Chapter 3: A Dangerous Game

(From Book 1: The Devil’s Bargain – Dark Temptations Series)

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Seraphina should have left the moment she realized Lucian wasn’t just another wealthy stranger playing host at an exclusive event. There was something about him, something lurking beneath his composed exterior, that whispered of danger. And yet, she stayed.

The night had unfolded like a dream—one drenched in silk and shadows, where reality blurred and temptation sharpened. But as the evening waned, the dream began to feel more like a trap.

Lucian’s presence was magnetic, his control over the room effortless. Every whispered word, every calculated movement, seemed designed to lure her deeper into whatever game he was playing.

And she had walked straight into it.

Now, standing in a dimly lit corridor away from the grand ballroom, she realized just how much she had let her curiosity consume her. The walls were lined with dark wooden panels, the air thick with the scent of something rich—whiskey and smoke, perhaps a hint of leather. Footsteps echoed softly behind her, measured and deliberate.

Lucian.

She didn’t have to turn around to know it was him.

“You’re running,” his voice was smooth, laced with amusement.

Seraphina exhaled sharply before turning to face him. He stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, his black mask pushed up just slightly to reveal the sharp edge of his jaw.

“I’m not running,” she countered. “I just needed air.”

Lucian took a slow step forward. “Funny. Most people who come here don’t need air. They come to get lost.”

Seraphina crossed her arms, willing herself to ignore the way her body reacted to him. “Maybe I don’t want to get lost.”

Lucian’s lips twitched in something almost like a smile. “No?” He studied her, his gaze piercing. “Then why are you still here?”

She had no answer for that.

His eyes darkened, as if he could sense the battle waging inside her. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Seraphina.”

She lifted her chin. “So are you.”

Lucian stepped closer, and she forced herself to hold her ground. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was light, almost delicate, but it sent shivers down her spine.

“I never play games I don’t intend to win,” he murmured.

Seraphina swallowed hard. The air between them felt charged, like the moment before a storm.

“And what exactly,” she asked, voice softer than she intended, “do you think you’re winning?”

Lucian’s fingers trailed down her jaw, stopping just beneath her chin. He tilted her face up, forcing her to look at him.

“You.”

A shiver ran through her, but she refused to let him see it.

“You don’t even know me,” she whispered.

Lucian’s lips brushed the edge of a smirk. “I know enough.”

Seraphina’s pulse thundered in her ears. The warning bells in her head grew louder, but so did the pull between them.

“I don’t belong in your world,” she said.

Lucian’s thumb traced the corner of her lips, his gaze unreadable. “Don’t you?”

Before she could respond, a voice interrupted them.

“Lucian.”

Seraphina stepped back as another man appeared at the end of the hallway. Tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp blue eyes that flicked between them with calculated interest.

Lucian didn’t look surprised. If anything, his expression turned to mild irritation.

“Dante,” he greeted smoothly.

Dante’s gaze landed on Seraphina, assessing her in a way that made her feel like she was being weighed and measured. “Am I interrupting something?”

Lucian sighed, slipping his hands back into his pockets. “That depends.”

Dante raised a brow but said nothing. Instead, he turned his attention back to Seraphina.

“You must be the reason Lucian has been distracted all evening.”

Seraphina stiffened slightly. There was something about Dante that set her on edge—not in the same way Lucian did, but something more calculated.

“I didn’t realize I was a distraction,” she replied.

Dante’s lips twitched in amusement. “Oh, you are.”

Lucian shot him a warning look, but Dante only chuckled. “Relax, brother. I’m only curious.”

Brother?

Seraphina’s eyes darted between them. They looked nothing alike, but there was an undeniable familiarity between them.

Lucian’s patience was visibly thinning. “Dante, don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

Dante smirked. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave you to it.” But before he turned to go, he met Seraphina’s gaze again. “Be careful, little dove. Lucian doesn’t lose, and he doesn’t play fair.”

Seraphina frowned, but before she could ask what that meant, Dante was gone.

Silence stretched between her and Lucian.

Finally, she looked up at him. “What did he mean by that?”

Lucian exhaled, his jaw tightening just slightly. “Dante likes to meddle.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Lucian stepped closer again, his presence overwhelming. “You ask too many questions.”

Seraphina tilted her head. “Maybe you don’t give enough answers.”

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, without warning, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black card. He held it out to her.

“What’s this?” she asked, hesitating before taking it.

“A key,” he said simply. “An invitation.”

She turned the card over. No address, no details. Just a symbol—the same serpent coiled around a dagger that had sealed her original invitation.

“If you want to know more,” Lucian said, his voice lower now, almost dangerous, “then come.”

Seraphina’s fingers curled around the card.

“You’re giving me a choice,” she murmured.

Lucian’s gaze darkened. “There’s always a choice.”

A choice.

A warning.

A game.

Seraphina had always been good at avoiding danger. But as she stared at the man in front of her, she realized something terrifying.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to avoid this one.

Because the most dangerous games were always the hardest to walk away from.

And she was already in too deep.