Eyes That See Everything

The first night in Jake William’s mansion was sleepless.

Lydia lay beneath silk sheets that smelled faintly of him. The room was too large. Too cold. Everything felt designed to swallow her whole—from the mirrored walls to the scent of roses that lingered in the air like a warning.

She was no longer just Lydia Roberts, the quiet girl working backstage at a TV station.

She was now the kept woman of a mafia king.

She wasn’t sure what was worse—the silence… or knowing he was somewhere in this house, watching. Waiting.

The next morning, a maid brought breakfast to her room without a word. Perfect presentation. Eggs, fruit, coffee. Lydia ignored it. She wasn’t hungry—she was trapped.

She dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt from the walk-in closet, ignoring the lace and silk that lined the shelves. Clothes meant to please him.

When she stepped out of her room, Jake was already waiting downstairs, seated at the massive dining table with a newspaper in one hand and coffee in the other.

He looked up and smirked.

“Sleep well, baby doll?”

“I’m not your baby doll.”

Jake leaned back in his chair, slow and unbothered. “You will be.”

Her fists clenched, but she didn’t speak. She had to choose her battles.

That afternoon, Jake took her to an event.

She hadn’t expected to leave the mansion. But now she was in a sleek car, dressed in a black fitted dress he’d chosen for her, being escorted to a high-profile charity gala hosted at a luxury hotel downtown.

People turned when they walked in—some in fear, others in awe.

Jake didn’t hide her.

In fact, he kept his hand on the small of her back all night, introducing her to politicians, celebrities, and business tycoons with a single word:

> “Mine.”

But while he controlled the room like a king, Lydia felt eyes burning into her from across the ballroom. Cold. Sharp. Curious.

When she finally turned to meet the stare, her breath hitched.

A tall man stood near the bar, dressed in a tailored dark grey suit. His jaw was sharp, his dark hair swept back, and his eyes—a piercing steel blue—were locked on her.

He wasn’t like the others. He didn’t flinch under Jake’s name. Didn’t fawn. Didn’t pretend.

And he didn’t look away.

Jake followed her gaze. When he saw the man, his body tensed, his hand tightening at her waist.

“Don’t look at him,” Jake muttered. “That’s Dylan Black. He’s not just dangerous—he’s a snake.”

“Then why is he here?” she whispered.

Jake’s voice dropped low and deadly. “Because even devils like to drink with each other before going to war.”

Later, while Jake stepped aside to take a call, Lydia slipped away to the balcony for air. Her chest felt too tight. Her world, too strange. This wasn’t her life.

It wasn’t supposed to be.

“You don’t belong in his world.”

The voice startled her.

She turned—and saw him again. Dylan.

Up close, he was even more intense. Something about him felt restrained, like power under pressure. But his eyes… his eyes were kind.

“I’m fine,” Lydia said carefully. “Please leave.”

“I won’t touch you,” he said gently. “I just wanted to see the girl who made Jake William give up control. You’re braver than you look.”

“I’m not brave,” she whispered.

“You are. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

He reached into his coat and handed her a white card.

“If you ever want out—really out—call me. I’ll get you far away from all this.”

Lydia stared at it. “Why would you help me?”