away. I watch them for a second longer before returning my attention back to the crowd, scanning for Maddy.
She’s still with Connor, standing near the edge of the garden, but she looks more comfortable now. She’s smiling—actually smiling—and it hits me harder than it should. There’s something about that smile that pulls at me in a way I can’t quite explain.
Connor catches my eye from across the garden, and even from here, I can see the amusement in his expression. He knows. Of course, he fucking knows. He’s always been able to read me better than anyone else. And right now, he’s probably enjoying the hell out of this.
I grit my teeth, turning away before I can make an even bigger fool of myself. It’s stupid, this jealousy, this possessiveness I feel when I see her with him. But no matter how hard I try to shake it, it’s still there, gnawing at me like an itch I can’t scratch.
I glance back to see Marina laughing as Konstantin whispers in her ear. It’s a power play, of course. But with Marina, things get tangled with emotion quickly.
She’s always been the impulsive one, the one who follows her heart first.
Konstantin catches my gaze again, a silent question in his eyes. I nod, signaling that he should play along. Marina may be impulsive, but she’s no fool. He’ll have to work hard if he wants to secure anything more than a passing flirtation.
But right now, none of that matters.
What matters is the bitter knot in my gut, the one I’m starting to recognize for what it is.
Jealousy.
I’m not supposed to care about her like this. But then I see her laughing with Connor, her eyes bright for the first time since she got here, and I can’t help it.
I want to be the one making her smile like that.
I want to be the one she trusts.
But I can’t. I can’t let myself get that close, not when I’m already in too deep.
Still, that doesn’t stop the ache in my chest as I watch them together, even though I know Connor isn’t interested in her.
Before I even realize what I’m doing, my feet are moving, taking me straight toward her. Connor sees me first, of course, raising an eyebrow when he catches me walking over. There’s a glint in his eye that tells me he knows exactly what’s going through my head. I’m sure he’ll tease me about it later.
Bastard.
“,” Connor says, his tone light as I get closer, “fancy seeing you here.”
I don’t bother with him, my eyes locked on Maddy. She’s still holding that notepad, her fingers gripping it a little tighter as I approach. Her smile falters for a second, replaced by uncertainty, and I feel a knot of awkwardness tighten in my chest.
“Alone time?” Connor says in Russian and I want to seriously punch him.
“Fuck off,” I mutter under my breath, but there’s no heat behind it.
Connor just grins and winks at Maddy before walking off, leaving us standing there. Alone.
Shit. It’s awkward. Way more awkward than I’d planned. Maddy shifts on her feet, glancing down at the notepad in her hands, like she’s unsure what to do with it now that Connor’s gone.
Where the fuck is that Crown confidence now?
Fuck, Connor. The guy knows how to set up a scene, grinning and winking like he’s some matchmaker, leaving me here to stumble through whatever this is. Maddy’s glancing down at her notepad, probably wishing for any excuse to bolt.
And I get it—I’m the one who went ghost after that day by the creek, leaving her to wonder. I almost curse myself for it, but I can’t get into that now.
I clear my throat, trying to find some sort of footing. “So… you enjoying the bonfire?”
She nods, glancing up briefly before looking away again, her expression uncertain. She seemed so much more comfortable just now with Connor, actually smiling, and now here she is, tense and guarded. All because of me.
I take a deep breath, deciding to just dive in. “Look, Maddy, I know I’ve been… not around as much.”
She looks up at me, and there’s a flicker of determination in her eyes as she raises the notepad. Her pen moves quickly, and she turns it around to show me.
Why have you been avoiding me?
It’s direct, no frills, no sidestepping. Just the truth, right there on the page, hitting me harder than I’d expected.
I shift, running a hand over the back of my neck, stalling a little as I try to pull together an answer that doesn’t sound like I’ve been running.
“I, uh… had to deal with some things for my father. It wasn’t about you, Maddy.”
Fuck, I hate lying.
She watches me, her expression skeptical, and I know she’s not buying it. Not entirely, anyway. There’s more I could say—should say—but I’m not sure how to put it into words that don’t sound weak or give too much away. So, I let the silence settle again, hoping she’ll let it drop.
But she doesn’t. She just watches me, and her eyes have that intensity, that depth that makes it impossible for me to look away.
Finally, she writes again, her pen scratching quickly across the page.
You made me feel safe, . Then you disappeared
My chest tightens at the words, and any excuse I could’ve thrown together dies on my lips. There’s a lot I could say, but none of it would be enough to explain what I was really doing—trying to give her space, thinking it was the right thing, when all I did was leave her hanging. I didn’t mean to let her down, but here we are, with me fumbling for words.
“Yeah, I screwed up,” I admit, scratching my jaw. “I thought… I don’t know, maybe I thought giving you space would be better. Didn’t think you’d want me crowding you.”
