The breaking point

Chapter 13: The Breaking Point

The air was thick in Kaelen's hidden chamber, heavy with tension, as if the walls themselves were closing in around Evelina. His back was to her, yet the strength of his presence reached out to ensnare her-an invisible chain that drew her closer when every instinct screamed at her to retreat.

"You don't get to order me around," Evelina said firmly. "I've seen your world, Kaelen. I've seen the demons you lead, the power you wield. I'm not afraid of it."

Kaelen's shoulders tensed at her words, his body rigid, as though her defiance had touched a nerve he'd buried deep within himself. His hand clenched into a fist, the muscles in his arm visible through the tight fabric of his sleeves. Yet he didn't turn around. He didn't look at her. Instead, he remained still, as if holding himself back from something.

Evelina stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to be cautious, to back away, but she couldn't. She had come too far. She couldn't let him push her away.

I am not one of those women that you have so easily seduced, Kaelen," she said in a quiet voice, though with substantial weight. "Nor am I here for your power, or blood, or cruelty. I am here because I would wish to understand you.

Finally, Kaelen turned around, his crimson eyes locking onto hers with a predator's intensity. The look in his gaze made her shiver, but it wasn't fear. It was something far more complex-a storm of emotions that she couldn't decipher.

"I told you before," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Stay away from me. You don't know what you're dealing with.

"I am not afraid of you," Evelina said in a firm voice, while inside her, her stomach was curling up in fear. "You can try and intimidate me, Kaelen, but that won't work."

His lips curled into a cruel smile, though his eyes didn't change expression. "You're a stubborn little princess," he said in a soft, almost admiring tone. "You think you can just waltz into my world and change it, don't you?"

The edge of mockery in his tone had her breath catching in her throat. "I'm not here to change your world, Kaelen. I'm here because… I see something in you. Something more than just the demon king you try so hard to be."

Kaelen's face hardened, his jaw clenched. "You think you know me?" He took another step closer, until the distance between them was all but nonexistent. His hot, heavy breath caressed her skin. "You don't know anything about me, Princess. You don't know what I've done, what I've been forced to become.

She stood tall, her eyes meeting his flashing ones, never once faltering. She had come for one reason-to break down the walls that Kaelen had built around himself-and she would not leave until she had the answers she needed, until she understood the demon king she was beginning to fall for.

I don't care about your past," she whispered softly. "I care about who you are now; I care about the man standing in front of me.

Kaelen's expression flickered for a moment, the intensity in his eyes wavering, but he quickly masked it with a cold sneer. "You're delusional," he spat. "There is no 'man' here, Princess. There's only a monster—a creature who has been tainted by blood and power."

One more step, and he was suffocating. "You want to understand me? Fine. But do not even think that I will let you in, that I will care. You are human-just a fragile little thing that is playing with fire.

The heat in the air between them palpably rose, the space around her growing tense and oppressive. She could feel his power, the taut coiled presence of darkness in him, yet she did not step back. Instead, she stood tall, her eyes unbending as they met his.

"I am not afraid of your power, Kaelen," she said this time with more strength in her voice. "I know you think that you're invincible, but that doesn't make you untouchable. You may have built these walls around yourself, but I'll find a way in. I'll find a way to reach the man behind all this darkness."

For a moment, there was silence—an intense, breathless silence that stretched on between them. Kaelen's gaze softened, just slightly, and Evelina thought she saw a flicker of something—a hint of regret, of vulnerability, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

He exhaled sharply, almost like a growl. "You're making a mistake, Princess," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You'll regret this."

"I'm not afraid of regret," Evelina replied, her heart beating wildly in her chest. "I'm afraid of never knowing what could be."

With that, she turned and walked toward the door, her footsteps echoing in the quiet room. She could feel his gaze on her back, burning through her, but she didn't look back. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her falter.

As she finally hit the hallway, his voice came again, this time softer, almost regretful.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Princess."

But Evelina didn't stop. She didn't turn around. She'd made her mind up. She would fight for him, fight for that part of him he refused to show.

Nothing-nothing-would make her turn back.