Judith_Nganwuchu

At sixteen, Eli Seo never imagined Russia would feel colder inside than out. Soft-spoken, slender, and painfully beautiful, he’s the Korean boy who doesn’t quite fit in. Teased for looking like a girl and lost in a world not his own, Eli’s only anchor is his father….until a certain someone begins watching him from across the room. Damir Romanov, his father’s best friend, is rich, powerful, and impossibly unreadable. But Eli doesn’t care. Not at first. Not until two years pass, and those lingering stares start meaning something more. Caught between loyalty, longing, and a love that shouldn’t exist, Eli is forced to choose between the man who raised him and the man who awakenes him.

IRRESISTIBLY YOURS

The air still carried the scent of burnt batter and laughter. My cheeks hurt from how much I'd been smiling. My stomach, though? That was a different story. I didn't know how Damir and Regio managed to ruin pancakes so spectacularly, but I still ate every bite like it was a five-star dish. Sonya's giggles and dramatic eye-rolls kept me going.

We had just decided to clean up the disaster of a kitchen, and Damir was rolling up his sleeves like he was about to dismantle a bomb. I leaned on the counter, watching everyone move about, basking in the warmth of shared silliness. For a moment, I forgot everything, the weight of Damir's love, the tension with Regio, even my own self consciousness.

Sonya ran over to where I stood and pointed to the top shelf. "Eli! The glass cups! Daddy said to get them."

I turned, eyes scanning the overhead cabinet. They were just out of reach, of course. With a small groan, I tiptoed forward. Regio was standing close, reaching for the same thing from the opposite side. In a moment so quick it felt unreal, we both extended our hands and I leaned too far. My back…my exposed lower half brushed against him. A soft moan, unmistakably low and intimate, slipped from Regio's lips.

The room had gone quiet in a heartbeat. I jerked forward and grabbed the glass cup, my hand trembling. My mind scrambled. Did that really happen? Did he….?

Damir's voice, sharp as a whip, shattered the silence. "What the fuck was that?" His voice was a low growl, fury shaking every word.

Regio turned, expression unreadable, but I didn't dare look at him long enough to decipher it. My heart started pounding, a horrible panic rising.

Damir marched over, eyes blazing. "I've been watching you stare at him all day like he's some fucking dessert on a silver platter! But now you're moaning? While he's right in front of you? You want to fuck my baby, is that it?!"

"Damir," I whispered, unsure, embarrassed, confused.

He didn't stop. "And you," he snapped, whirling on me. "How many times have I told you to change in the mornings? Look at what you're wearing, Eli! What did you think would happen?"

I felt like I'd been slapped before I even lifted my hand. My vision blurred with sudden heat. "So it's my fault now?"

Damir froze. His mouth opened, but no words came. His eyes flickered between regret and frustration, but the sting had already rooted itself in my chest.

With a crack, I slapped him. The sound echoed. Sonya gasped, but I didn't look at her. I didn't look at anyone.

"Fuck you," I breathed, trembling. "Fuck you for thinking I would ever…."

I couldn't finish. I turned and bolted, feet flying over the marble tiles, heart breaking as I dashed up the stairs. My vision blurred further with tears, rage and shame twisting into something poisonous.

Behind me, Damir was shouting my name, pleading, apologizing, chasing. I slammed my bedroom door before he could get to me and locked it. I collapsed onto the bed, hands gripping the sheets.

He knocked softly first. Then harder.

"Eli. Baby. Please… open the door. I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. Don't shut me out."

I couldn't open that door. Not now.

And somewhere in the hallway, Sonya's wail joined Damir's broken apologies, and the whole mansion suddenly felt too loud for my hurting heart.

Glass shards of misunderstanding