lan yanked open the hea

mpact knocked the wind out of her lungs. The buttery-so

le out, the heavy door

soaked with rain, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated fury.

ic

stem engaged. The sound was as fi

rantically. It didn't budge. A small red light blin

r voice bordering on hysteria. "

er. He slammed his foot

oar. The Bentley shot out of the alley and

the headrest. She gasped, her hands instinctively fl

The only light came from the streetlamp

r steering wheel with enough force to bend the metal underneath. He was drivin

The heavy scent of his cedarwood cologne m

to break down under

ach. The gut-wrenching physical agony she had

ed her forehead against her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. Cold sweat brok

es at a red light. The tires sc

He looked at her curled

dered. His voice was cold, flat,

through the pain. "Just..

ess.

ide was already shattered. The

f a street deep in the worst, m

froze on the

of pure, unfiltered shock br

e. He thought she was living in a penthouse

m was a place where people g

ht turn

as and violently jerked the steering w

ng minutes, the c

ity change. The towering glass skyscrapers of Manhattan faded into the crumbling bri

d down, rolling o

ing, five-story apartment building. The front do

king weed on the stoop. They stopped and sta

eld at the rotting building.

is eyes slowly dragged over her cheap coat, her

couldn't look at him. The shame was

d, reaching for the door h

eyes begging. "Please

console. He invaded her space,

umb roughly brushed agains

ipping with absolute disgust. "Is this the g

s the final nai