CH 11

HER POV ~

I was done. So done.

Lucian was infuriating, insufferable, and completely impossible to deal with. The fact that I had wasted my evening listening to his so-called ‘rules’ made my blood boil. He could’ve just sent a damn text, but no—His Highness needed to summon me to his penthouse for this nonsense.

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel and stomped toward the door, ready to leave and never look back—well, at least not until tomorrow.

But just as I reached for the handle—

CRACK!

A deafening clap of thunder exploded through the sky, shaking the very walls of the penthouse.

I froze.

Then another. And another. The entire apartment seemed to vibrate with each rumbling crash, the wind howling against the windows like something straight out of a horror movie.

My breath hitched, my entire body tensing as an involuntary shiver ran down my spine. God, I hated thunderstorms.

Another violent boom echoed through the air, and before I could stop myself, my feet moved on their own.

Straight to him.

Without thinking, I ran back across the room and—before I could even process what I was doing—jumped onto Lucian, clutching onto him as if my life depended on it.

His entire body stiffened beneath me. "What the—?"

But I didn’t care. Nope. Not one bit.

"Shut up," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut as I buried my face in his chest, gripping onto his shirt like a lifeline.

Lucian didn’t move, probably too stunned to react. I could feel his confusion, the way his muscles tensed under my hold.

"Eleanor." His voice was flat. "What the hell are you doing?"

I peeked up at him, scowling. "Isn’t it obvious? I’m holding on for dear life."

He stared at me, utterly unimpressed. "Because…?"

As if on cue, another crash of thunder boomed, and I flinched hard, tightening my grip on him.

Lucian’s gaze flickered, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. "Don’t tell me you’re scared of thunderstorms."

I shot him a glare. "I’m not scared. I just… don’t like them."

His lips twitched like he was holding back a smirk. "Right."

"Shut up," I grumbled, refusing to let go.

Lucian let out a slow exhale, and after a beat, I felt his arms—hesitant at first—loosely wrap around me.

Not to comfort me, obviously. Just to keep me from strangling him in my panic.

______________________________________

The warmth of his arms around me was unexpected. Not comforting, exactly—but solid. Steady. A stark contrast to the storm raging outside.

For a moment, neither of us moved. I was still clinging to him like some terrified child, and he was just… letting me.

Lucian Blackwood, letting me hold onto him.

If it weren’t for the constant crashes of thunder reminding me why I was here in the first place, I probably would’ve pulled away out of sheer embarrassment.

But I didn’t.

And neither did he.

"You’re trembling," he noted after a while, his voice quieter than usual.

I scowled against his chest. "Gee, I wonder why?"

He sighed, shifting slightly. "It’s just a storm, Eleanor. It won’t kill you."

I tilted my head up to glare at him. "Oh? And you personally know that because…?"

Lucian rolled his eyes. "Because that’s how storms work."

"Well, good for you, Mr. Science," I snapped. "But I still hate them, so shut up and stand still."

His jaw twitched, like he wanted to argue but decided against it. Smart choice.

For a few minutes, neither of us said anything. I just held onto him, feeling his steady breathing beneath me, my own heartbeat pounding wildly in contrast.

And then—just as I was starting to not completely hate being in his arms—

"You know, for someone who claims to hate me, you sure do cling a lot," he mused.

I pulled back instantly, scowling. "Excuse me?"

Lucian smirked, eyes dark with amusement.

"Should I start expecting this behavior from now on?"

Heat rose to my face. "Oh, screw you, Lucian!"

"That’s not a no," he taunted.

I groaned, shoving at his chest, but he barely budged. Stupid solid jerk.

Before I could throw another insult his way, another sharp clap of thunder rattled the windows. I flinched again, my hand instinctively gripping his sleeve.

Lucian’s smirk deepened. "Careful, Eleanor. Any more of this, and I might start thinking you like being close to me."

I practically growled, shoving him again—this time successfully stepping back. "Ugh! You are insufferable!"

He simply shrugged, smug as ever. "And you’re still here."

I opened my mouth to throw a comeback, but another rumble echoed through the sky, and I instantly shut up, biting my lip.

Lucian just looked at me for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Stay here if you want," he muttered, walking toward the couch. "But at least sit down. You look ridiculous standing there like that."

I huffed. "I was leaving, you know."

He didn’t even glance at me as he sat down. "Sure you were."

I glared at him for another second before reluctantly making my way to the couch—far away from him, of course.

This night was a disaster.

And worst of all?

Somehow, I had ended up stuck in Lucian Blackwood’s penthouse… with him.

AUTHOR'S POV ~

Hours had passed, but the rain showed no sign of stopping. The storm outside raged on, wind howling against the glass as raindrops lashed against the windows in an endless rhythm.

The clock on the wall struck 9 PM.

Lucian was in his room, sitting at his desk, immersed in his work. His eyes skimmed over the reports, fingers tapping against the keyboard, his focus unwavering despite the storm outside. The only light in the room came from his laptop screen, casting a faint glow on his sharp features.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Eleanor sat curled up on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. Her thumb moved across the screen, but her attention wasn’t really on it. The steady downpour outside and the occasional roll of thunder made the silence in the penthouse feel heavier.

She sighed, tossing her phone onto the cushion beside her. She had been sitting here for hours, doing nothing but waiting. Waiting for the rain to stop, waiting for Lucian to come out of his room—though she wasn’t even sure why she cared about that.

Her eyes flickered toward the hallway leading to his room. The door was still closed. No sign of him.

With another sigh, she leaned her head back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.

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