They stayed in the living room, by the crackling warmth of the fireplace. Lara still had questions burning on the tip of her tongue.

  "So, do you live alone? No family?" she ventured, her voice soft but curious.

  "I don't," Gabriel replied curtly, rising to pour himself a glass of whiskey. He sat back down, the amber liquid catching the firelight.

  "Want something to drink?" he offered with a chivalrous gesture that made her smile.

  She shook her head no, but noted his short reply, the weight in his expression—his gaze seemed to darken, heavy with ancient shadows, skin pale as moonlight on snow. Lara feared she'd touched a raw wound.

  "Sorry, Gabriel. I don't mean to pry."

  "You're not, Lara. It's understandable... there are just some things I prefer not to discuss." His voice was a deep murmur, laden with secrets. The air thickened around her, as if his past materialized in the dimness.

  Gabriel fixed his intense, hypnotic eyes on hers.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "But tell me about you. Are you from here? How long have you been in the village?"

  "Well, yes. I was born and raised here," she replied, holding his deep gaze. Something about him unsettled her—his excessively white skin, almost translucent, like a vampire's.

  Could it be real? Her mind bubbled with doubts. If he were, he'd have attacked me already... wouldn't he?

  "That's why you're from here. Do you live with your family?"

  The question struck like a blade. Lara's face fell into sadness, memories of her father and family suffering invading her mind like cold mist. She lowered her eyes to her lap, hiding the pain.

  "Yes, I live with them," she murmured, her voice choked.

  Gabriel noticed immediately. Genuine concern softened his features—he didn't want to hurt her at all, didn't want to push her away. Despite her breaking into his home, he saw in her a pure soul: humble, curious, without malice. He gently set the glass on the coffee table.

  "I don't want to touch on anything that hurts you. Sorry... let's talk about something else."

  "You don't bother me at all," she said, a blush rising to her cheeks—shame and shyness betraying her. She couldn't believe she was about to confess family issues to a stranger.

  "It's just... I didn't come from a rich family. Mine is pretty dysfunctional."

  "I get it. No shame in that. I don't judge you—you don't need to feel embarrassed." He smiled, a rare and devastating gesture that lit his face like sunlight filtered through eternal clouds. He gestured to the vast house around them.

  "Despite this mansion, I have a humble soul too. I've been in your shoes."

  Lara melted at his words. That smile... unique, magnetic, made her heart race.