Chapter 26

The room was silent, save for the soft sound of our breathing, as we lay tangled in the sheets. Dimitri's arm was draped protectively around me, his fingers tracing slow, absent patterns on my bare skin. His breath was steady, but I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, even though I wasn't looking at him.

I turned my head slowly, meeting his eyes, and the tenderness I saw there made my heart flutter.

A faint pang of discomfort flared in my thighs. I tried to ignore it , shifting slightly to ease the discomfort, but it was still there.

"Are you okay?" His voice was low, thick with concern as he adjusted his hold, pulling me closer into his chest. "Did I hurt you earlier, darling?"

I shrugged, resting my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear.

"I'm fine. Just a little... sore," I whispered, closing my eyes. I didn't want to admit it, I don't want him to think that what we shared was anything less than perfect, even if the ache in my body told a different story.

I felt Dimitri sat up and gently cupping my face in his hands. His thumb brushed over my cheek tenderly.

"I'm sorry if I was too much earlier," he murmured, his voice sincere. "I never want to hurt you, Ophelia. I just got... lost in you, darling."

His words made my heart flutter.

"It wasn't too much," I reassured and looked at him, "It's just... it's my first time, that's all."

He smiled, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.

"Still, I want to make sure you're comfortable." His lips ghosted over mine in a kiss, soft and lingering, as if to make up for any pain.

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. I didn't say any word and closed my eyes to feel his kisses.

"You're quiet. Usually, you have something to say." There was a teasing edge to his words, but it was gentle, as if he didn't want to disturb the calm that had settled over us.

I opened my eyes.

"I'm just... soaking it all in." My fingers gently traced the outline of his jaw, memorizing the feel of him. "You... you make me feel things I didn't think were possible."

Dimitri's expression softened, his hand brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "I want to be the one to make you feel everything. You're worth it, Ophelia. All of it."

The sincerity in his voice tugged at something deep within me, something I hadn’t realized was there until now. I felt safe. Loved. Like I didn’t need to hide anymore, to pretend that I was anything other than myself.

"I've never felt more... real," I whispered, the vulnerability in my words matching the rawness in my chest.

Dimitri smiled, his lips curving gently as he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "You are real, and you always will be to me."

I hugged Dimitri tighter, pressing my face against his chest as the calm beat of his heart settled my racing thoughts. His warmth enveloped me, grounding me in the present, but my mind drifted back to a time long ago.

I was just sixteen when I first encountered the business world. I wasn’t forced into it—no, I wanted to go with my parents. I wanted to understand the world they moved in, the decisions they made. And it was during one of those business trips that I first saw him, Dimitri, though only through the screen of a news broadcast. At that time, he was just a name—a rival to my parents in their business dealings.

I had no idea that one day, I would be here with him, so close, sharing something so raw and real.

I had grown up enduring things while away from him, seeing his face flash across news reports, but never would I have imagined the possibility of being here, with him in my arms, after everything that had happened.

Lying in his arms, I realized that everything had shifted—this love we shared, something that had once seemed impossible, was now undeniable. The ache in my thighs was a subtle reminder of the night we had shared, but even the discomfort didn’t compare to the warmth of being here with him, knowing we had overcome so much to get to this moment.

"Darling," Dimitri's voice broke through my thoughts, grounding me back in reality. I looked up at him, meeting his soft gaze as he spoke.

"I was thinking," he said, his voice calm and steady. "How would you feel about staying here in the villa for a while? Just the two of us. No distractions, no interruptions. We can take time to really get to know each other, to focus on us."

I blinked, the idea of spending days here, alone with him, sounded perfect. No outside pressure, no business, just us. I wanted that more than anything.

"For days?" I asked, my voice soft, not fully believing what I was hearing.

He nodded, his gaze warm. "Yes. We can take our time. I want to be with you, Ophelia. We've been through a lot, and now, I just want us to have the time we deserve."

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as my heart raced. It felt like the world had shifted to give us this time, this space to truly be together. "I would love that," I whispered, my voice filled with sincerity. "Nothing sounds more perfect than being with you."

His lips curved into a smile, and he kissed my forehead softly. "Then it's settled," he murmured, pulling me closer. "We'll take all the time we need."

I closed my eyes, feeling the heat of his lips on my forehead, the weight of his arms around me as he pulled me closer. The world outside felt distant, as if it no longer mattered. All that mattered was the moment we shared in each other’s arms, the promise of the days to come.

We stayed like that for a while, silent, just breathing each other in, savoring the peace that had settled between us. But as the minutes ticked by, I felt a shift in the air, a tension that hadn’t been there before.

Dimitri's hands brushed gently over my back, and I could feel his gaze on me, like he was thinking about something just out of reach. I lifted my head to meet his eyes, the question hanging in the air.

"Is something wrong?" I asked softly, my voice laced with concern.

He hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly as he searched my face, then he sighed, a low sound that made my heart race. "There's something I need to tell you," he murmured, his fingers gently brushing a lock of hair from my face.

I felt a flicker of unease settle in my chest. His tone had shifted, and I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever he was about to say was important—too important.

"What is it?" I whispered, my heart pounding.

Dimitri's gaze darkened for a moment, his expression almost unreadable. "It's about my past… and yours," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I froze. The words hung in the air between us like an unspoken threat, and I could feel my breath catch in my throat.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though deep down, I already knew that this conversation was about to change everything.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes held mine, his grip tightening around me as if he was bracing for something. And then, finally, he spoke, his voice laced with something heavier than I could have ever anticipated.

"I'm not just your parents' rival, Ophelia," he said, his words cutting through the stillness. "I'm connected to you in a way you've never imagined… and it's going to change everything."

My blood ran cold as the weight of his words sank in. I opened my mouth to speak, to ask him what he meant, but before I could form a single word, he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine softly, but with an intensity that left my head spinning.

And just as quickly as it had come, the moment passed, leaving me breathless and confused, my heart racing with questions I couldn't yet answer.

"Get some rest, darling," Dimitri said softly, his voice steady once more, though the tension still lingered in the air. "We'll talk more in the morning."

But as he held me close, I couldn't shake the feeling that something dark was looming on the horizon—something that could threaten everything we had. And the nagging question echoed in my mind, *what could he possibly mean?*

And I had a sinking feeling that I wasn't ready for the answer.