Chapter 1: What the Hell, Mom!?
The late afternoon sun cast a golden haze over the sprawling suburban neighborhood as Halilintar Aba trudged home from university, his dark brown hair tousled from the long day, crimson eyes glinting with the usual mix of exhaustion and irritation. His lean, athletic frame moved with a restless energy, as if the world itself was a personal affront to his existence. He slung his backpack over one shoulder, muttering curses under his breath about the mundane torture of lectures and group projects. But nothing could have prepared him for the bombshell waiting at home.
Stepping through the front door of the Aba family’s modern, minimalist house, Halilintar was greeted by the faint aroma of jasmine tea and the sound of his mother’s voice, light and teasing, drifting from the kitchen. ‘Hal, darling, come in here! I’ve got some news!’ she called, her tone suspiciously chipper. Halilintar’s brow furrowed. His mother, Seraphina, was never this cheerful unless she was up to something. Dropping his bag by the door, he stalked into the kitchen, arms crossed, already bracing for whatever nonsense she was about to spout.
Seraphina Aba stood by the counter, a petite woman with sharp features and the same crimson eyes as her son, stirring a cup of tea with an infuriatingly smug smile. ‘What’s this about, Mom? I’ve had a crap day, so let’s make this quick,’ Halilintar snapped, leaning against the doorway, his voice dripping with impatience.
‘Oh, don’t be such a grump, Hal,’ Seraphina chirped, setting her spoon down with a delicate clink. ‘I’ve just finalized something wonderful for your future. You’re going to thank me one day.’
Halilintar’s eyes narrowed, a bad feeling curling in his gut like a snake. ‘Thank you for what, exactly? If it’s another one of your weird matchmaking schemes, I’m out. I don’t have time for this.’
Seraphina’s smile widened, and she clasped her hands together as if she were about to announce the cure for boredom itself. ‘It’s not just a scheme, darling. It’s a promise. A union. A marriage arrangement! With the Shadow family.’
The room went deathly silent. Halilintar’s jaw dropped, his crimson eyes blazing with a mix of shock and pure, unadulterated rage. ‘WHAT THE HELL, MOM!?’ he roared, slamming a fist on the counter, making the teacup rattle. ‘The Shadow family? Are you insane? You mean *that* Shadow family? As in, Lust Shadow? That purple-haired, smug-faced bastard who’s been a thorn in my side since we were kids? You’ve got to be kidding me!’
Seraphina didn’t flinch, her smile unwavering as she sipped her tea with the calm of a woman who’d already won the argument. ‘Now, now, Hal. Language. And yes, I mean Lust Shadow. He’s a fine young man, from a powerful family. This union will secure alliances, strengthen our ties, and—’
‘Screw alliances!’ Halilintar cut her off, pacing the kitchen like a caged animal, his voice rising with every word. ‘I can’t stand the sight of him! Every time I see that idiot, with his stupid violet hair and those creepy red eyes, I want to punch him square in the face! We’ve been at each other’s throats since middle school. He’s arrogant, insufferable, and—’
‘And quite handsome, don’t you think?’ Seraphina interjected with a sly wink, her tone teasing as she watched her son’s face turn an alarming shade of red. ‘Oh, come now, Hal. I’ve seen the way you two bicker. There’s fire there. Passion. Sometimes, hate is just love wearing a very convincing mask.’
Halilintar stopped dead in his tracks, whirling on his mother with a look of pure horror. ‘Are you seriously suggesting I’ve got some kind of twisted thing for that jerk? Mom, you’ve lost it. Completely. I’d rather jump off a cliff than spend five minutes alone with Lust Shadow, let alone marry him!’
Seraphina chuckled, setting her cup down and crossing her arms, mirroring her son’s earlier stance. ‘Protest all you want, darling, but the arrangement is set. The Shadows have agreed, and Lust’s parents are thrilled. You’ll meet with him soon to discuss the details. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find some... common ground.’ Her voice dipped suggestively, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Halilintar groaned, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration, his mind racing with images of Lust’s infuriating smirk, those piercing red eyes that always seemed to see right through him, mocking him at every turn. He hated how just the thought of Lust made his blood boil, how their endless arguments left him oddly... charged, like a live wire waiting to spark. ‘This is a nightmare,’ he muttered, collapsing into a chair, his voice low and bitter. ‘A damn nightmare. How am I supposed to face that bastard now, knowing this crap is hanging over us?’
Seraphina patted his shoulder, her touch gentle but firm. ‘You’ll figure it out, Hal. You always do. And who knows? Maybe Lust will surprise you. Sometimes, the people we fight with the most are the ones who ignite something... deeper.’
Halilintar shot her a withering glare, but her words lingered, worming their way into his mind like an unwanted whisper. He couldn’t deny the strange heat that flared in his chest whenever Lust was near, the way their shouting matches left him breathless, his pulse racing for reasons he refused to name. As he stormed out of the kitchen, muttering curses about fate and family, he couldn’t shake the image of Lust’s sharp, taunting grin, or the dangerous, unspoken tension that always simmered just beneath their hatred.
Little did he know, their next encounter—forced by this cursed arrangement—would push that tension to a breaking point, igniting a fire neither of them could control. The air between them would soon crackle with raw, undeniable desire, their sharp words giving way to sharper touches, bodies colliding with the force of a storm. But for now, Halilintar could only stew in his rage, unaware of the seductive chaos waiting just around the corner.
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