Bad Impressions

Asher landed softly on the platform. The cheers echoed around him, but he cared little for their admiration. 

His attention focused on Lucia. She bowed her head, her smile warm and filled with relief. 

Lucia changed. She was a far cry from the fiery and reckless person she was before—the person who always tried to prove her worth by resisting control, and acting tough. 

Now, she learned the art of yielding, of being more submissive to his presence. She learned how to be more open, more honest with herself, shedding the walls she once built to protect herself.

The two shared a moment.

The more she looked into his golden eyes, the more she believed that everything he did was for her sake—a declaration to her family that they could no longer touch her without facing his wrath. 

Asher, on the other hand, found himself caught in a dilemma. He could see it clearly in her eyes—the way her red irises were almost dilated with affection .