Zara's POV
The mansion wasn't quiet tonight.
I woke to the sharp sound of glass shattering somewhere below. My heart jerked in my chest. For a second, I thought I had dreamed it. But then came another sound - hurried footsteps.
I grabbed my robe, slipping into the hallway. The chandeliers were dim, casting golden shadows over the grand staircase. I froze halfway down when I saw Leon.
He wasn't in a suit this time. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his jaw tight, and in his hand was something I hadn't expected to see. A gun.
My breath caught.
"Go back to your room, Zara," he ordered, his voice rougher than usual, sharper.
"What's happening?" I whispered, refusing to move.
He glanced at me once, then toward the foyer. "We have uninvited guests."
Before I could process, a crash echoed through the glass doors - masked men stormed inside. My pulse spiked as Leon raised the weapon with steady precision. Two shots rang out, the sound splitting through the silence. The intruders scattered, and Leon moved like someone born for this - quick, ruthless, dangerous.
I pressed my back against the wall, watching him handle them as if he'd done it a hundred times before. He wasn't just a cold billionaire. He was trained. Deadly.
One man slipped through, charging toward me. Panic ripped through me, my body freezing until Leon was suddenly there, his arm braced protectively in front of me. He shoved the man back with a brutal strike, disarming him in seconds. The intruder crumpled, unconscious.
My chest heaved. Leon's hand gripped my wrist, pulling me flush against him. His body was warm, hard, radiating heat through the chaos. His eyes locked on mine; fierce, burning.
"Do you see now?" His voice was a low growl. "This is why you don't wander. Why you stay where I can keep you safe."
My lips parted, but no words came. His hold didn't loosen. If anything, it tightened, his thumb brushing the inside of my wrist where my pulse thundered wildly. The danger in the room hadn't vanished, but all I could feel was the danger standing inches from me.
"You're shaking," he murmured, his breath grazing my cheek.
I swallowed hard. "You... killed for me."
His jaw flexed. "I'll do worse if I have to."
The tension between us snapped like a live wire. I should have pulled away, but instead, I leaned closer. The adrenaline, the fear, the raw intensity in his eyes pulled me in. His grip slid to my waist, firm, possessive, and for the first time since this marriage began, I wasn't sure if I wanted to resist.
My voice came out a whisper. "Leon..."
He lowered his head until his lips brushed dangerously close to mine, his breath hot, his eyes unreadable. "Careful, Zara. If you want to play with fire, you'll get burned."
But he didn't move away. Neither did I.
