My Beloved Has Risen from Death’s Embrace

Was she talking?

Orion tilted his head slightly, a look of confusion evident on his face.

Xanthea couldn’t help but find the gesture endearing, especially since the man standing before her was nearly six-foot-three, with a physique rivaling that of an international supermodel, and was clad only in a loosely draped bathrobe. His cold, executive demeanor mixed with such an innocent expression was both jarring and adorable.

She only saw the cuteness, completely missing the sinister twist in his deep eyes that flashed the moment she spoke.

In reality, even hearing her speak was a luxury. In his mind, could he not take control? Indulge in those dark, hidden desires that haunted him day and night.

With a a swift motion, he pulled her from the closet. Xanthea was surprised by how effortlessly his strong arms lifted her-she weighed about 130 pounds, after all. Clearly, he was the same man who had effortlessly dealt with Matthew on the rooftop.

“Thanks, you’re really strong, those muscles aren’t just for show, huh?”

Just as Xanthea was about to give him a thumbs up, she suddenly found herself dizzy and tumbling onto the large bed.

Orion didn’t just lay her down as she had imagined. Instead, like a predator that had been lurking in the jungle, he pinned her down with fierce determination, trapping her limbs ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

beneath him.

Her curvaceous figure sank into the soft bed, her hair disheveled, and her V-neck slightly open a stark contrast against the wine-red sheets, sparking a predatory glint in his dark

eyes.

All he could see was her stunning face and alluring body, driving him to madness with each beautiful curve.

“Orion, what are you-”

Her words were cut off as the brooding man leaned down and captured her lips fiercely.

“MMpph. Mm!”

Her eyes and mouth widened in disbelief, giving him the opportunity he needed.

He devoured her like a starved beast.

“Baby, darling, I’ve missed you so much.”

Xanthea panicked, her eyes watery and trembling, trying to turn her head away as her body writhed in resistance. Her clenched fists struggled against his strong hold, but her

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naive attempts at resistance only seemed to entice him more, unbeknownst to her that her feeble strength was like spitting against the wind.

“Orion, what are you doing? Let me go, now!”

“Jerk, creep, you’ve got the wrong person, who’s your darling.”

Her first kiss in this lifetime, taken by him in a drunken haze, was something she had intended to preserve.

Sweet, intoxicating, irresistible-like a beautiful poppy, dangerously alluring despite the poison lurking within.

As she struggled, something inside Orion ignited explosively. His movements froze for a moment, and just when Xanthea thought to escape, he pulled her tightly against him.

His embrace was tight, almost suffocatingly so.

“Darling, don’t be afraid, don’t run, okay? Just look at me, just once. Don’t be so cold, or l fear I might go mad, might not be able to stop myself from doing something we’ll both regret.”

His grip tightened further, as if trying to meld her into his very bones, his voice turning from pleading to ominously menacing.

Xanthea coughed violently, pounding his arm with her fists. For the first time, she felt the stark difference in strength between men and women, how even basic resistance was futile in such danger. Yet, he eventually let her go.

But as soon as he released her, his hand tore through her blouse. As Xanthea struggled, she saw his nearly pathological obsession and the lust in his eyes, like a demon lost in fantasy and desire, ringing alarm bells in her mind. He couldn’t possibly be thinking of…