Chapter 56

"Eat first, then sleep," I said simply, carrying her to the dining room. She looked up at me, her face only inches from mine. I could

"Not really," Stella shook her head. "He's just a good person.I don't want

to cause him trouble, especially after he helped my grandmother see the confusion in her eyes. Her weight in my arms felt... right. I found myself studying the cu

rves of her face, the way her hair fell against my arm.how her b

ody fit perfectly against my chest.

I carefully placed her in a chair, watching as she yawned again an

d listlessly picked up the ginseng chicken soup. The chef had spec

ially prepared this nourishing soup. As the meal progressed, I watched her gradually regain her energ

y. The hot soup brought color back to her cheeks

"By the way," she began, her voice still hoarse but stronger than

before, "someone's spreading rumors about me and Luke on social

media. If you see him, could you apologize on my behalf?"

I put down my utensils, feeling a chill in my heart. "I'd like to apologize in person," she continued, unaware of my ch

anging mood,"bvut I don't want to disturb his work. He's probably

busy saving lives."

"Are you and Luke close?" I asked, deliberately keeping my tone c

alm. *Good person.* Hearing those words, something darkened within

me. Luke Morgan had many qualities-intelligent,arrogant, occasional

ly useful-but hearing Stella praise him irritated me more than it s

hould. "Speaking of Dr. Morgan," she mused, tapping her chin,"does he h

ave a girlfriend? I don't think I've ever heard of him dating anyon

e."

I deliberately set down my utensils. "Your throat doesn't hurt any

more?" My tone carried a clear note of displeasure. "Gossip is human nature, you know?" Stella responded lightly,com

pletely missing the warning in my voice.

I watched her continue to sip her soup, oblivious to how her inn

ocent questions affected me. A sense of possessiveness flared wit

hin me. I didn't like this feeling. Not at all. \---The master bedroom was dimly lit by the city lights streaming t

hrough the windows. I watched Stella move around the room,fres

hly bathed and dressed in silk pajamas. Just as she was about to

climb into bed, I grabbed her from behind,pinning her wrists abo

ve her head with one hand. "Mr. Lancaster!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.She looked

like a startled deer caught in headlights. Hearing her formal address, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Even now, after everything we've been through,she still called m

e that when she was shocked or nervous. "I'm-I'm tired!" she protested, looking up at me with wide eyes, her heart racing. "You've slept all day, Mrs. Lancaster," I replied, deliberately loweri

ng my voice to that tone I noticed made her pulse quicken. "It's

time for some evening... activities."

With my free hand, I reached for the bedside drawer. I saw her

eyes widen, probably thinking I was reaching for a condom.Instea

d, I pulled out the dark green tie-the one I had taken from Luke. "What are you doing?" she asked, genuine shock in her voice. When the silk touched her wrists, I saw the realization dawn in

her eyes. Her sudden understanding, the slight hitch in her breat

h-watching her reaction brought me immense satisfaction.

I gently caressed her cheek with my fingers, savoring her respons

e. "Binding you," I whispered in her ear."Perfectly."

We tussled under the covers and then out of them, and in the end, I

didn't let Stella escape, catching her by the ankle.

I massaged her ankle, giving it a gentle tug, pulling her back into myembrace, "Rogue! Let go of me!" she protested, but it was to no avail