Claimed By Desire...

The next morning, Lucas sat at the café, staring at his coffee, his thoughts lost somewhere between the bitterness of the drink and the weight of the night before. His phone buzzed with a message from Ava, but he ignored it. He had no energy for her questions or his own emotions right now.

Then Ava slid into the seat across from him, her presence as undeniable as the tension in the air. She didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"So, are you going to pretend last night didn't happen?" she asked, her tone sharp as she studied him. "You were drunk. You thought I was Sarah, and you touched me like she was the only person in the world."

Lucas sighed, rubbing his temple. "Nothing happened. It's nothing."

Ava's eyes softened, but she didn't let him off the hook. "You're not fooling anyone, Lucas. You still love her."

He didn't respond. He couldn't. Because Ava was right.

Before the silence could stretch any longer, his phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Sarah.

"Can we talk? I need someone to listen."

Without a word, Lucas grabbed his coat and left, leaving Ava's words hanging in the air behind him.

Sarah sat at a booth in the café, staring down at her mug as if it held the answers to the questions swirling in her mind. She heard the soft clink of the door and looked up to find Lucas standing there, his gaze unreadable.

He slid into the seat across from her. "What's going on?" His voice was low, cautious, like he was afraid of what she might say.

She hesitated before speaking, unsure if she should even voice her thoughts. "Last night… when William hit Kane, and during the engagement… I—I felt something. Something I didn't expect."

Lucas frowned but didn't interrupt.

"For the first time," she continued, her voice quiet, "he didn't feel cold. It was like… he cared. He was protective. And when he punched Kane… I felt like he was doing it for me."

Lucas' gaze turned hard. "Sarah," he said slowly, "you've always been drawn to his status, his power. What you felt? It's infatuation. It's not love."

"But why does it feel so different?" she whispered, looking down at her hands. Her mind was a whirlwind, and every word Lucas said only made the storm inside her worse.

Before Lucas could respond, a murmur rippled through the café. Whispers spread from table to table, and Sarah heard her name.

And then, her stomach dropped when she realized who was standing at the door. William.

Outside, the world seemed to freeze for a moment as Sarah felt herself being yanked away from Lucas. The café's warm, inviting atmosphere was suddenly suffocating as William's grip on her wrist tightened.

She barely had time to process the situation before she was slammed against the cold wall of the café. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she could barely catch her breath as William's eyes locked onto hers, dark with something that resembled fury.

"What the hell are you doing?" William's voice was low, but the possessiveness in it made her skin crawl. "What are you doing, standing there with him like you belong to him?"

"Let go of me," she snapped, trying to free herself, but his grip was unyielding.

"Do you think it's okay for people to talk about you like that? Do you think it's okay for him to touch you like that?" His voice was ice, and she could hear the barely contained anger simmering beneath it. "You're mine now, Sarah. You don't get to go around letting other people think they can have you."

Sarah glared at him, her heart racing. "Since when do you care?"

"Since always," he growled, stepping closer, his face inches from hers. His hand lifted, his thumb grazing her cheek lightly as he leaned in, his breath warm against her skin. "Don't make me repeat myself."

She swallowed hard. Something about the way he said it—like he owned her—made her stomach twist. But before she could say anything else, William stepped back, his eyes cold and unreadable. He turned on his heel and walked away without another word, leaving her stunned, still pressed against the wall.

The night at the pub should've been a break from everything. The loud music, the flashing lights—it was all supposed to drown out the noise in her head. She danced with Olivia and Sophia, laughing, letting the rhythm of the music carry her away. It felt like normal again. But nothing was ever normal anymore.

And then Lucas joined them, pulling her into the dance as the song picked up pace. For a moment, everything felt right. No expectations. No obligations. Just friends.

But in the corner of the pub, Kane was waiting. And he had a plan.

He snapped a picture of Sarah and Lucas laughing, spinning on the dance floor. Then, with a satisfied smirk, he sent it to William.

Kane: Your fiancée seems to be getting a little too close to Lucas. Thought you might want to know.

Within ten minutes, William had arrived at the pub, his presence demanding attention. The noise of the club faded into the background as Sarah and Lucas continued to dance, the rhythm of the music carrying them away from the tension of the day.

But William wasn't having it. He couldn't stand the sight of Sarah so close to Lucas, laughing and spinning in his arms. The jealousy surged within him, clouding his mind.

In a flash, he was standing in front of Sarah, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from Lucas. The music drowned out the confusion on their friends' faces as William led Sarah toward the exit, his grip firm and possessive.

Outside, the cold air hit Sarah like a shock to her system, but the warmth of William's anger burned hotter than the night around them. He shoved her against the brick wall, the roughness of it catching her breath.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" His voice was low, barely controlled, as his hands gripped her arms. "Do you have any idea how that looked?"

"I—" Sarah began, but William didn't give her a chance to explain.

He stepped closer, his breath warm against her face, his eyes dark with frustration. "You're mine now, Sarah. Don't you ever forget that."

Her pulse quickened as his hand brushed against her cheek, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw. There was something different in his gaze—something raw and dangerous. Before she could process what was happening, he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't soft. It was hard and desperate, as if he was claiming her in a way that left no room for anyone else. The kiss was all-consuming, a whirlwind of emotion that left her breathless and dizzy. She tried to pull away, but William's grip on her waist tightened, pulling her closer as his lips moved against hers with a fierce urgency.

For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Sarah's mind was spinning, and yet all she could focus on was the feeling of him kissing her—possessing her. She couldn't deny the spark that ignited between them, the pull that had always been there, deeper than anything she had ever experienced.

When he finally broke away, his eyes were wild with something she couldn't name, but his words were crystal clear.

"Why don't you listen to warnings, Sarah?" His voice was rough, possessive, as his hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin.

Her breath came in shallow gasps as she looked up at him, unable to speak, her heart racing in a way that left her paralyzed.

"Don't ever forget that you belong to me," William said, his voice low and commanding, before turning away without another word.

Back inside the club, Sarah's friends were watching the scene unfold, confused by what had just happened. Lucas, standing in the corner, clenched his fists, watching the interaction between Sarah and William with a tight jaw. But he said nothing, choosing to watch from a distance.

As Sarah stood outside, her mind was a whirlwind of emotions. The kiss had felt real. Too real. And the way William had claimed her, in front of everyone, it made her wonder if she really had a choice in all of this.