Selena's POV
I stirred awake to the softest bedding I'd ever felt beneath me—like clouds woven into silk. The ceiling above was unfamiliar, ornate, bathed in morning light that bled in through long, sheer curtains. It wasn't my room. It wasn't even my world.
My fingers trembled as I touched the white shirt I was now wearing. It was crisp, clean—someone had changed me. My pants, too, were gone, replaced by shorts that barely reached my mid-thighs. I sat up slowly, trying to ignore the chill crawling down my spine.
Memories from last night flooded in—the fall, the blood, the man.
I forced my bare feet onto the cold marble floor and made my way to the door. The hallway outside was long and quiet, lined with tall, closed doors and golden sconces that flickered faintly despite the morning sun. It was a mansion. Expensive. Intimidating. Dangerous.
I wandered through the silence until a faint sound caught my ear. Voices. No—pleading.
I followed the noise to a slightly ajar door. The second I peeked in, my breath caught in my throat.
Leo—shirtless—stood tall, a bandage wrapped tightly around his torso. His expression was unreadable, but his presence was suffocating. Beside him, guards lined the walls, silent and still.
At the center of the room was a man on his knees, his hands tied, face bruised, lips bloodied. He was crying.
"Please... I'm sorry! I didn't want to—she made me do it! Lisa seduced me! It was her fault!"
Leo's voice was a venom-laced whisper. "Lisa? That bitch thought she could bury me. She thought I was dead." He chuckled lowly. "But I took everything she loved. Her crumbling business, her precious cat, her dying father... Soon she'll crawl back, begging. And I'll laugh while watching her rot."
Then, calmly, methodically, Leo—Dimitri—picked up a knife and began slicing through the man's fingers. One. By. One. His screams echoed like a twisted lullaby.
My knees buckled. My hand slapped over my mouth to stifle the gasp, but it was too late.
"Dimitri Romanov!" the man screamed. "You bastard!"
And that's when his eyes—emerald green, glowing under the golden light—met mine. My stomach twisted.
He dropped the knife.
"Shit," he muttered, running a bloodied hand through his hair. "I forgot we had a guest."
I panicked and bolted. Hallways blurred. My breath hitched. Every door I tried was locked. Then—finally—I pushed into a dark room and slipped under a bed, covering my mouth to silence my ragged breathing.
Then—footsteps. Slow. Measured. Each one like a warning.
"Selena..." His voice was soft, like velvet with hidden blades. "Don't hide from me. Come out, like a good girl. I won't hurt you... unless you make me."
I squeezed my eyes shut. I begged him to leave. Silence. And then—
"Got you."
My eyes snapped open.
He was crouched there, grinning like the devil himself, staring at me with predatory warmth. I tried to crawl away, but he grabbed my ankle and dragged me out like prey. I screamed, kicking, but in a second, he was above me, pinning my wrists down.
"You said you loved me," he growled.
"I—I do!" I stammered, my eyes glassy with tears.
"Then why run?" His voice cracked. "Are you going to betray me too? Like Lisa?"
"Lisa didn't deserve you!" I screamed. "She didn't see you! She didn't know you! But I do. I've always known you."
His breath caught, and for a moment, the darkness in his gaze softened.
He kissed me.
It wasn't gentle. It was desperate, aching, raw. Like he needed to feel if I was real. Like he needed to make sure I wouldn't vanish like a dream. I kissed him back—because I had waited so long for this. Even if it tasted like blood and danger and heartbreak.
Then I pushed against him, breathless.
"You reek of blood."
He smirked. "Oops, sorry for that, Señorita," he said with a low chuckle, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His voice was smooth—too smooth, like a warning wrapped in velvet.
He hovered above me, eyes locked on mine, emerald flames burning behind the fake brown lenses. I tried to look away, but he tilted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
"Say it again," he whispered.
I blinked. "Say what?"
"That you love me."
His voice had shifted—no longer teasing. It was a command. A demand. A threat veiled in longing.
"I love you," I said, barely audible, my breath catching in my throat. "And I always will."
He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good. Because I don't know what I'd do if you ever lied to me, Selena."
There it was—that glint of danger behind the charm. The obsession beneath the affection.
He pulled back slightly, just enough to give me air, but his hand still held my wrist firm. His thumb lazily traced circles on my skin, almost as if he was memorizing the shape of me.
"You saw too much today," he murmured, brushing his lips across my cheek. "But that's okay. I'll protect you… even from the truth if I have to."
"Dimitri…" I whispered.
"Shhh." He pressed a finger to my lips. "Don't ruin it with fear. I won't hurt you, Selena. I never could. But if anyone else tries to come close to you…"
His other hand curled into the sheets beside my head, knuckles white.
"I'll make them regret it."
