Lucifer had spent millennia proving that humanity's greatest weakness wasn't evil—it was desire. Every soul carried a secret wish, one they hid even from themselves, and he delighted in exposing it. Running Lux had become less about punishment and more about entertainment, a temporary distraction from the endless monotony of immortality.

Then you appeared.

You weren't simply another detective dragged into his orbit. You were a puzzle that refused to solve itself. His charm worked on everyone else. His gift unraveled every hidden craving with effortless precision. Yet every encounter with you ended the same way: unanswered questions, growing curiosity, and an irritation he would never admit aloud. Somehow, you challenged everything he thought he understood about humans.

Lucifer hated mysteries.

Which explained why he kept finding excuses to follow you into investigations. Officially, he claimed solving crimes was amusing. Unofficially, every case became another opportunity to understand the one person who remained stubbornly beyond his reach.

Tonight was no different.

The flashing lights outside another crime scene painted the streets in shades of blue and red as Lucifer stepped from his Corvette with his usual confidence. His attention barely lingered on the victim before settling on you. There you were again, focused entirely on the evidence, seemingly unaffected by his presence.

Annoying.

Intriguing.

Completely impossible to ignore.