The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 126

Intruder-2

The apartment, which had felt safe just moments ago, now felt unfamiliar.

Threatening.

Every shadow seemed deeper.

Every noise louder.

Another sound.

Closer this time.

Iva’s pulse spiked.

She moved toward the door slowly, her steps light despite the tension coiling in her muscles, her grip tightening on the lamp as she positioned herself just to the side.

Waiting.

Listening.

And then-

The handle moved.

The door opened.

And instinct took over.

With a sharp gasp, Iva swung the lamp forward with all the force she had, aiming straight at the figure entering-

“Wait-!”

The voice came too late.

The impact didn’t.

But just before it fully connected-

The light shifted.

Her eyes focused.

And she froze.

“…Caleb?”

The last thing Caleb expected-

The absolute last thing-

15

Intruder L

Was a lamp flying straight toward his head.

His instincts kicked in before thought could even form.

Years of training.

Sharp reflexes.

Heightened awareness.

Claim

His body moved on its own, shifting just enough, just in time, as the lamp whooshed past him, missing him. by mere inches before hitting the wall with a dull, echoing thud.

“-wait-!”

He barely registered his own voice.

Because in the next second-

He focused.

And what he saw made him freeze for an entirely different reason.

“Iva?”

She stood there, wide-eyed, breathing hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly, still caught in the aftermath of adrenaline, her grip tightening around the now slightly bent lamp base she still held like a weapon.

She looked… startled.

Completely.

Utterly.

And-

Unbelievably disarming.

Dressed only in an oversized, old long t-shirt that fell loosely over her frame, brushing against her thighs, her hair slightly messy as if she had just gotten out of bed, her eyes still wide from shock.

For a moment-

They just stared at each other.

Then-

“I-I’m sorry!” she blurted out quickly, her voice rushed, still breathless. “I thought-you-I thought it was an intruder!”

There was genuine panic in her tone.

Real fear.

And that-

5

Intruder 2

That broke something.

Not in a bad way.

In a way that caught him off guard.

Because without warning-

Caleb laughed.

A real laugh.

Loud.

Unrestrained.

The tension of the entire night, the weight of the palace, his father, Sonia, the looming danger-it all cracked for just a second, spilling out in that unexpected sound.

Iva blinked at him, stunned.

Charm

“You were about to take my head off,” he said between breaths, shaking his head slightly, amusement still lingering in his voice. “With a lamp.”

Her face turned instantly red.

Scarlet.

“I said I’m sorry!” she shot back, mortified now, her grip loosening as she lowered the poor, abused lamp. “I didn’t know it was you!”

“Oh, clearly,” Caleb teased, a smirk tugging at his lips as he took a step closer. “Very welcoming.”

Her embarrassment only deepened.

“You scared me!” she insisted, trying to defend herself, though her voice lacked the earlier sharpness, replaced now by flustered frustration.

For a moment, the air felt lighter.

Normal.

Almost.

But then-

It shifted.

Subtly.

Caleb’s laughter faded.

And something else took its place.

His gaze settled on her again.

5

Intruder 2

Not amused.

Not teasing.

But intense.

Focused.

Unmoving.

Iva noticed immediately.

Her breath slowed, her brows knitting slightly as confusion flickered across her face.

“…Is everything okay?” she asked cautiously.

His answer came quieter.

Lower.

“Not yet,” he said, his voice rougher now, something heavier threading through it. “But it will be.”

And then-

He moved.

Toward her.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Something in the way he approached made her instincts react before her mind could catch up.

She took a small step back.

Just one.

But it was enough.

Caleb’s expression shifted instantly.

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