CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 428 ALWAYS YOURS. ONLY YOURS

"Doesn’t it feel lonely?" Ray asked suddenly, tilting his head up to look at her. His voice was soft, like he was confessing a secret. "No one’s here. Just you and me."

Lilith brushed his hair away from his forehead with her fingers, a small smile on her lips. "It’s not lonely when you’re here."

Ray’s eyes sparkled at her answer. He nuzzled closer, pressing his cheek against her thigh. "You promise you won’t leave me?" he asked, his voice so small and shy it made Lilith’s heart squeeze.

She leaned down, kissing the crown of his head, her lips lingering there. "I promise," she whispered.

The day drifted by softly like that. Sometimes they would get up to eat — Ray liked to feed her bites of fruit, making a mess on purpose just so he could lick the juice from her fingers. Other times, they would curl up on the giant bed, watching a movie but not really paying attention.

And when the sun dipped behind the tall garden walls, the house felt even bigger but it was warm, too. Safe. Because no matter how huge the rooms were, Ray never let her out of his sight for long. He’d follow her to the kitchen, to the study, even to the balcony. And if she teased him for it, he’d just pout and hug her tighter.

Lilith would sometimes look at him — this bright, warm boy who made her feel like maybe this big, empty house was exactly perfect because it gave them all the space to fill it with their own laughter, their voices, their stories.

Just them. For now. For always.

Their days alone in that big, beautiful house felt like something Lilith would treasure forever.

Her love with Ray was so pure it almost hurt to look at him sometimes. He would wake up first just to watch her sleep, his wide, innocent eyes memorizing her face like he was afraid she’d disappear. And every kiss from him felt like a shy promise — sweet, soft, but hungry too, because Ray loved her like she was the only thing that mattered in his world.

Sometimes he’d hold her face in his hands when they kissed, like he wanted to make sure it was real. And when they made love, it was always so slow, so gentle — Ray was always careful with her, whispering her name in between kisses, telling her how pretty she looked, how much he loved her. He liked when she praised him too, loved when she pulled him closer, loved when she wrapped her legs around him and looked him straight in the eyes.

Afterwards, he’d snuggle her so close she could barely breathe, his nose pressed to her neck, his lips moving against her skin as he murmured sleepy promises: "Always yours. Only yours." And Lilith believed him — every word.

But after a few days, Ray grew tired and let Gray take over. The shift always made Lilith’s heart squeeze — how these same eyes could change so easily, from Ray’s warm innocence to Gray’s cool, steady watchfulness.

Gray was different from Ray in every way. He was calm, quiet, a touch more serious but with Lilith, his eyes always softened. He liked to keep her close, but not too close — he wanted her to feel free with him. He would cook with her, read her books while she lay in his lap, and ask her opinion about new things he wanted to try for their life together.

In those quiet moments, Lilith felt safe. She liked to watch him reading, his deep voice rumbling softly as he flipped through pages. Sometimes she’d interrupt him, closing the book halfway just so she could straddle his lap and kiss him, tasting the quiet laughter on his lips. Gray would let her lead for a while but only for a while.

When night came, his gentle side shifted into something else. Unlike Alexander, who liked to keep their loving mostly in the bedroom — Gray was wilder. He wanted her in every corner of the house.

One night, Lilith was brushing her teeth when Gray came up behind her. She saw his reflection in the mirror — eyes dark, a small dangerous smile on his lips. He didn’t say a word. He just pulled her hair to one side, kissed the back of her neck, and then turned her around, lifting her onto the bathroom counter with ease. The cold marble made her gasp, but his warm hands spread her thighs, and that was it — she knew he wasn’t going to let her leave the bathroom for a long while.

He’d press her against the shower wall too, hot water pouring down their bodies as he whispered filthy promises in her ear. His hands braced on her hips, his breath ragged as he buried himself deeper and deeper and Lilith could only cling to his shoulders, her cries lost in the rush of water.

The living room was no safer. Once, she’d teased him too much while they were watching a movie. She thought he’d let it go, but Gray was patient. When the credits rolled, he didn’t say anything — just leaned over, hooked his hands behind her knees, and pulled her onto his lap. She’d tried to giggle it off, but his mouth found hers, hot and demanding, and then she felt herself pinned beneath him on the sofa. One of her legs was thrown over the backrest, his name a broken prayer on her lips as he made her forget what the movie even was.

And when it was all over, he’d gather her in his arms, pressing soft kisses to her temple, her eyelids, her fingers. He would wrap them up in a blanket and carry her to bed if she was too tired to move because no matter how wild he got, Gray always made her feel loved, cherished, protected.

Sometimes, she’d wake up in the middle of the night, her body deliciously sore from everything they’d done. She’d feel the empty side of the bed, and her heart would squeeze a little but Gray would always be nearby. Maybe in the living room, flipping through files for work, or in the kitchen making tea for when she woke up. He’d come back, sliding under the covers, pulling her into his chest, his breath warm against her ear as he told her how beautiful she was.

Alexander, Ray, and Gray—three facets of one soul. Different, yet all hers.

The days slipped by like that — too fast, but so sweet they lingered on her tongue. They didn’t need anyone else in that house. No family, no friends, no work calls or meetings. Just the sound of her laughter echoing down the hallway, the feel of his hands on her skin, the warmth of his lips claiming her over and over again.

Lilith used to think she didn’t need anything in this world that she could stand alone forever if she had to. But with Ray, Alex and Gray, she didn’t want to stand alone anymore.

She wanted this.

Their days and nights tangled together — soft kisses and rough walls, whispered words and gasping laughter, bodies pressed close until the morning sun came creeping in through the curtains.

In that house, just the two of them, Lilith learned what it felt like to be worshipped, to be wanted completely, to be loved so fiercely that even the walls seemed to hum with it.

And for the first time, she wasn’t afraid to want it back.

However, the good day didn’t last long...