Music recommendation: Hurt so good -Astrid S

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The moment Rosaline stepped out of the ballroom, the warmth and noise behind her disappeared almost instantly.

The long palace corridor stretched ahead beneath rows of golden chandeliers, their light spilling across polished marble floors that reflected every furious step she took. The distant sound of music still echoed faintly from the room, but here, away from the nobles and their endless stares, the silence felt colder.

Rosaline folded her arms tightly across her chest as she walked faster.

She was angry.

No...

furious.

The nerve of that man.

Two whole days.

Two days without a single word.

Two days of worrying whether he was alive or dead while everyone in the mansion pretended not to notice her restlessness.

And now he suddenly appeared out of nowhere only to drag her away from another man as though she had done something wrong.

Behind her, footsteps followed steadily.

Not rushed.

Not hesitant.

Xandros.

Of course.

Rosaline spun around sharply before he could say anything.

"What exactly is wrong with you?"

Her voice bounced slightly against the tall palace walls.

Xandros stopped a few feet away from her, his expression unreadable as always, though his gray eyes remained fixed on her with an intensity that only irritated her more.

"What is wrong with me?" he repeated calmly.

"Yes, you!" Rosaline snapped. "You disappear for days without saying anything and then suddenly return only to act like..."

"Why were you dancing with him?"

The question cut through her words immediately.

Rosaline blinked.

Then stared at him in disbelief.

"That is what you have to say?"

"You are married."

"And whose fault is it that I attended alone?" she shot back instantly.

Xandros’ jaw tightened slightly.

"That changes nothing."

"It changes everything!"

Her voice rose despite herself.

"You left without explaining anything, Xandros!"

For the first time since she met him, she used his name this loudly without title or hesitation.

And somehow that only made the tension between them sharper.

"You could have refused the dance," he said coldly.

Rosaline laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound was sharp with disbelief.

"You are unbelievable."

"You allowed him to touch you."

"And you allowed me to stand alone in a room full of nobles!"

The words struck harder than she intended.

She saw it.

The slight flicker in his eyes.

But she was too angry to stop now.

"You left me there alone," she continued, her breathing uneven now. "Do you even understand how humiliating that was? Every woman there had someone beside her except me."

"You are the Duchess of Dagon. Nobody would dare..."

"Oh, stop talking about titles!" she snapped. "I am tired of hearing about titles and duties and appearances."

Xandros stared at her silently.

Rosaline’s chest rose and fell quickly beneath her gown.

"I waited for you," she admitted before she could stop herself. "For two stupid days, I kept waiting for you to come back, and instead you appear only to question me about dancing?"

The corridor fell silent afterward.

Dead silent.

Because suddenly the argument no longer sounded like anger between a duke and duchess.

It sounded personal.

Dangerously personal.

Xandros’ gaze darkened slightly.

"You waited for me?"

Rosaline immediately regretted saying it.

"I only meant..."

"You were worried."

"I was not."

"You were."

"I wasn’t!"

"You’re angry because you were worried."

Rosaline looked ready to explode.

"You are the most irritating person I have ever met."

"And yet," he murmured, stepping closer slowly, "you were waiting for me."

She opened her mouth to argue again—

when movement appeared at the far end of the corridor.

Gillian.

He emerged from the ballroom entrance with the same unnatural grace, his long dark-black hair falling behind him like silk as his golden eyes immediately found Rosaline.

Xandros saw him first.

And suddenly something in his expression changed.

Not anger.

Something darker.

Possessive.

Before Rosaline could react, Xandros moved.

Fast.

One hand caught her wrist.

The other slid against her waist and pulled her sharply against his chest.

Then he kissed her.

Hard.

Rosaline’s eyes widened instantly.

The kiss was nothing like the first one they shared.

That kiss had been hunger.

This one felt territorial.

Possessive.

Furious.

Xandros kissed her like he wanted every person watching to understand something without words.

Rosaline froze in shock for exactly two seconds before outrage exploded through her.

She bit him.

Hard.

the taste of blood immediately filling his mouth.

But Xandros didn’t release her lips till Gillian turned away from there.

Xandros then stood in front of her and looked at her.

But instead of anger...

instead of offense...

he smiled.

Actually smiled.

A dark, dangerous smile as he wiped the blood from his lower lip with his thumb.

That expression stunned Rosaline more than the kiss itself.

"You are insane," she breathed harshly.

