Chapter 34 Thirty Four
Salvatore carried her through the hallway like she weighed nothing.
Mira tried very hard not to notice how steady his heartbeat felt against her chest.
Tried not to notice how naturally her body seemed to fit against his.
Which was ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous that she was having this crazy thoughts.
Because this was Salvatore Corvin.
Possible serial killer. Oscar winner manipulator.
And a human red flag.
And yet her fingers were still curled against his shirt like they belonged there.
“This isn’t professional at all,” she muttered under her breath.
“You should have thought of that before wandering around the house.”
“You sound like you were watching me.”
“It wasn’t.”
Mira glanced up at him suspiciously.
His expression remained calm, but she could see amusement hiding there now.
That dangerous kind.
The kind that made him look hotter. Less cold.
Unfortunately… also more attractive.
Which felt deeply unfair.
They entered the sitting room a moment later.
Large windows overlooked the gardens outside, sunlight pouring across the dark furniture and polished floors. The room was quiet, peaceful.
Salvatore walked straight toward the long black couch near the fireplace.
Then carefully—far too carefully for a man like him—he lowered her onto it. Mira inhaled softly as his hands slid from beneath her legs.
But one of them lingered briefly at her waist again.
Steadying her.
His fingers were warm through the thin material of her shirt.
And for one dangerous second neither of them moved.
Her eyes lifted slowly to his. And he was leaning close..
“Why do you keep staring at me like that?” Mira asked quietly, mostly to distract herself before her brain melted completely.
His brow lifted slightly.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re trying to figure something out. Or do I have something funny on my face?”
He didn’t say a word he just stared at her.
Then— after a long seconds he spoke
“Maybe I am.”
Her stomach tightened.
Salvatore straightened slowly after that, creating distance between them again.
Mira hated how noticeable the loss of warmth felt.
He glanced toward her ankle.
“You’re staying here today.”
She immediately frowned.
“No. You can’t ..” His gaze returned to her face. Cutting her off.
“That wasn’t a suggestion.”
“You can’t just ask me to not do my job.”
A small silence passed between them.
Mira crossed her arms stubbornly.
“And besides I have things to do.”
“Such as?”
Her mouth opened.
Closed again.
Because she definitely couldn’t say:
Investigate you for murder.
“…Stuff.”
One corner of his mouth twitched. “ stuff ? Stuff you can’t mention?”
Mira narrowed her eyes at him.
“You don’t get to boss me around because I’m injure.”
“I literally employ you.”
“That’s not the point.” She shot back irritatingly
“It sounds exactly like the point.” He said staring at her his hand in his pocket.
She glared at him.
He stared back calmly.
And somehow… somewhere in the middle of all this irritation and tension and confusion—
The atmosphere shifted again.
That same charged feeling from the dance.
Like something dangerous sat quietly between them waiting for one of them to acknowledge it.
Mira looked away first.
Bad decision.
Mira suddenly became very aware that he was standing over her.
His rolled-up sleeves. His watch.The veins in his hands.
God… she really needed help.
“You’re thinking very loudly right now,” Salvatore said, like he could actually hear her thoughts.
Mira snapped her head up.
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are, Mira,” he said softly. His voice was calm, but it somehow felt like it touched her skin.
Her chest tightened.
“You make it hard to like you, you know?” she said, sharper than she meant.
He paused.
Then he stepped closer again.
Not too close .. Just close enough that it felt impossible to ignore him.
“And do you hate me, Mira?” he asked quietly.
The way he said her name made her stomach twist.
She quickly looked away.Because looking at him gave her wicked wild thoughts
Salvatore watched her for a moment.
Then his voice dropped again.
“You should ice your ankle.”
“I know,” she muttered, still not looking at him.
A second of silence passed.
Then his hand came up and gently turned her face back toward him.
Mira froze.
“You should answer when someone is talking to you,” he said softly.
Her breath caught.
He was too close.
Too close for her to think straight.
She could feel his breath near her face.
Her mind went blank for a second—then filled with things she didn’t want to think about.
Her heart beat faster.
Then he let go.
Just like that.
He stepped back like nothing happened.
“Don’t go wandering around the house again,” he said, already turning away. “I don’t want you hurting yourself more.”
And then he walked out.
Leaving Mira sitting there on the couch, staring after him, trying to calm her breathing.
Mira sat there for a moment after he left.
Still.
Trying to calm her breathing.
Trying to ignore the fact that her heart was beating so fast like just made love to her or kissed her.
And nothing happened.. she couldn’t believe she was craving a madman.
She leaned back into the couch and rubbed her face with one hand.
“…This house is going to make me lose my mind,” she muttered.
Then suddenly Her phone rang. The sound made her flinch slightly.
She reached for it quickly.
It was Anna.
Mira’s shoulders dropped a little in relief.
At least it wasn’t another mystery message.
She answered.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Anna’s voice came through, bright but slightly sharp. “You’ve been quiet all day. I was about to assume you got kidnapped or worse gotten caught .”
Mira let out a small breath.
“I’m fine.”
A pause.
Anna wasn’t convinced.
“You don’t sound fine.”
“I’m fine,” Mira repeated, slower this time. “Just… tired.”
There was a short silence on the other end.
Then Anna asked carefully, “What happened?”
Mira hesitated.
Her eyes drifted toward the door Salvatore had walked out of.
Nothing she could say out loud made sense.
Not the abandoned building.
Not the birds. Not him carrying her.
Not the way he looked at her like he already knew too much.
So she chose the safest answer.
“…I twisted my ankle.”
Anna reacted immediately.
“What? How?”
“Long story.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Mira sighed.
“I just… fell. I’m okay.”
Another pause.
Then Anna’s tone softened a little.
“And your boss?”
Mira stiffened slightly.
“…What about him?”
“Is he helping you or making it worse? Hope you’re not getting fired for this?”
Mira almost laughed at that.
Almost.
Because the real answer didn’t fit into anything simple.
“He’s… annoying,” she said finally.
“That sounds like a ‘yes he’s making it worse’ kind of answer.”
“I said he’s annoying.”
Anna hummed like she didn’t believe her, but let it go.
“Just be careful, okay? That place is death zone.. and we don’t want you dying .@
Mira’s grip tightened slightly on the phone.
“I’m being careful.”
“Good,” Anna said. “Call me later tonight. I want a proper update.”
“Yeah… I will.”
They said goodbye.
The call ended.
Mira stayed still for a second, staring at her phone screen.
The room felt quieter again.
She slowly lowered the phone onto the couch beside her.
“…can’t get distracted ,” she whispered to herself.
But even she didn’t sound convinced anymore.