Chapter 394

"I'll never let you go."

Ethan Roscente's voice was hoarse with desperation, like a wounded beast. His fingers dug into Sophia Lowell's wrist with bone-crushing force.

"Sophia, you were the one who started this..." He bent down, teeth grazing her earlobe as scorching breath fanned across her neck. "You're never escaping me."

Darkness edged Sophia's vision as consciousness slipped through her feverish haze. She wanted to fight back, but her limbs felt leaden.

His kiss was a wildfire—devouring her lips, trailing down to her collarbone. Each mark he left seared into her skin like a brand.

"You're mine." Ethan's voice dripped with pathological obsession. "The moment you smiled at me, your fate was sealed."

Dawn light filtered through the curtains when Sophia jolted awake.

She stared at the crystal chandelier above, chest heaving. Fragmented memories flooded back—scorching palms, the sting of alcohol, that suffocating embrace.

"Awake?"

The deep voice made her flinch. Ethan leaned against the doorway, his black shirt slightly unbuttoned to reveal faint scratches along his collarbone.

Sophia instinctively clutched the sheets. The silky texture startled her—this wasn't her usual cotton pajamas.

The black lace negligee barely covered her thighs, its plunging neckline bordering on scandalous. She suddenly remembered—this was the "battle armor" Vivian Ashcroft had gifted her, buried deep in her closet.

"You..." Her ears burned, voice raw.

Ethan approached the bed. When his fingers brushed her forehead, Sophia shrank back.

"Still feverish." He frowned, thumb tracing her flushed cheek. "Porridge or noodles?"

The uncharacteristic gentleness disoriented her. Without thinking, she pinched his cheek.

"Not a dream." Ethan chuckled, capturing her hand to press a kiss to her fingertips. "Need me to prove it again?"

Electric tingles shot up her arm. Sophia yanked her hand back, staring at the embroidered bedsheets. Her throat ached like she'd swallowed glass. "What time is it?"

"5:40." He picked up the mercury thermometer. "Take your medicine after breakfast."

At the word "medicine," Sophia stiffened. "No."

The air turned glacial. Ethan gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his narrowed gaze. "Explain."

He remembered how readily she'd taken pills during past illnesses. Last night, she'd fought like it was poison, knocking over the water glass three times.

Sophia avoided his scrutiny. "Too bitter..."

His thumb stroked her trembling lips before he suddenly leaned down to taste them. "The fever reducer I gave you was strawberry-flavored."