She looks at me with an expression I can’t quite read, a mix of frustration and something softer, almost sad. She starts writing again, and I wait, bracing myself.
Crowding isn’t what it felt like. It felt like you cared
There’s a pang in my chest, and I can’t hide the way my expression shifts. She wanted me there. Maybe, in my own twisted way, I was protecting myself as much as I was trying to protect her. But that doesn’t change the fact that she felt abandoned because of it.
I step a little closer, keeping my voice low. “I do care, Maddy. More than you might think.”
She looks up at me, her eyes widening slightly, and for a moment, it’s like there’s nothing but the two of us here, standing in the glow of the bonfire, everything else fading away. I can feel the pull between us—-I’ve been fighting against it but can’t seem to shake it.
She takes a breath, glancing down at her notepad again, her pen moving slower this time.
Then don’t disappear again
It’s a simple request, but it hits me straight in the chest. She’s putting herself out there, asking for something that’s probably difficult for her to ask, and all I can do is nod, knowing there’s no way in hell I’ll make that mistake again.
“I won’t,” I say, my voice steady. “I promise.”
She gives me a small smile, one that’s almost shy, and I feel that warmth spread through my chest, easing the tension that’s been there since I started avoiding her. This thing between us, whatever it is, it’s more than I expected. More than I thought I could handle.
Finally, she scribbles one last line, holding it up for me.
Let’s not go quiet on each other again
I nod, taking her hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Deal. No more disappearing acts,” I say, feeling like an idiot for not having anything better to say. “You, uh, look beautiful tonight, by the way.”
Her eyes widen slightly at the compliment, and for a second, she looks like she doesn’t believe I said it. I watch as her cheeks turn pink, and she glances away, scribbling quickly on the notepad before showing it to me.
Thanks. You too
I can’t help but smile at that. It’s a small thing, but it feels like a step forward.
“Didn’t think I’d ever get a compliment from you,” I tease lightly, trying to ease the tension between us.
Maddy rolls her eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile playing at her lips now. She writes again:
Well, don’t get used to it
I chuckle softly. “Too late. I’m holding on to that one for a while.”
That earns me a real smile from her, the kind that lights up her face, and suddenly, it doesn’t feel so awkward anymore. I can see why Connor enjoys being around her. She’s got this quiet charm, the kind that sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
“So,” I say, shifting my weight slightly, “you like bonfires, or was this more of a ‘dragged here by the girls’ situation?”
She smirks, lifting the notepad:
Definitely dragged here. But it’s not so bad
I laugh at that, nodding. “Yeah, I figured. Marina can be persuasive.”
Maddy nods in agreement, her eyes sparkling now, like she’s finally relaxing. I take a deep breath, feeling a little more at ease myself. Perhaps this won’t be as difficult as I thought.
“I’m glad you came,” I say quietly, and I mean it. “I think it’s good for you to get out. Be around people.”
Her expression softens, and she writes again on the notepad, then hesitates for a second before showing it to me.
It’s hard. But I’m trying
I meet her gaze, and for a moment, I don’t know what to say. I’m not good at this at all.
“I know,” I say softly. “And that’s enough. Just trying.”
She looks down, her blush deepening, and I realize that I might’ve just made things awkward again. Great, , way to go.
I clear my throat, trying to steer the conversation back to lighter topics. “You know, I think you’ve got Connor wrapped around your finger,” I say, grinning.
Maddy’s eyes flicker with amusement, and she quickly writes:
He’s sweet
I smirk. “Yeah, but don’t tell him that. His ego’s big enough already.”
She laughs—actually laughs—and the sound catches me off guard. It’s soft but real, and it makes something warm settle in my chest. She looks up at me, and I can see the way her eyes shine, the blush still lingering on her cheeks.
I can’t help but smile at her. “You should laugh more. It’s a beautiful sound.”
Maddy glances away, her blush deepening again, and I feel a surge of satisfaction at being the one to make her smile like that.
She writes on the notepad, then holds it out to me:
I’ll think about it
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
We stand there for a moment, the awkwardness from earlier completely gone now. She’s still smiling, and for once, I feel like I’m actually getting through to her. It’s a small step, but it feels like progress. Like I could help her find her way back to who she used to be.
And fuck, if that isn’t something I want more than I should.
I glance at the fire, then back at her. “Come on,” I say, nodding toward the flames. “Let’s get closer to the fire. It’s cold out here.”
She nods, falling into step beside me as we walk toward the warmth of the bonfire. I keep stealing glances at her, watching the way the firelight flickers against her tattoos, the way she seems so much lighter now than she did before.
And that makes me feel like I can protect her. Not just from the danger surrounding her, but from the darkness inside her, too.