And God help me, but a treacherous part of me wanted to give in, to unburden myself of this cross I'd carried alone for so long. But I knew I couldn't. I knew he would turn from me if he learned what I had done and what others had done to me.
The threats had started just weeks after the news broke about Viktor's body being found in that river. Three years he'd been missing, three years I'd been free, and now someone wanted to drag me back into that nightmare. Someone who knew about the scandal that had forced my hand, that had made me agree to marry a monster just to save my family's reputation.
The atmosphere between us grew more and more charged, the air practically crackling with all the things left unspoken. Stolen glances became electric; every accidental brush of skin scalding in its intensity. He consumed my every thought, myevery sense, until I was drowning in him, in the paradox of safety and danger he represented.
I wanted him—God, how I wanted him. But I was broken, tainted by secrets and choices from my past that still haunted me. And he...he was wholeness and strength and everything I could never deserve after everything I'd done, everything that had been done to me. So I pushed him away, lied until I was choking on my deceit.
Because the alternative—the truth, in all its grotesque, sordid glory—would surely be my undoing.
The past two weeks had been suffocating. James's increased security measures meant I couldn't take a step without him knowing about it. Every conversation felt like an interrogation, and every glance seemed to carry an accusation, professional distance and unspoken tension.
But it was the way he looked at me sometimes—when he thought I wasn't paying attention—that was driving me crazy. Heat, longing, and something deeper that he quickly shuttered behind his professional mask. We were both pretending that night on the sofa hadn't happened, that we hadn't almost crossed a line that would have changed everything.
I was tired of pretending. Tired of being careful. Tired of being a princess who couldn't even choose her own battles.
By the time Halloween arrived—just over six weeks after I'd first met James—I was desperate for escape. The coffee shop was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the cold tension that had become my constant companion at home. James waited in the car outside while I sat with Octavia and Gabriela, both dressed in casual Halloween costumes—cat ears for Octavia and devil horns for Gabi.
"Eve, you look absolutely miserable," Octavia said, stirring her latte with more force than necessary. "You can't keep living like this."
I stared into my untouched coffee, watching the cream swirl in meaningless patterns. "He questions me every single day. Every time I try to talk to him about anything else, he brings up that night." My voice cracked slightly. "I can't take it anymore."
The guilt twisted deeper in my stomach as I thought about James waiting outside. He was just doing his job, trying to protect me, but he was also slowly killing me with his relentless questions, his piercing stares, the way he looked at me like I was a puzzle he needed to solve. But wasn't I doing the same to him? Testing his boundaries, pushing his buttons, trying to crack through that professional facade to see the man underneath?
I thought about the night he'd prepared my bath and his gentle voice when he'd apologised. That man—the one who'd held me while I cried, who'd threatened to kill for me—was the one I was falling for. But he also retreated behind walls of duty and protocol every time we got too close.
"Then don't," Gabi leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's Halloween, and an amazing party is at The Underground."
"James would never let me go," I sighed, and glanced around the café. Over the past weeks, I'd noticed things James hadn't—the staff routines, the delivery schedules, the way the afternoon shift change created brief moments of chaos. That's when I noticed something I hadn't before—Sofia behind the counter, and the staff exit partially visible from our table. An employee pushed through it, carrying rubbish bags outside. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" Octavia's eyes widened, recognising the familiar glint in my expression.
"Unless we create a diversion." I kept my voice low, watching Sofia work. "James expects me to text when I'm ready to leave.Sofia could help us slip out the back while he's positioned out front. He's been focused on the front entrance, constantly scanning the street. He's positioned himself with a clear view of the café entrance but not the alley behind."
"That's incredibly risky, Eve," Octavia warned. "If he catches you..."
"He won't. He's been working eighteen-hour days since the threats escalated. I've noticed the subtle signs—the way he rubs his temples, the extra cups of coffee, the slight delay in his responses. Even super-soldiers have limits."
Gabi nearly knocked over her coffee in excitement. "Oh my God, yes! This is the Eve we know and love!"
"Are you sure about this?" Octavia asked, but she was already reaching for her phone. "Because if you are, I'm calling a taxi right now."
My heart raced with equal parts guilt and exhilaration. I knew I was playing with fire—James would be furious when he found out. But after weeks of suffocating under his scrutiny and drowning in my secrets and fears, I needed this. I needed one night where I wasn't Princess Evangeline, where I wasn't the girl with the dark past, where I wasn't constantly looking over my shoulder.
"Call the taxi," I said, pulling my hair into a messy bun. "Tell them to meet us at the back alley in five minutes."
I pulled out my phone and texted James: 'The girls are having a difficult time with personal issues. I'm going to need another hour to help them work through it. Sorry for the delay.'
It wasn't entirely a lie—we were all dealing with personal issues. Mine just involved a growing obsession with my bodyguard.
His reply came instantly: 'Take your time, Princess. I'm right outside when you're ready.'
The casual concern in his message made my chest tight. He was checking on me, not because he suspected anything, but because he cared. Somewhere between protecting and challenging me, he cared about more than just my safety.
And I was about to shatter that trust completely.
We gathered our things casually, careful not to appear rushed. My hands trembled slightly as I approached Sofia at the counter.
"Sofia," I said quietly, "I need a favour. Could we use your back exit? It's... complicated."
