Chapter 1
Lucifer’s POV 👑💼
Earth.
A strange, glittering prison for mortals who mistake their misery for meaning. 🌆
I hadn’t walked its soil in centuries, and yet nothing had changed. The cities still stank of greed, vanity, and lust—my favorite ingredients. 💰💋
But I wasn’t here for pleasure this time.
I came for her — my mate. ❤️🔥
The one destined to rule Hell beside me… whether she knows it or not. 👑🔥
“Welcome back to the mortal realm,” Dracula drawled beside me, his voice smooth and sharp as polished glass. 🩸 He leaned back in his seat, sunglasses hiding the faint red glint in his eyes. Even disguised as a human, he radiated power.
“Don’t sound so pleased,” I muttered, watching the skyline through the tinted window of the limousine. “You never liked it here.”
He chuckled. “I don’t. Humans smell… fragile. But it’s amusing how they worship you without knowing it.”
I smirked. True. 😏
The car slowed as Infernum Tower came into view—my empire’s mortal façade. The tallest skyscraper in New York, home to Infernum Industries, the company that controlled half the world’s economy and all of its secrets. 🏙️
To them, I was Lucien Blackwell, the richest CEO in the States.
To those who truly knew, I was still what I had always been—Lucifer Morningstar, ruler of Hell. 🔥
Dracula adjusted his cufflinks. “You’re certain she’s here? On Earth?”
I glanced out the window. Mortals moved below like ants, their souls faintly glowing with desire and despair. “She’s here. I can feel it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning to search every mortal woman until you find her?”
I leaned back, smirking. “No need. Fate will bring her to me.” ✨
Dracula sighed dramatically. “And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime,” I said, “hire me a new personal assistant. A woman.” 👩💼
Dracula’s lips quirked. “Any particular qualifications?”
“She must be… different,” I said slowly, my gaze still fixed on the city. “Unspoiled by greed. Unaware of the darkness that exists beyond her small world.”
“So—naïve?”
A faint smile tugged at my lips. “Exactly.”
“Very well.” Dracula opened his phone and started typing. “I’ll tell HR to post a notice outside the building. Something about a vacancy for a female personal assistant to the CEO.”
“Good.” I looked out at the humans again, my chest tightening with an emotion I hadn’t felt in eons. Anticipation. “Hell itself will tremble when I find her.” 🔥😈
Kathryn’s POV 🌸☕💔
The morning began with chaos.
My alarm didn’t ring, the kettle broke ☕💥, and the tiny apartment I called home was colder than usual. I woke up tangled in my blanket, blinking at the peeling ceiling above me.
“Great start, Kathryn,” I groaned, dragging myself out of bed.
I made instant coffee that tasted like regret 😩, brushed my hair into a messy bun, and rummaged through the closet for my waitress uniform—the only thing still neatly ironed.
Rent was due next week. My savings could barely cover groceries. I couldn’t afford to lose my job. 💸
I slipped on my shoes and sprinted down the cracked stairwell, nearly bumping into Mrs. Keller from next door.
“Late again, dear?” she asked kindly.
I forced a smile. “As always.”
The bus stop was crowded, so I ran the three blocks to Moonlight Diner, clutching my bag like my life depended on it. 🏃♀️💨 By the time I arrived, my chest ached and my hair stuck to my forehead.
Inside, the diner smelled of coffee, pancakes, and exhaustion. ☕🥞
“Cavanaugh!” barked my manager, Mr. Hanks, the human equivalent of a barking bulldog. “You’re late again!” 🗯️
“Just by five minutes,” I said, slipping into my apron.
He glared. “Five minutes is five minutes too long. Get to work.”
I nodded and hurried to the counter. The day blurred into the usual rhythm—orders, trays, forced smiles.
Then it happened.
A customer asked for extra syrup. I turned to grab it, the floor slick from a spilled drink, and before I could react—
💥 Crash! 💥
The tray slipped. A plate shattered across the floor, syrup splattering everywhere. The diner went silent.
Mr. Hanks stormed over, red-faced. “That’s it, Kathryn! You’re done! You’re fired!” 😡
My heart dropped. “Please, sir, it was an accident—”
“I don’t care! Clean it up and get out!”
Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I knelt down, picking up the broken pieces one by one, feeling their sharp edges bite into my fingertips. 💔
When I finally walked out into the evening air, the city lights were just starting to come alive. 🌃 I clutched my worn-out bag tighter, trying not to cry.
“Everything’s fine,” I whispered to myself, even though it wasn’t. “It’ll be fine.” 😢
But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching me. 👁️🗨️
#InTheEvening — Lucifer’s POV 🌒🔥
Dracula leaned against the glass wall of my office as I poured myself a glass of whiskey. 🥃
“The notice is up,” he said lazily. “Outside the building, as you ordered. They’ll line up tomorrow morning.”
“Good,” I murmured, swirling the amber liquid.
“You really think your mate will come knocking for a job?”
I smiled faintly, eyes glinting in the firelight.
“She will.” 😈
He chuckled. “And if she doesn’t?”
“She will,” I repeated, more quietly. “Because destiny always leads the innocent straight into the Devil’s arms.” 🔥
Outside, the city burned with neon light. 🌆
And somewhere among its millions, a girl with broken dreams was walking home—
completely unaware that Hell itself had just started searching for her. 👑❤️🔥
