Chapter 28

MADDIE

I even my breathing as I tried to calm myself from his intense gaze. His presence makes the air thick and suffocating.

"Rule one," I began. "We keep this strictly business. No more of... whatever it is that keeps happening between us."

His eyes darkened instantly. He was staring at me as if his eyes were digging into myself. That look sent a shiver down my spine. But I gather every courage in my body and didn't allow him to intimidate me. "And what if I decided to break your rule?" he asked.

"Then, I shall impose penalty. Two million dollars to whoever broke this rule," I shot back without hesitation. Though my heart was pounding so hard I feared he might hear it. The tension between us was palpable making me hard to breathe.

He remained silent as he looked at me intently. It seems like he was trying to weigh the words I said. The silence dragged on, and I struggled to stay calm. However, I was determined not to let him see how much this conversation was shaking me.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. "I have needs, Maddie," he said, his tone blunt was cutting straight to the point.

I swallowed hard. "Then get it from somewhere else. I don't care who or where. Just... keep me out of it."

His lips curled into a slow, taunting smirk. He then leaned back slightly while he regards me with a mix of amusement and something darker. "So, you're expecting me to sleep around when I have a perfectly beautiful wife waiting for me at home?" His voice was teasing. There's something in his voice that makes my pulse quicken.

I clenched my jaw. I waver under the weight of his gaze. Was he being serious? Was this some twisted game he was playing to get under my skin? Or was there a part of him that truly wanted this—wanted me? I couldn't tell. That was the problem with Hades; he was a master of playing with emotions, of twisting words to suit his desires.

But I couldn't afford to let him win this time. I had to stay strong, to keep this arrangement on my terms. "I'm only your wife in paper," I retorted. "I'm just the woman you made a deal with. Nothing more, nothing less."

His eyes narrowed, the smirk fading into a more serious expression. "Our marriage is legal and binding. You can't say otherwise. You are my wife, and there's nothing you can do or say that can change that."

The intensity of his words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was speechless. There was a truth in what he said, a truth I wasn't ready to face. Because as much as I wanted to keep things simple, as much as I wanted to believe this was all just business, the way he looked at me—the way he spoke to me—made it clear that there was something deeper at play. Something neither of us could easily ignore.

His words hit me hard, sparking an anger I couldn't hold back. "We're just married on paper. There's no need to act like we're actually together when no one's around," I snapped.

But Hades wasn't easy to fool. He could see right through me. His usual teasing smirk slowly faded, replaced by a look that was much more serious, almost dangerous. The intensity in his eyes deepened, and suddenly, the air between us felt charged with something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Is that so?" he murmured, his voice low and threatening as if he was testing me. He stepped closer, closing the space between us, making my heart race even though I tried not to show it. "So, what happens when you're the one who breaks your rule, Maddie?"

His question hung in the air, heavy with meaning. My breath caught, and the weight of his words pressed down on me, challenging me to face the truth I was trying so hard to ignore. He said it so calmly, so confidently, like he knew it was bound to happen.

My mind scrambled for something to say, anything to throw back at him to push him away. But all I could think about was how his eyes seemed to see right through me, to the parts of myself I'd kept hidden, even from me. The thought of breaking my own rule scared me—because deep down, I knew how easily it could happen.

"T-That won't happen," I stuttered.

I hitched my breath when Hades moved closer. His words were a soft whisper that seemed to echo in the stillness. "You can't be too sure, sweetheart," he went on, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I opened my mouth to respond, to shut down whatever he was leading me into, but the words wouldn't come. The tension between us was almost palpable, and I could feel this invisible force pulling me toward him. Even though every rational part of me screamed to resist, I couldn't.

"Why don't you just admit that you're scared," he said as he continued to make a step closer to me, his voice softening just enough to unsettle me.

"S-Stop! S-Stay right there," I told him. But as expected, he didn't listen. He continued to take a step closer until he was finally standing in front of me. He then leaned forward placed both of his hand both of the arm rest, encaging me in between his pair of strong arms. I gulped as I tried to sound brave. "I-I'm not scared of you," I replied with every strength of my being as I looked him straight in the eyes.

He smirked as he leaned his face closer. "Not of me, but of what you feel when you're with me. That's why you're so desperate to keep those rules in place."

His words cut deep, too close to a truth I wasn't ready to admit. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my voice despite the mix of anger and fear swirling inside me. "You don't know anything about me," I replied.

He smiled then, a slow, knowing smile that made my stomach twist. "I know more than you think," he said quietly as he slowly takes the little distance between our faces, his breath warm against my skin. "And I'm willing to bet it's not me you're worried about when it comes to breaking those rules."

I forced myself to meet his gaze, to look him in the eye even though my emotions were in turmoil. "You're wrong," I whispered, but it felt more like I was trying to convince myself than him.

He lifted his hand and gently lifted my chin so our eyes were locked to one another, his touch lingering in a way that made me forget how to breathe. "Am I?" he asked. He face was so close that I can already feel his warm breath brushing against mine.

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