Chapter 1 – The Moment He Saw Her

The neon glow of the city flickered against the rain-slicked pavement, casting long shadows through the alleyways. The streets pulsed with life—honking cars, drunken laughter, the hum of danger lurking beneath the surface.

Selene Myles tightened the hood around her face, her fingers cold against the smooth edges of her stolen phone. She had thirty seconds before they found her.

Her heart pounded as she swiped through the encrypted files she had stolen. Names. Transactions. Bloodstained secrets.

She had uncovered something she wasn’t supposed to see. And now, the most powerful man in the underworld was coming for her.

Ares Valtor.

His name was whispered in fear—the man who built an empire on blood and destruction. He ruled the underground with an iron fist, showing mercy to no one.

And she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Her breath came out in quick, shallow gasps as she darted through the crowded nightclub, pushing past sweaty bodies and flashing lights. She had planned her escape route perfectly—until she felt it.

A presence.

Dark. Heavy. Suffocating.

She didn’t need to turn around to know.

He was here.

Her pulse skyrocketed as she took off, weaving through the chaos, but it was too late.

A hand wrapped around her wrist, tight and unyielding. A force so strong it nearly yanked her off her feet.

She **whirled around—**and her world stopped.

Ares Valtor stood before her.

Towering. Dangerous. Predatory.

His black shirt clung to his sculpted body, veins prominent on his forearms from how tightly he gripped her. Midnight-dark eyes locked onto her, burning with something between rage and amusement. His presence was suffocating—like a storm rolling in, ready to destroy everything in its path.

Selene’s breath hitched as she stared into the eyes of the devil himself.

"Run again," he murmured, voice low, velvety, and dangerous. "And I’ll break you."

She yanked against his grip, but it was like fighting against steel.

"Let me go." Her voice was steady, but inside, her pulse was a thunderous roar.

Ares tilted his head, watching her like a predator that had cornered its prey.

"Why would I let you go," he said, his grip tightening, "when you belong to me now?"

Selene froze.

The words sent a sharp chill down her spine.

No. No, no, no.

She had prepared for this moment. She had a knife strapped to her thigh, a gun tucked against her back—but nothing could prepare her for him.

For the way his voice wrapped around her like silk and chains. For the way his dark, unreadable eyes saw right through her.

"I don’t belong to anyone," she spat.

Ares let out a quiet chuckle. Dark. Amused. Completely merciless.

"That’s where you’re wrong, little hacker."

His free hand came up, trailing a single finger down the side of her neck, slow, deliberate—a promise.

Selene’s breath hitched, and for the first time, she saw it.

The way he was looking at her.

Not just as an enemy. Not just as a threat.

But as something he wanted.

And Ares Valtor always took what he wanted.

"You stole from me, Selene. And now? I think I’ll steal you instead."

Her stomach twisted. This wasn’t just a hunt anymore. This was obsession.

And she was already caught.

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TBC

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