He opened his arms affectionately, wearing a sly, seductive smile as he pulled me into his embrace. His fingers traced idle circles on my back, warm despite the coolness of his undead nature, sending unwanted shivers down my spine. "Why are you crying? Are you unwell? You've been unconscious for a day and a night." As he spoke, he gently kissed the loose strands of hair by my temples, his lips lingering just a second too long, making my skin crawl with false affection.
"Lionel..." I wanted to tell him Barnett had orchestrated everything, but the words caught in my throat, heavy with unspoken warnings and bitter memories.
The curse hadn't been triggered precisely because he didn't love me now. All his tender embraces were merely this thousand-year-old demon taking advantage of me. I knew the game he played—the same charming act he had perfected over centuries, using it to ensnare countless others before me.
