As soon as Logan left, Layla continued exploring her new room.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself owning such a magnificent space. She hurried toward the wardrobe, eager to see what was inside.
The moment she opened it, she was rendered speechless.
It was filled to the brim with designer clothes—clothes expensive enough to buy her stepfamily's entire house.
I really appreciate the effort he put into stocking my wardrobe, even though, to him, it probably feels like he's spending nothing.
He's bastardly rich!
Layla was still basking in her newfound luxury when a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and the maid entered carrying several paper bags filled with toiletries, skincare products, makeup kits, and countless other items.
"Madam, Mr. Logan asked me to give these to you. There's also a dress in here for you. He's throwing a small welcome party for you."
Layla blinked in surprise.
A party for me?
She loved parties, but she rarely got invited to any.
"Really?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The maid maintained a formal tone, and Layla immediately felt uncomfortable. They looked as though they were probably around the same age.
"Please, could you do me a favor? You can drop the formalities a little. I'm not comfortable with you calling me 'ma'am' or 'madam.'"
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am, but if I do that, I'll lose my job," the maid replied, bowing slightly.
"Alright, no problem. But whenever we're alone, just call me Layla, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Layla shot her a warning glare.
The maid quickly corrected herself.
"Yes, Layla."
Layla nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Good. So, what's your name?"
The girl was pretty and seemed friendly enough.
"My name is Rosie," she replied with a shy smile.
"Rosie... What a pretty name. So, when is this party starting? Tonight or tomorrow? And are there going to be any guests?"
Layla figured she should at least know what to expect. She hated being caught off guard by surprises.
"The party will be held tonight. Mr. Logan didn't invite any guests. Only his men and the maids will be attending."
Layla remembered Logan telling her that it wasn't yet time to reveal her identity.
I guess that's why he didn't invite anyone from outside. He probably doesn't want me exposed to danger before I've learned how to control my powers.
"Alright, then. You can leave. I'll call you if I need anything."
Layla gestured toward the door.
She needed some time alone to rest.
"Okay," Rosie replied before quietly leaving the room.
The moment the door closed, Layla threw herself onto her enormous bed and began rummaging through the paper bags.
The skincare products were of exceptional quality.
She had never used anything like them before, but she could recognize luxury when she saw it.
She carefully arranged some on her dresser and placed the rest inside the drawers.
There were so many that, if she used them consistently, they would probably last her five or six months.
She then examined the makeup kit.
Layla had never been particularly fond of makeup.
I'm already beautiful. Very beautiful. So what's the point of all this?
As far as she was concerned, makeup was nothing more than a waste of resources.
Still, she was more than happy to accept the gifts and arranged them neatly in her drawers.
She had just finished organizing her toiletries in the bathroom when another knock sounded on her door.
Layla opened it.
Her breath caught.
Logan stood before her, looking as strikingly handsome as ever.
I could never get tired of looking at this face.
"Can I come in?"
His voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Y-yeah... sure. Come in."
She stuttered slightly as she stepped aside to let him enter.
After he walked in, she shut the door behind him.
"Have you tried the dress? Is it to your liking? If it isn't, I can order a few more for you."
Logan settled onto one of the sofas, his eyes fixed on her.
"No, not yet. I was arranging the things the maid brought me."
"Why didn't the maid do it?"
His expression changed almost instantly.
"I don't want you stressing yourself over things like that. What's the name of that maid? She needs to be fired right now. She neglected her job and made you arrange everything yourself. Why else did I employ them?"
His voice boomed through the sitting room.
The man who had been smiling only moments ago now looked as though he could strangle someone without a second thought.
"Calm down. I asked her to leave. It's my fault, not hers."
Layla tried to make him see things from her perspective.
She didn't want him firing Rosie because of her.
He really does get angry easily.
"Is that so?"
Logan's expression relaxed.
"If that's the case, then I have no problem with it. But I don't want you stressing yourself. Remember, your lessons will begin soon, so you'd better conserve your energy for what's important."
Is this man serious?
It's just arranging my cosmetics. That's all. He's talking as though I was made to carry bags of cement.
"Yes, sir!"
Layla gave him a mock salute.
"Are you mocking me?"
Logan suddenly laughed.
Layla hadn't expected it.
Oh my God... he's damn handsome when he laughs.
She fought the sudden urge to reach out and touch his face.
Her cheeks flushed crimson before she even realized it.
"Layla, are you alright?"
Logan rose from the sofa.
"Your face is bright red. Do you have an allergy?"
He reached out and gently touched her cheek.
He looked genuinely concerned, which somehow made him even more attractive.
The instant his fingers brushed her skin, a strange jolt of electricity shot through her.
His body was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
Layla's eyes lingered on his face.
Then, inevitably, they drifted toward his lips.
I could kiss those lips...
God damn it!
She immediately recoiled from his touch and slapped both cheeks.
Why am I having such shameless thoughts?
"Layla... are you alright?"
Logan took a step toward her.
His voice finally snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Yes... yes, I'm completely fine."
Layla backed away several steps until her spine met the wall.
Darn this stupid wall.
She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, desperately trying to regain control of her thoughts.
This was becoming humiliating.
Eighteen Years Earlier
It had been eighteen years since Logan's mate had disappeared.
Her name was Irene.
She was believed to be dead, but her family had secretly saved her and sent her away to the human world.
At the time, Logan had no idea that she was his mate.
It wasn't until six years later that he discovered the truth.
He immediately went to her family's hidden sanctuary, explained the situation, and demanded to know where she was.
To his surprise, they didn't know either.
All they could tell him was that Irene was alive and had been sent to the human realm.
Logan had been consumed by frustration and desperation.
All he wanted was to find his mate and hold her in his arms.
He had never had a mate before.
For years, he had believed that the Supreme Goddess had deliberately denied him one as some form of punishment.
He couldn't understand what he had done to deserve such a fate, but eventually, he forced himself to accept it.
Logan began sleeping with any woman who crossed his path, taking what temporary comfort he could before discarding them.
It continued for years.
Eventually, however, even that lost its appeal.
He grew tired of women and buried himself in work instead.
He worked directly for his grandfather, the Devil.
Sin City was his home in the Underworld, and his grandfather had entrusted him with numerous responsibilities.
Among them was maintaining peace between the various ranks of demons and helping preserve the fragile balance between all the realms.
There was always something demanding his attention.
And that was exactly what he needed.
A hundred years passed.
Eventually, his family began pressuring him to marry.
They all knew he didn't have a mate, so his grandfather eventually arranged a marriage between him and a woman named Disha.
She was beautiful, intelligent, and graceful.
But Logan never developed feelings for her.
He had no desire to have children with her, so he refused to consummate the marriage at first.
Even after they eventually became intimate, he never allowed himself to form an emotional attachment to her.
They remained married for a long time.
Then came the Great War.
A rebellion erupted among the various supernatural realms, with the humans being the only ones excluded from the conflict.
Amid the chaos, Logan failed to protect Disha.
He failed to protect his wife.
He had never loved her.
Not once.
Yet when she died, something inside him broke.
He was consumed by pain, guilt, and anguish.
Because regardless of how little love he had given her, she had still been his wife.
And he had failed her.