Hades tilted her chin upward with two fingers — cold, smooth, deliberate.
His touch was deceptively gentle, but it anchored her like iron.
Alice's breath snagged in her throat. The tension that stretched between them was no longer just fear — it was something darker, heavier, and painfully aware. Her body refused to move, even though every nerve screamed at her to step away.
She wasn't the type who just let people do as they pleased with her. But Hades...
His eyes scanned her face like he was reading a confession she hadn't written.
Dawin exhaled slowly, "Well," he muttered, "See you at dinner." Then he walked out of the room without saying another word.
She blinked and tried to look at Dawin but Hades held her in place firmly. So she was looking up at him while he looked down at her.
If anything, the curve of his fingers grew firmer, thumb grazing the underside of her jaw — not enough to hurt, but enough to make her skin crawl with electricity.
Okay... she hated this.