My heart thudded in my chest, unsure whether it was terror or something more dangerous—desire.
"You're mine now," he said, brushing his nose along my jaw. "You crossed into my world, Selena. There's no going back."
And strangely… a part of me didn't want to.
And in that twisted, terrifying moment, I realized something chilling.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't fiction.
I had fallen into the pages of my favorite book—and straight into the arms of its villain.
And I wasn't sure I ever wanted to leave him.
---
"How did you know I fell into your world?"
I asked, watching as he stood and offered me his hand to help me up. I took it, but my expression stayed firm, my tone sharp.
"Leo, I'm serious. Answer me."
He glanced at me and smirked.
"Wow, even when you're angry, you look damn gorgeous."
I blushed despite myself—but that wasn't the answer I was looking for.
"Leo!" I snapped, stepping closer. "Tell me the truth."
He pinched my nose playfully and finally replied, "You know you talk in your sleep, right?"
Everything suddenly clicked. My mouth—this stupid mouth of mine—I must have said everything.
"How much did you hear?" I asked cautiously.
"Everything. From the moment you said I was a character from a book. Which means..." he trailed off, gently squeezing my hand, "this world isn't real for you. You crossed dimensions, Selena."
My breath caught.
He led me back into the room where I had first woken up, and just as I sat down, a thought hit me like lightning.
"Wait—who changed my clothes?"
He froze.
"That... Uh..." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "There were no maids available, and I couldn't ask the guards so... yeah..."
He grabbed a towel and bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. A muffled voice followed.
"It was me."
I froze, eyes wide, then shrieked and threw a blanket over myself, storming to the bathroom door.
"Did you at least close your eyes?!"
"If I had closed my eyes, how would I have changed your clothes or cleaned up the blood?" he replied calmly from inside.
I screamed again, mortified, while he laughed like he had just won a battle.
The bathroom door creaked open, and I peeked out from under the blanket, only to immediately shut my eyes again.
There he was. Dimitri Romanov. Wearing nothing but a towel hanging dangerously low on his hips, water still dripping from his hair, trailing down his defined chest and abs.
I pulled the blanket tighter around me, hiding my face like it could somehow erase the image already burned into my mind.
"Señorita, are you really going to hide from me after I saw everything?" he teased, walking toward the bed with a lazy, sinful smile on his lips.
"Shut up, Leo—I mean Dimitri!" I stuttered, flustered, my voice muffled beneath the fabric. "You didn't have to look…"
"I didn't just look. I admired." His voice dropped, deep and playful, sending a shiver down my spine. "And now, you're acting all shy? Not fair, Selena."
He leaned closer, fingers tugging gently at the blanket. "Come on, let me see your face at least."
"No!" I squeaked.
But in our playful tug-of-war, the towel around his waist came loose—falling to the floor with the softest sound... and the loudest effect on my heart.
My eyes widened. He froze. I forgot how to breathe.
He was completely, entirely naked. My gaze involuntarily traveled—broad chest, sculpted abs, that delicious V-line, strong arms, every inch of him was like a masterpiece sculpted in heat and danger. And down there… yeah, he was definitely not modest.
"Oh... my... god..." I whispered, my cheeks burning like fire as I quickly looked away, heart hammering in my chest. "You're seriously… wow…"
Dimitri raised a brow, stepping back just slightly, but not before smirking at my reaction. "You just scanned me like a book, Señorita. Should I turn the page for you?"
"Stop it!" I covered my face with both hands. "Put something on!"
He chuckled darkly and leaned closer again, the bed dipping under his weight. "But I thought you loved me… even when I was just ink on paper. Now that I'm flesh and blood, you're turning away?"
His fingers brushed my wrist, warm and electric. "I could feel your gaze tracing me like I belonged to you."
His lips were near my ear now, voice low and intoxicating. "Do you want to touch, Selena? I won't stop you."
The air thickened with tension as he gently pulled the blanket down an inch—not by force, but like an invitation. His fingers lingered on my exposed shoulder.
"If you keep talking like that, I might really go crazy," I whispered.
He leaned his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling, his emerald eyes gleaming with mischief and something deeper.
"Then let's both go crazy together."
He hovered above me, towel forgotten, vulnerability and desire reflected in his eyes. But instead of taking the next step, he smiled.
"Not yet," he whispered. "I want to crave you the way you craved for me while I was just a name in your world."
He brushed his thumb over my lips and pulled the blanket up gently, tucking me in like I was something precious.
"Rest for now, Selena. Next time… you won't be able to run."
He stood, picking up the towel, leaving me breathless and flustered in the bed as he disappeared into the closet, the sound of my heart louder than anything else.
He was going to drive me insane.
TO BE CONTINUED ➡️
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