He Lost The Temper

He Lost The Temper
Her breath caught.

The sound of her name on his tongue was rough. possessive. like it belonged to him and no one else. Even in this crowded house, surrounded by walls that never stopped listening, that one word felt like a claim.

For a fleeting heartbeat, she thought he might cross the distance and claim her right there, before his mother, the servants, the ghosts that watched from the marble floors.

And God, a reckless part of her wanted him to.

But then Lucas’s venomous words slithered back into her mind, coiling tight around her ribs.

He doesn’t love you. You’re nothing more than the thrill of the forbidden.

Her spine stiffened. Her lips parted, but no words came. The moment shattered before it could become something dangerous. She dropped her gaze and moved away, clutching the bouquet like a shield.

He noticed.
He always noticed.

A shadow crossed Aaron’s face, gone as quickly as it came—but his hand twitched at his side, as though fighting the urge to reach for her.

Alina forced her steps steady, heels clicking softly across the polished floor as she drifted toward Lucas’s room. Her pulse thrummed with unease.

Be aware of your surroundings, Alina. Always be aware.

She repeated it like a prayer. If Merlin sensed even a flicker of tension between them, this fragile peace would shatter.

She was almost at the door when she froze.

“Don’t you think it’s better to change the place where we kept it?”

The voice came low, urgent, edged with fear. One of Lucas’s old friends.

“You need to keep it hidden until we’re sure. If Aaron finds out—”

Her pulse stumbled. The words clawed at her, dragging her closer.

If Aaron finds out…

Her fingers trembled against the wall. The air thinned. This was it. the secret. The noose Lucas held over her.

She leaned closer, desperate to catch another word—

A hand caught her wrist.

She gasped, spinning straight into Aaron’s storm.

His grip wasn’t cruel, but firm enough to silence every instinct but fear. His thumb pressed against her pulse, feeling the frantic beats under her skin. His eyes. those dark, merciless eyes, burned with fury and something else.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was low. Dangerous. The kind that could strip someone bare.

“I—I just—” she stammered, twisting in his hold. The voices inside were fading. She couldn’t lose them,

But his grip tightened. not to hurt, just to remind her who held control.

His gaze bored into her, cutting through every wall she had. His silence was heavy, suffocating, until he finally spoke, his voice like a blade.

“Come with me.”

Not a question. Not even anger. A command.

Her breath hitched, trapped in her chest. He turned, dragging her with him, his fury simmering like fire barely contained.

But then—

“Alina, dear, can you come up? I need you here!”

Merlin’s voice cut through the air like a bell.

The spell broke.

Alina jerked as though burned, yanking free from his grasp. Without daring to look back, she fled toward her mother-in-law’s call.

Every instinct screamed one thing—survive.

She didn’t see the danger that still lingered behind her.
She didn’t see the storm she’d just unleashed.

Aaron stood frozen, eyes gone blood-red with fury. Each echo of her retreating footsteps struck something deep inside him. something primal.

She’d run from him. From his hold.

His jaw flexed, his breath darkening into a vow.

“A bad move, mia cara,” he murmured. “You’ll regret this.”

•••

That evening, the house smelled of spices and sugar, but Alina felt nothing.

She stood beside Merlin in the kitchen, pretending to listen, pretending to belong. Her hands moved on instinct. stirring, mixing, smiling… while her mind replayed the burn of his touch.

Aaron’s voice still haunted her. Come with me.
No man had ever made her feel both fear and fire in the same breath.

Heavy footsteps broke her thoughts.

She didn’t need to turn to know. The air changed when he entered. it always did.

“Alina.”

The sound of her name hit her like a gunshot. The spatula almost slipped from her hand.

She turned, heart slamming in her chest.

Aaron stood in the doorway, tall, unyielding, his jaw tight. His stare was cold steel, except for the flicker of rage burning beneath it.

Merlin straightened, startled. “Aaron, what—”

“Not now, Mother.” His voice sliced through her words. “There’s a margin error in the inventory. Alina needs to fix it immediately. She’s coming with me.”

The lie rolled off his tongue so smoothly even Merlin hesitated.

“But—”

“Now.”

The single word silenced her. Even she knew better than to question him when his temper burned like that.

Aaron’s eyes stayed on Alina, hard and unreadable.

“You have five minutes.”

Then he turned and walked away, the echo of his steps trailing like thunder.

Alina’s stomach twisted. Merlin’s silence pressed against her back, suspicious yet uncertain.

Alina didn’t speak. She couldn’t. She simply left the kitchen, her body moving on instinct—one step, then another. Toward a storm she couldn’t escape.

Because she knew.
He wasn’t taking her to any office.

And whatever awaited her behind that locked door…
was meant for her.

and her alone.