Chapter : Clock's Ticking

The golden glow of the grand DeLorenzo estate bathed the night in a soft, deceptive warmth. Roo sat curled up on the plush sofa, staring at the flickering flames in the marble fireplace. His body felt heavy, weighed down by something unseen.

No.

Not unseen.

It was them.

The triplets.

The suffocating presence of their control, their unrelenting possessiveness that seeped into every moment, every breath he took.

Even now, they were close.

Not touching him—but near enough that the heat of their bodies wrapped around him like a net.

Alec lounged in the chair opposite him, one arm draped lazily over the side, golden eyes half-lidded as he watched Roo with the patience of a predator.

Ace stood by the bar, rolling a glass of whiskey between his fingers, smirking at nothing in particular.

And Alexander…

He was the closest.

Sitting right beside Roo.

Too close.

His arm rested along the back of the couch, fingers casually grazing Roo's nape, his touch light yet unmistakable—claiming.

Roo's breath came shallow. He should move.

He should.

But he didn't.

Alexander hummed, his fingers tracing absentminded patterns against Roo's skin. "You're restless."

Roo stiffened. "No, I'm not."

"Lies," Alec murmured.

Ace took a slow sip of his drink, his smirk deepening. "He's just trying to pretend he still has control."

Alec chuckled. "Adorable."

Heat crawled up Roo's spine, a mix of frustration and something far more dangerous. "I don't need control," he bit out. "Because I'm not your possession."

Silence.

Then—

Alexander leaned in, his lips grazing the shell of Roo's ear. "Oh, piccolo," he whispered, voice laced with amusement. "That's the cutest thing you've said all night."

Ace's dark chuckle sent a shiver down Roo's back. "Let's remind him just how much he belongs to us, shall we?"

Roo's breath hitched.

Alec's smirk widened as he slowly rose to his feet, his presence looming. "Oh, definitely."

And just like that, Roo knew—

He wasn't escaping tonight.

Not from them.

Not from himself.

Not from the inevitable.

The Shadow That Watches...

But far from the safety of the triplets' grasp, in the depths of the city, a figure stood in the rain, watching the distant glow of the DeLorenzo estate.

"We're running out of time," a voice murmured beside him.

The figure's lips curled into a sharp, knowing smile. "Then it's time we remind the triplets that they don't own everything."

"Including him."

The clock ticked softly against the stillness of the night.

Roo sat motionless, his breath steady but shallow, his heart betraying him with its quick, uneven beats. He could feel their eyes on him—three pairs of piercing gold irises that burned like embers in the dimly lit room.

Trapped.

That was what it felt like.

A velvet cage. A gilded prison lined with the scent of cedar, musk, and dark, intoxicating temptation.

Alexander's fingers traced slow, lazy circles against the nape of Roo's neck. Alec's knowing smirk lingered in the corner of his vision. And Ace—Ace was watching him like a beast debating whether to devour or worship its prey.

Roo swallowed. "It's late."

Ace tilted his head. "And?"

"And I'd like to sleep."

Alec chuckled, dark amusement dancing in his eyes. "Then sleep, piccolo. We won't stop you."

Roo didn't believe that for a second.

Alexander's grip tightened just slightly, an unspoken command laced in the simple act. "Stay," he murmured. "Just a little longer."

The words weren't forceful. They weren't a demand.

But they were a test.

And Roo knew—knew that if he pushed too hard, if he tried too much to resist, they'd only pull him deeper.

They always did.

So he didn't move.

Didn't answer.

Didn't fight the way his body yearned to lean into Alexander's warmth, to drown in the comfort of their presence.

But the bond was dangerous.

It stripped away his willpiece by piece, until every breath, every thought, was tangled with theirs.

And the more he gave in—

The less of himself he had left.

The First Strike...

Beyond the walls of the estate, the city pulsed with life. Shadows slithered between towering buildings, silent as ghosts, unseen by the mortals who roamed the streets.

Inside a darkened room, a man stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, fingers pressed together in careful thought.

"They're distracted," a voice murmured from behind him. "Consumed by their little obsession."

The man's lips curved into a slow, calculating smile. "Perfect."

A figure stepped forward, the dim light catching the faint glint of a blade at their waist. "Do we move now?"

"Not yet." The man tilted his head, eyes glinting with something dark. "First, we let them think they're untouchable. Then, we tear their world apart."

The soft hum of the grandfather clock filled the silence, each tick amplifying the tension that had settled thick in the air.

Roo remained still, trapped between the warmth of Alexander's presence beside him and the calculating stares of Alec and Ace from across the room.

The triplets had always been dangerous. Lethal. Untouchable.

And yet, in this moment, Roo felt as though he were the prey.

Alexander's fingers hadn't moved from his nape, the slow, absentminded circles a contradiction to the sharp intent behind his touch.

Alec, lounging in his chair, had that signature smirk on his lips, golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

Ace leaned against the bar, rolling a glass of whiskey between his fingers, dark amusement playing in his gaze.

"You're quiet tonight, piccolo," Alec mused, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Thinking of running away again?"

Roo stiffened at the words.

Again.

As if his previous attempts had been nothing more than child's play to them.

He swallowed, forcing himself to meet Alec's gaze. "No."

"Good," Ace murmured, tilting his head. "Because you know we won't allow it."

There was no malice in his tone. No anger. Just a simple statement of fact.

Roo's fingers curled into his lap. "You can't keep me here forever."

Alexander chuckled, low and dark, the sound sending an involuntary shiver down Roo's spine. "Oh, little one," he murmured, voice like silk and steel. "Watch us."

The weight of their bond pressed against Roo's chest, suffocating yet intoxicating all at once.

He should hate it.

He should fight it.

But the fire in their gazes, the unrelenting claim in their words—

It burned through him.

And worse—

A part of him craved it.

The Enemy Moves...

Across the city, the air was thick with anticipation.

The man in the darkened room stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the distant glow of the DeLorenzo estate.

"They're too focused on him," a voice murmured from the shadows. "They don't see what's coming."

The man's lips curled into a slow, cruel smile. "Good."

He turned, his eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "It's time to remind the DeLorenzo triplets that they're not untouchable."

"And what of their little pet?"

The man's smile widened. "We take him. And when they come for him—"

A pause.

A glint of something ruthless in his eyes.

"We break them."