Why Her:The shadow of the past

His to protect

Lucas's eyes blazed with fury as he scooped Mel up in his arms, holding her close as he glared at Derick. "Derick is yours to finish," Lucas told Mel, his voice low and deadly. "You decide his fate."

Mel's brothers, Milo and Miles, burst into the room, their faces etched with worry and relief. They rushed to Mel's side, hesitant to let Lucas take their sister.

"Let us take care of her," Milo said, his voice firm but respectful.

But Lucas was resolute. "I've got her," he said, his eyes flashing with determination. "She's safe with me."

Mel's brothers exchanged a hesitant glance, but eventually, they nodded in agreement. They knew that Lucas would stop at nothing to protect Mel.

As Mel's brothers stepped aside, Lucas turned to Damien. "Place Derick in the boot," he ordered, his voice cold and detached. "Take him to my dungeon. Mel will decide his fate."

Damien nodded, his face expressionless. He dragged Derick's stumbling form out of the room, tossing him into the boot of the car with a rough flourish.

Mel lay in bed, receiving treatment for her wounds in Lucas's mansion. Her parents, though still wary of Lucas, visited her, their faces etched with concern.

"We don't understand why you're helping our daughter, Lucas," Mel's mother said, her voice laced with skepticism. "After what you did to her, why did you save her from Derick?"

Lucas's expression was somber. "I know I can never undo what I did to Mel," he said, his voice low and contrite. "But saving her from Derick is one of the many ways of trying to atone for my sins."

Mel's father raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think you have the right to atone?" he asked, his voice firm.

Lucas's eyes met with thiers, and for a moment, they could see the sincerity in them. "Because I love her," Lucas said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"And I'll do anything to protect her." "I don't know when it began but I live,crave,yawn and need her -she is my muse ,my obsession, weakness and mine to abuse- her innocence is for me to ruin "

"If anyone tries to take her away from me I would end them regardless of who they are- that's how crazy I am about her", he said in a sinister voice

Fear and Doubt

Mel sat in her bed, her eyes fixed on the wall as she struggled to process her emotions. She had been staying in Lucas's mansion for a while now, receiving treatment for her wounds and trying to come to terms with what had happened.

But despite the luxury and security of the mansion, Mel couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She was afraid of Lucas, afraid of what he might do to her. And she knew that she couldn't stay in the mansion forever.

"I want to go back to school," Mel told Damien, who was standing guard outside her room.

Damien raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Mel?" he asked.

Mel nodded. "I need to get back to my normal life. I need to feel like myself again."

Damien nodded and left the room, returning a few minutes later with Lucas.

"I've told Lucas about your decision," Damien said. "He understands.".Few minutes later Lucas entered Mel's room to discuss on her request.

Lucas's eyes met Mel's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. "I know you're not ready to open up to me, Mel," Lucas said, his voice low and gentle. "And I understand that you're still afraid of me. But I want you to know that I'm here for you, whenever you're ready."

Protection

Lucas watched as Mel walked out of the mansion, her backpack slung over her shoulder. He knew that she was still afraid of him, but he was determined to protect her, no matter what.

That's why he had hired Tracy, a skilled bodyguard, to watch over Mel. Tracy was tall and imposing, with a no-nonsense attitude that commanded respect.

"Tracy, I want you to protect Mel with your life," Lucas instructed, his eyes serious. "If anyone so much as touches a strand of her hair, you'll be the one who'll have to answer to me."

Tracy nodded, her expression grim. "I understand, Lucas. I'll protect Mel like she's my own sister." Lucas corrected her "not your sister but my wife, you master "

Lucas nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Good. Because if anyone harms Mel, I will end them. And I'm not a man to be trifled with."

As Mel stepped out of the car and onto the school grounds, she was greeted by the Mariano brothers - Luke, Blake, and Williams - who were standing at the entrance of the school, waiting for her arrival.

Mel's face lit up with a smile as she ran over to her friends, eager to catch up after her long absence.

The brothers enveloped her in a warm hug, but in their enthusiasm, Williams accidentally squeezed Mel's wounds, causing her to wince in pain.

"Sorry, Mel!" Williams exclaimed, releasing her from the hug.

Mel smiled weakly and assured him it was okay.

As she walked to her first class, Mel couldn't shake the feeling of being stared at with a mix of disgust, pity, and empathy by the students and teachers.

Whispers followed her down the hallway, and Mel felt her face grow hot with discomfort.

In her homeroom class, Mel's teacher, Mrs. Johnson, looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

"Mel, I don't expect you to do any work today which I have discussed with the school board and we expected you to stay home for more recovery but since you are here I would have to stop you from performing any activities," Mrs. Johnson said, her voice soft.

Mel felt a pang of embarrassment and frustration. She wanted to be treated like everyone else, not like a fragile, broken girl.

But as she looked around the classroom, Mel realized that she was indeed different now. Her experiences had changed her, and she couldn't expect everyone to understand.

With a sigh, Mel resigned herself to a day of being treated like a delicate flower, all while trying to navigate the complexities of her new reality.

During lunch, Mel sat alone at a table, her phone pressed to her ear as she chatted with Delilah. Jude, the spy Lucas sent, approached her, trying to strike up a conversation.

Delilah's voice came through the phone, firm and protective. "Mel, I don't think you should be at school right now. Lucas was right to be worried, although I it's odd agreeing with his decision."

But Jude continued to talk to Mel, oblivious to her conversation with Delilah. Mel's anger boiled over, and she slapped Jude across the face.

The slap echoed through the cafeteria, attracting everyone's attention. The room fell silent, with all eyes on Mel and Jude.

Mel's phone slipped from her ear, and Delilah's voice came through, loud and clear. "Mel, what's going on?"

Mel took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with anger. "Jude just got what was coming to him," she said, before turning and walking away, leaving Jude standing alone, his cheek stinging from the slap.

After the incident with Jude, the Mariano brothers, Luke, Blake, and Williams, arrived at the cafeteria to have lunch with Mel. However, they were met with an uncomfortable atmosphere, as everyone in the cafeteria was staring at Mel.

Mel, feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed, stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving the Mariano brothers to follow after her.

After school, Mel headed home, exhausted from the day's events. She fell asleep in the car, unaware of her surroundings.

When they arrived at the mansion, Lucas was waiting. He gently lifted Mel out of the car and carried her to his room.

As he placed her on the bed, Mel snuggled into his chest, still fast asleep. Lucas's eyes softened as he looked at her, his heart skipping a beat.

He sat down beside her, checking an email on his phone. As he scrolled through the message, Mel cuddled closer to him, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Lucas's eyes widened, his body tensing in response to Mel's touch. He felt a surge of desire, but he knew he had to control himself. Mel was still asleep, oblivious to her actions and the effect they were having on him.