LUCAS POV
I could feel the heat rising in my chest, a raging inferno that threatened to consume everything in its path. My heart pounded furiously as I cast an eerie glow on the figure that just stood in my sanctuary.
Cloris. Her name echoed in my mind like a curse. Our eyes locked, and for a brief, intense moment, the world around me seemed to vanish, leaving only the searing connection. I could see the defiance in her gaze, the stubbornness that had always been her hallmark.
But this time, it was different. This time, the fury that boiled within me threatened to spill over, to ignite the very air between us.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice low, barely masking the anger that simmered beneath the surface.
She tilted her head, a small, mocking smile playing on her lips. "
