The Shadow on the Cliff

The chime of the doorbell lingered in the air long after the heavy oak door had swung shut, leaving Lucy trembling in the sudden silence of her shop. The scent of him—that intoxicating, terrifying blend of deep-sea salt and lightning—remained, clinging to the petals of her lilies like a physical weight.

Lucy collapsed against the counter, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Fear, cold and visceral, coiled in her gut. She didn't know who this

"Osharus" was, but his presence was a tectonic shift in her quiet world. Her mind immediately raced back to the city she had fled. Was he a debt collector? Or, more terrifyingly, was he a private investigator hired by Elena and Clara?

Her stepmother was a woman who thrived on total destruction. It wouldn't be beneath her to wait four years, letting Lucy build a life, only to send a man like this to tear it all down. If they found out about Eirlys—if they realized Lucy hadn't just disappeared but had survived—they would find a way to use her daughter as a weapon. Lucy gripped the counter until her knuckles turned white. She was just a florist, and he... he looked like a man who moved mountains without blinking.

"Mommy? Why are you sad?"

Eirlys’s small voice pulled Lucy back from the edge. The little girl was standing by the bucket of blue hydrangeas, her head tilted with that uncanny, ancient curiosity.

"I’m not sad, sweetie," Lucy lied, forced a smile that felt brittle. "Just a bit overwhelmed. That man... he just ordered a lot of flowers. It's going to be a very busy week."

"He was cold," Eirlys whispered, looking at the door. "But his eyes were pretty, like the sun hitting the sand underwater."

Lucy ushered her daughter toward their small living quarters upstairs, her mind racing. She couldn't afford to run again. She had to stand her ground. If Osharus was a threat from her past, she had to keep him close enough to watch his moves, but far enough to protect Eirlys’s heart.

Back at villa.

"Weekly? You're obsessed," Kaelen cackled. "I can't wait to see this woman. She must be a goddess to make you act this way."

Kaelen is far more than a Personal Assistant; he like a brother Raised side-by-side in the royal courts, they are a "hand-in-hand" duo where one’s pain is felt by the other.

While Osharus carries the weight of the crown, Kaelen carries the weight of Osharus’s secrets. He is the anchor to Osharus’s storm, utilizing his Psychometry to sense threats before they strike. In a world of cold politics and ancient spells, Kaelen is the only living being Osharus truly trusts—and the only one who will risk everything to save him from himself.

Monday Morning

The weekend passed in a blur of anxiety for Lucy. She spent Sunday night crafting a formal, architectural arrangement of white calla lilies. No warmth. No romance. Just a shield of stems and leaves.

Monday morning was draped in a thick coastal fog. Lucy loaded the arrangement into her rusted van, leaving Eirlys with a neighbor. The drive up the cliffside road was harrowing, the wind whipping against the vehicle. When she pulled into the gravel driveway of

Blackwood Manor, the house loomed over her like a gothic titan.

She stepped out, the heavy vase in her arms, and walked toward the massive front doors. Before she could knock, the door swung open. Osharus stood there, silhouetted against the dim foyer. He wore a black cashmere sweater that made him look approachable, yet his expression remained arrogant and detached.

"You're late, Ms. Lucy," he said, his voice a low, rude rumble. He didn't offer to help with the heavy vase; he simply stood there, watching her struggle with a cold, mocking amusement.

"The fog was heavy," she replied, her face flushing with effort. "Where would you like these?"

"The study," he commanded, stepping aside but barely giving her room to pass. As she brushed past him, her arm swiped against his chest. A jolt of pure heat shot through her, making her breath hitch.

"Careful," he whispered, a smirk playing on his lips as he followed her. "I’d hate for you to break something on your first day."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***