Chapter 29: Stay Here With Me

Chapter 29: Stay Here With Me Lucien’s POV Her whole body seemed buried in bruises... some were fading and some were still fresh. The ones I could see, I treated. The ones I couldn’t... I didn’t ask. But I knew there were more that I couldn’t reach. I didn’t know what all she had faced before this, but one thing was certain— From here on, no one would ever lay a finger on her again, not while I was alive. And for that, I needed to know who was behind all this. I could’ve found out on my own, and I had my ways. But if she already knew, it would make things easier and faster. Still... I didn’t think she’d tell me. But she did. She gave me a name. And it was not that hard to guess the reason behind it. And more than that, she trusted me with it. That trust... it caught me off guard. But what I didn’t expect was the way she looked at me after. Like she had said the same thing a hundred times before... and no one had ever listened. Like she was ready to be ignored again. And when I believed her? Seraphina froze. As if I were the first person who didn’t call her crazy. The first one who didn’t doubt her words. "You’ve been through something no one should ever go through," I said, keeping my voice low. "If you say it was her, then I believe you. And I’ll handle the rest." There it was again— my tongue worked faster than me, and I ended up promising her. For a second, she looked like she didn’t know whether to run from it... Or finally, hold on. "Look," she began, voice steady but low. "I know you care because you know my brother. And I still don’t understand why he’s doing all this... sending you to help me. But... this is my fight. And I want to fight it alone." I stared at her, not sure if I’d heard her right. She wanted to fight alone? With what? That bruised skin? That shaking body that looked like it hadn’t known rest or food in days? I had no idea what kind of strength she thought she still had left—but whatever it was, it wouldn’t last long. She was worn down. Her bones barely had meat on them. And yet somehow, still standing. But how long could she keep that up? She had no idea what was waiting for her outside. And I had no intention of letting her walk back into hell alone. "Sure," I said, my voice calm. "If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you." There was no point arguing with her. She wasn’t the type to be told what to do. I could see it in her eyes, the way she held her ground, even when her body looked like it was falling apart. She was still fighting. And if this was the way she wanted to do it, I’d respect that. But just because she wanted to fight alone... didn’t mean she actually would be. I’d stay close and watch from a distance. The second someone tried to break her again— I’d be there. Even if she never asked for help, she’d never be unprotected again. Seraphina’s POV I was thankful for Lucien—more than I could ever say out loud. His words had a way of settling the storm inside me. He believed me, stood by me, and didn’t question what I had told him. But even then, I knew I couldn’t let myself rely on him. I couldn’t hand him my pain and expect him to carry it. I couldn’t let my revenge, my broken past, or even the dream of peace become something he felt responsible for. That was mine... All of it. And I had to walk through it alone. Yes, he had helped me. Yes, he had shown me kindness when I least expected it. But all of that.... And every step he took toward me was only because of my brother Adrian. Because someone asked him to. And I didn’t want that to change into an obligation. Or become his regret for wasting his time on me. The more I involved him, the deeper he’d sink into the chaos I came from. And the last thing I wanted was to see the one person who saved me... end up ruined because of it. So no matter how much I wanted to let go and to fall into the comfort of his presence, I couldn’t. This was my burden. My fight. And I had to finish it on my own. "Since I’m not stopping you, promise me one thing." His voice cut through the silence in my mind, pulling me back to the present. I turned to look at him, his expression unreadable, but his eyes focused, watching me like he already knew I’d try to resist whatever he was about to ask. "Yes?" I raised an eyebrow, my voice cautious, laced with both confusion and curiosity. I had no idea what kind of promise he wanted from me now. And deep down, that made me uneasy. "Stay here," he said, each word deliberate. "Just for a few months... before you throw yourself into whatever war you’re planning." His tone was calm, and I could tell it wasn’t a request. I stared at him, trying to make sense of it. Stay? Here? With him? For months? I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected something like this from him. He didn’t ask me to give up the fight. He didn’t try to take away my purpose. But he was asking for me to give myself some time. And that terrified me more than the path of revenge itself. Because staying under the same roof as him... meant I’d be around the one person who made my heart forget everything it had endured. The one person whose presence shook my walls, no matter how tightly I held them up.