Then she slapped him.

The sharp crack echoed through the corridor.

For a second, the moment froze.

Rosaline’s chest rose rapidly as realization hit her.

She had just slapped the Duke of Dagon inside the imperial palace.

But Xandros did not react.

Did not get angry.

Did not even look offended.

Instead, his tongue briefly brushed against the blood on his lip while amusement flickered in his gray eyes.

And somehow...

that made him even more dangerous.

Xandros casually slid his hand down Rosaline’s arm and intertwined their fingers.

Rosaline immediately tried pulling her hand free.

Xandros did not release her.

"Let go of me."

"Not yet."

"I am still angry with you."

"I know."

"You kissed me forcefully!"

"Yes." he answered her....she wasn’t aware of the jealousy in his blood stream right now.

"You are impossible."

"That may be true," he admitted calmly.

Rosaline glared at him furiously.

Then attempted to walk away again.

Xandros sighed softly before finally speaking in a quieter tone.

"Cooperate for tonight."

She paused.

"I don’t want another scene."

Rosaline stared at him for a long moment before finally exhaling sharply through her nose.

"Fine."

Then she added bitterly, "But I’m still not done with you."

Something about that sentence amused him deeply.

She noticed immediately.

"Why are you smiling?"

"You said ’with me’.’"

Rosaline blinked.

Then realization struck.

Her face heated instantly.

"You are...i don’t even know."

This time, he chuckled openly.

Far away from the palace, Gillian returned to his residence in complete silence.

The massive estate rested high within the mountains beyond Dagon’s borders, hidden beneath endless fog and black pine forests that swallowed moonlight whole.

The servants opened the doors the instant they saw him approaching.

None dared speak.

Because the moment Gillian stepped inside...

the entire atmosphere changed.

Violent energy rolled off him like a storm barely contained beneath skin.

His jaw clenched tightly.

His golden eyes burned unnaturally bright.

And then suddenly...

everything exploded.

A crystal vase shattered against the wall with terrifying force.

Servants flinched violently.

One maid nearly collapsed to her knees.

"YOU DISGUSTING WITCH!" Gillian’s voice thundered through the mansion. "Bring me my food immediately!"

Fear spread instantly through the hall.

Nobody moved fast enough.

Nobody breathed loudly enough.

At the far end of the corridor, the witch hurried forward almost frantically.

She looked older tonight somehow.

More nervous.

More shaken.

"My prince..."

"Silence!"

The walls trembled slightly beneath the force of his voice.

Gillian dragged a hand through his long hair before turning sharply away from everyone.

He did not understand what was happening to him.

That was the worst part.

The moment he saw Rosaline in another man’s arms...

something inside him snapped.

Not irritation.

Not jealousy.

Something darker.

Something violent.

The image replayed endlessly inside his head.

Xandros touching her.

Holding her.

Kissing her.

The memory alone made his chest burn.

Mine.

The thought came suddenly.

Possessively.

Obsessively.

Gillian’s breathing grew uneven.

No.

This was wrong.

It was too soon.

The witch approached carefully now, carrying a silver tray with trembling hands.

"My prince," she whispered cautiously, "you must calm yourself..."

The tray suddenly flew from her hands before she even finished speaking.

It crashed across the floor.

Food scattered everywhere.

The young servant behind her gasped softly in fear.

Gillian turned sharply toward them.

The servant girl looked barely sixteen.

Thin.

Fragile.

Terrified.

The moment his golden eyes landed on her, she immediately lowered herself to her knees, shaking violently.

"P-Please forgive me..."

The witch stepped protectively in front of the girl at once.

"My prince, she has done nothing wrong."

Gillian stared at them silently.

Then laughed.

But the sound held no sanity in it.

"You said she awakened correctly," he murmured softly toward the witch. "You said the bond would pull her toward me."

The witch swallowed nervously.

"It should have."

"Then why," Gillian asked quietly, dangerously, "was she looking at another man like that?"

The witch said nothing.

Because she had no answer.

Gillian’s smile vanished completely.

Then slowly...very slowly...

he turned toward the dark mountain windows overlooking the distant kingdom below.

"I’m done waiting," he said softly.

The witch’s face paled instantly.

"My prince..."

"She will come to me eventually."

His golden eyes darkened.

"But I no longer intend to wait for fate to bring her."

The room fell silent.

Then Gillian smiled again.

Cold.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

"I’ll take her myself."