Chapter 75: Cryptic Confession
TERESA’S P.O.V.
It was late—well, a little past eleven—and the house was finally quiet, the kind that wrapped around you and made every small sound seem louder than it should. The twins were fast asleep, their soft, rhythmic breathing filling the room with a comforting melody. I had just slipped under the covers, exhaustion tugging at my eyelids. My thin nightgown barely shielded me from the cold, but I didn’t care. The day had been long, and all I wanted was to drift into oblivion.
Lucian had said his goodnights at the door hours earlier. I had naively thought that would be the end of his interruptions for the day.
Then came the knock.
At first, I thought I’d imagined it—a figment of a tired mind desperate for rest. But the sound came again, soft yet insistent.
I groaned, pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes before pushing myself up. "What now?" I muttered, the irritation evident in my voice even though no one could hear it. Dragging my feet across the cold floor, I approached the door, fully prepared to give whoever it was a piece of my mind.
When I opened the door, there he was.
Lucian Blackwood.
He leaned against the doorframe, exuding a maddening air of confidence, his green eyes glinting with amusement. He looked as if he belonged there, as if my threshold were his throne. The sight of him only fueled my annoyance.
"Lucian," I said, my tone clipped, crossing my arms to ward off the chill. "It’s late. I was about to go to bed. What could you possibly want at this hour?"
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes roamed over me, blatantly taking in every detail. From my bare feet to the thin fabric of my nightgown, to my bare cleavage, he missed nothing. The intensity of his gaze made heat creep up my neck, and I folded my arms tighter over my chest.