"Hmm, I understand." Adrian spoke, his words appearing on the server chat before reaching Annabelle.

She explained the entire situation to him, reminding him of the meeting he had completely forgotten about and what Ruby had said there.

It caught him off guard when he heard that Ruby had actually lost control in front of the world leaders. He wouldn't call her irrational, that simply wasn't who she was. Something must have been troubling her, something she couldn't share with anyone.

'I need to talk to her.' Naturally, he intended to speak with her, along with a few others, about this arrangement.

Albec and the others were preparing for a full-scale war against the entire Acolyte society. The flames of chaos needed to be contained. If they were making the first move, then Adrian would ensure that no innocent citizens were sacrificed in the process, and he would deal enough damage to leave them struggling to recover for years.

'But what fragment of Darkness is locked in that place?' He hadn't regained all the memories of his origin yet, so he couldn't be certain. However, one thing was clear. Darkness had lingered within that orb for a very long time, living among the witches.

That alone raised the risk, leaving no room for negligence.

Once Adrian returned home tomorrow, he would meet Jean first, learn where the Acolytes were gathering, and prepare accordingly.

'I have a bad feeling things are about to turn chaotic very soon.'

Exhaling a quiet sigh, he rested his hands on his waist.

Just then, a sweet yet bitter fragrance reached him, drawing his attention.

He blinked, realizing he had spent far too long chatting with Annabelle. He was supposed to devote this evening to Raven.

Without another thought, he stepped out of the room and glanced to his left and right.

Empty corridors stretched on both sides, not a single soul in sight.

So Querella really dismissed all the maids.

His curious gaze began searching for his wife as his steps quickened.

He followed the faint trail of the fragrance, and soon, he found its source.

Slowly, he pushed the door open, and the sight before him made him sigh in quiet admiration.

Her hair was tied into a neat bun, an apron wrapped around her waist as she stood over a pot, cooking. And all while looking so beautiful that it took his breath away.

He simply stood there, admiring how he had ended up with someone like her.

Then, he stepped forward, slowly wrapping his arms around her slender waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What are you making?"

She had already sensed him, yet his strong arms and warmth still caught her by surprise.

Smiling, she said, "It's a coffee syrup for the dessert I have planned. I remembered you don't like overly sweet things, so I kept it slightly bitter."

She scooped some with the ladle and held it out. "Here, taste it."

Adrian dipped his finger in and licked it. "Hmm..." He hummed thoughtfully and nodded. "Good, but a little too bitter."

Raven tilted her head in confusion. She hadn't reduced the sugar that much.

"Hmm, that shouldn't have happened. Let me add some sugar then—"

"Ah, wait." Adrian scooped up some more syrup with his fingers and gently turned her toward him.

He pressed his finger against her soft lips, then leaned in, his lips meeting hers with only the syrup and his finger between them.

Raven was taken aback by the sudden move, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she responded, her tongue brushing against his finger as she tasted both the syrup and him.

At some point, his finger slipped away, and their lips met fully in a heated kiss, his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her close against him.

Her hand held his shoulders, fingers curling around his shirt as she was pulled to her toes, her weight transferring on him while Adrian leaning against the counter.

Their lips parted just for a moment, gaze met, both sharing the same emotions before Raven tilted her head and leaned for another kiss.

Her arm crossed behind his neck while his hand slipped under her shirt, leaving a fiery trail everywhere he touched her.

Her breath hitched, head leaning back as his lips assaulted her face next, sucking on her neck, leaving a faint red mark there before his kiss deepened, going even more down.

She moaned before reminding him, "The food..."

"I am eating." He responded, his fingers expertly taking out buttons one after another, revealing her beautiful self to him, all bare and exposed.

"Mm.." she pressed her lips together when his lips met the crown of her chest, his one hand softly fondling her breast.

She blew away the flame knowing she needed to focus on the flame nurturing between the two of them.

Adrian's lips trailed lower with deliberate slowness, savoring every inch of her flushed skin.

He kissed his way down the soft valley between her breasts, his breath hot and ragged against her, each press of his mouth sending sparks racing through her veins.

His hand remained on her breast, fingers gently kneading the supple flesh, thumb circling the hardened peak in teasing strokes that made her arch into his touch.

Raven gasped sharply, her back curving as a deep, throaty moan escaped her lips. "Adrian..." The sound was half-plea, half-surrender, her fingers threading tighter into his hair, nails grazing his scalp.

Heat pooled low in her belly, spreading like liquid fire with every deliberate caress.

Her skin felt hypersensitive, every brush of his lips and tongue leaving a trail of tingling warmth that made her thighs press together instinctively.

He hummed in appreciation against her, the vibration traveling straight to her core. "So sweet," he murmured, voice low and husky, lips brushing the underside of one breast before he took the sensitive peak into his mouth.

He sucked gently at first, then harder, tongue flicking over her bud while his other hand continued its worship—squeezing, rolling, pinching just enough to draw another broken moan from her throat.

Her knees weakened, a shiver ripping through her as pleasure coiled tighter. "Ah—yes..." Raven's head fell back, exposing the elegant line of her neck, her chest heaving with each labored breath.

She could feel the hard press of his arousal against her hip, his own desire fueling hers until the air between them crackled.

One of her hands slid down his back, clutching at his shirt as if it were the only thing grounding her while waves of heat crashed over her body.

Adrian lifted his gaze to meet hers for a heated second—eyes dark with lust and love—before he switched to her other breast, lavishing it with the same passionate attention.

His free hand slipped lower, tracing the curve of her waist, dipping beneath the apron and the loosened shirt to palm her hip, pulling her even closer until there was no space left between them.

The kitchen counter dug into his back, but he didn't care; all that mattered was the taste of her, the soft sounds she made, the way her body melted and trembled under his touch.

Raven whimpered, rolling her hips against him helplessly as his mouth and hands drove her higher. "Don't stop... please..." The syrup, the dessert, the world outside—it all faded.

There was only him, only this fire they ignited in each other, burning hotter with every kiss, every fondle, every shared breath.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.