The maid noticed Bella slipping into Lucian’s room and, curious, followed quietly behind her. The moment the door shut, she crept closer and pressed her ear against the wood.
Inside, Lucian sat on the sofa, a towel wrapped low around his waist, legs spread with ease. A cigarette rested between his fingers, smoke curling lazily into the air. When he looked up and saw Bella, a slow smirk tugged at his lips.
She lowered her gaze to the floor, her heart pounding as she struggled to find the right words.
“Welcome back,” she finally said, her voice barely above a breath.
He ignored her greeting entirely, his gaze sliding over her body lustfully.
“My obedient little slut,” he said deliberately.
A faint sting of shame prickled through Bella’s chest, but she couldn’t deny it. In this moment,
