Chapter 6: Unexpected Visitors
One week after the gala
Evelyn's London flat had never felt so much like a sanctuary. Since the charity gala, she had been acutely aware of the changes in how people responded to her. The barista at her favorite coffee shop lingered longer when taking her order. Her colleague at the museum had asked her out three times in two days. Even her elderly neighbor, Mr. Whitmore, had started finding excuses to chat whenever she passed in the hallway.
Alexander's lessons were working—perhaps too well.
She was curled up with her grandmother's journal, trying to decipher more of Eleanor's cryptic notes about "the trials of awakening," when her doorbell rang. The sound seemed unusually sharp in the quiet evening air.
Through the peephole, she saw Marcus Thorne standing in the hallway, holding a bouquet of white roses and wearing an expression of barely contained urgency.
"Marcus?" She opened the door, genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you." His blue eyes searched her face with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. "Ever since the gala, I can't stop thinking about you. About us."
"Us?" Evelyn stepped back as he moved closer. "Marcus, we ended things months ago. We both agreed it was for the best."
"That was before." He set the roses on her hall table and reached for her hands. "You're different now, Evelyn. More yourself. More... everything. I was a fool to let you go."
The desperation in his voice triggered something she'd been reading about in her grandmother's journal—the difference between natural attraction and the artificial intensity created by the Blackthorne influence. Marcus's obsession felt wrong, manufactured, like a drug-induced high rather than genuine emotion.
"Marcus, I think you should go," she said gently, trying to extract her hands from his grip.
"No, you don't understand." His hold tightened. "I know what you are, Evelyn. What your family is. I've been researching, asking questions. The Blackthorne women, the power you inherit—I can help you control it."
A chill ran down her spine. "What are you talking about?"
"I know about Alexander Ravenshollow too. Do you think it's a coincidence that he appeared in your life just when your powers were awakening? Men like him prey on women like you, Evelyn. They use your own abilities against you."
Before she could respond, another knock echoed through the flat—this one more commanding, more controlled. Through the peephole, she saw Alexander's familiar silhouette.
"Expecting someone else?" Marcus's voice carried a bitter edge.
Evelyn opened the door to find Alexander's gray eyes immediately assessing the situation. He took in Marcus's presence, the roses, and her obvious discomfort with the swift efficiency of a predator evaluating a threat.
"Mr. Thorne," Alexander said, his voice deceptively polite. "How unexpected."
"Ravenshollow." Marcus moved protectively closer to Evelyn. "I might say the same about you."
"I have an appointment with Miss Sterling. A lesson, you might say." Alexander stepped into the flat without invitation, his presence immediately dominating the space. "I assume you were just leaving."
"Actually, I was just telling Evelyn some interesting facts about you and your... business practices."
Alexander's smile was sharp as winter frost. "Were you indeed? How thoughtful. I do hope you were accurate in your research."
The tension between the two men was palpable, like electricity before a storm. Evelyn found herself caught between them, acutely aware of how both were looking at her—Marcus with desperate possessiveness, Alexander with calculating concern.
"Both of you need to stop," she said firmly. "I'm not a prize to be won or a problem to be solved. Marcus, thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself. Alexander, we can reschedule our lesson."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Alexander said, his tone suddenly serious. "Something has happened, Evelyn. Something that requires immediate attention."
"What kind of something?"
"The kind that suggests your awakening has attracted more attention than we anticipated. The kind that means you're no longer safe alone."
Marcus stepped forward. "You see? This is exactly what I was warning you about. He's using fear to control you."
"And you're using false concern to manipulate her," Alexander replied smoothly. "At least I'm honest about my methods."
The argument might have continued, but at that moment, all three of them heard it—footsteps in the hallway outside, too many footsteps, moving with purpose toward her door.
Alexander's expression hardened. "They found you faster than I expected."
"Who found me?" Evelyn whispered.
"People who believe that the Blackthorne legacy belongs to them. People who would use you as a weapon rather than teach you to be a warrior."
More knocking, insistent and urgent. Then a woman's voice, cultured and cold: "Miss Sterling, we know you're in there. We need to speak with you about your inheritance. Your real inheritance."
Alexander moved to the window, peering through the curtains. "Three cars. At least eight people. Professional."
Marcus pulled out his phone. "I'm calling the police."
"They won't help," Alexander said grimly. "These people operate beyond normal law enforcement."
"Then what do we do?" Evelyn's voice was steadier than she felt.
Alexander looked at her with something that might have been pride. "We run. And hope that your first real lesson in survival serves you better than your lessons in seduction."
Who are these mysterious visitors, and what do they want with Evelyn? Can she trust Alexander to protect her, or is Marcus right to be suspicious? The stakes have suddenly become much more dangerous...
Chapter Navigation:
Story Stats:
- Word Count: 920
- Reading Time: 4.5 minutes
- Part: II - Temptation