Chapter 6 Forbidden Longing

Logan knew better than to cross lines. In his world, emotions were a liability. Attachments got men killed. But standing in the Sinclair mansion, watching Eleanor suffer in silence, he felt something he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years.

Rage.

And something far more dangerous-something he couldn't afford.

Desire.

A Fragile Connection

Since the night of the broken wine glass, something had shifted between them. Eleanor no longer avoided his gaze. She no longer pretended in front of him.

She knew Logan had seen the truth.

He caught her watching him when she thought he wasn't looking. He noticed the way her hands steadied when he was near, as if drawing strength from his presence. But the most dangerous sign of all? She felt safe with him.

And that was something Richard Sinclair would never allow.

A Private Moment

One evening, Logan found Eleanor alone in the garden, wrapped in a shawl as the autumn breeze whispered through the trees. She stood by the fountain, staring at the rippling water, lost in thought.

He shouldn't have approached. He should have turned around and walked away. But he didn't.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, his voice low.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, a small smile playing at her lips. "Aren't you supposed to be keeping me safe?"

"I am."

She turned fully, her gaze searching his. "Do you ever wonder what it's like?"

Logan frowned. "What what's like?"

"To be free."

The words hit him harder than he expected. He had spent years fighting for freedom in war-torn countries, protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. But Eleanor-she was trapped in a different kind of prison. One with silk curtains and diamond necklaces.

"Every day," he admitted.

She exhaled softly, looking back at the fountain. "I don't even remember what it feels like anymore."

Something inside Logan cracked. He wanted to tell her that she could escape, that she wasn't as powerless as she believed. But she wasn't ready to hear that yet.

Instead, he reached out-slowly, cautiously-and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She froze.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. Her eyes met his, wide and unguarded, and Logan saw something in them he hadn't seen before.

Hope.

Then she stepped back, breaking the moment. "I should go inside."

Logan nodded, watching as she disappeared into the house.

He ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply.

This was dangerous.

And it was only the beginning.