Page 42 of Vow to Corrupt You (Gods of Corruption #1)
Serena
We step back into the mansion, and it feels different.
The cold walls of this house don’t suffocate me anymore.
For the first time, they feel welcoming.
For the first time, I don’t feel like a captive in a cage but like a child coming back to the safe embrace of their home. And him… Nikos, is the reason why.
He feels like home.
We don’t speak as we climb the stairs, only exchange meaningful glances and soft smiles. By the time we reach the bedroom, we kiss each other hungrily, ripping each other’s clothes off.
It’s not love we make. It never has been.
Love is something tender, something gentle.
What we have is raw. Consuming. I surrender to his will not because he wants it, but because I want it.
I crave it. I love being dominated by him, kneeling before him, knowing that he’d throw the world to its knees for me.
The power I feel in surrendering to him is unlike anything else.
It’s intoxicating to see the way his eyes darken, to hear the way he growls in pleasure, to know that my submission controls him in ways he could never admit.
I may kneel, but I hold the reins. And he knows it.
I submit to him in the bedroom, but he submits to me outside it.
He owns me, but I own him equally.
By morning, I’m wrapped in sheets that smell of him, my body aching in the most pleasurable way. He dresses quietly as if he’s trying not to wake me. But when he leaves a kiss on my forehead before he leaves, it all feels so surreal. He’s never kissed me goodbye before.
After a long bath to wash away the remnants of the night, I head downstairs for breakfast. As I reach the dining room, I gaze at Dimitris, sitting at the far end of the table. His presence catches me off guard because he rarely dines here with us, and I was sure he’d left with Nikos this morning.
“Good morning, dear. I trust you slept well?” he says; the subtle edge to his tone makes me wary, but I nod.
“I did. But aren’t you with Nikos?”
His smile is faint. “Not this time. I thought I’d stay and have a word with you instead.”
“About what?” My head tilts, brows furrowing.
Dimitris sets his cup down, leaning back in his chair. “I heard you tried to leave my nephew.”
My body tenses, and I straighten in my seat. “That’s old news.”
He nods slowly, his gaze too piercing for my liking. “Indeed. Nikos wouldn’t have let you go, would he? You never truly had the chance to escape him.”
I frown, unsure of where this is going. “What’s your point?”
Dimitris leans forward, his lips pursing together. He wants to cup my hand in his, but I pull it away. “If you ever wanted to leave, I could help you.”
The offer knocks the breath out of me. “What? Why would you…?”
Dimitris’s expression softens, almost pitying. “Because I made a promise to your father. I swore to protect you, no matter what. And while I care for my nephew, I know him. He’s troubled, to put it lightly, and he will never change. Staying with him will only drag you deeper into his darkness.”
I stare at him, my mind reeling. He’s offering me what no one else ever could: a way out that Nikos couldn’t stop. And yet…
“I’m not leaving Nikos,” I say firmly, my voice steadier than I expected.
Not after what happened yesterday. The secrets he shared with me, the things he’s told me.
The bond that was created between us. “It was a mistake to try before, one I’ll never repeat.
I’ll stand by my husband’s side, no matter what. ”
For a moment, something flickers in Dimitris’s eyes. Some sort of disappointment, perhaps, but it vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and his expression shifts to one of polite indifference. “As you wish. I simply wanted to offer.”
But the evident disappointment on his face, even in his tone, makes my stomach twist. Something about this entire encounter feels off.
Dimitris stands, adjusting his jacket as though preparing to leave, then turns back to me. “I almost forgot. Your sister was here last evening. She said it was urgent.”
My heart lurches. “My sister? Which one? What did she say?” I sort of panic, because it is unusual for my sisters to come here without prior notice.
But then again, I wasn’t available yesterday, and perhaps something happened, something bad, so she came since she couldn’t reach me any other way.
Maybe it’s something about Salvatore? Or Papà.
Instantly, my mind is in overdrive with all the possible scenarios playing out. That’s the thing about overthinkers.
“Valeria. She didn’t say much,” Dimitris replies, his tone carefully casual. “But if you’d like, I can take you to her. She insisted on talking to you personally.”
My unease grows, but I can’t ignore the nagging worry. If there’s something wrong with my family—if it’s about Salvatore or anyone else—I need to know.
“Okay, let’s go,” I say hesitantly. “Thank you.”
A strange sense of foreboding settles over me as I follow him, but I shake it off. This is Nikos’s uncle, after all, the only person he’s ever trusted. Then, I can trust him, too, right?