turned like a th

silence. For a moment, she couldn't tell where she was-until her fingers grazed the edge of the silk sheets, the unfamil

mind, chaos

shouting-low, guttural,

d to me,

alk away

you ever

am. A door.

dy herself. Her skin felt clammy. Her throat ached, as if she'd scream

ad been there. Someone crying-herself. But the

li

e tremor in her bones. It wasn't just fear of what she

e behind the polished suits, the

he thought he looked like a stranger carved from marble. Bea

eight of the visi

dless racks of designer wear: a pale blue dress that fell to her knees.

s already there, sipping coffee, tablet in han

p?" he asked

g and sat across from

pulled too tight. Emma's fingers curled around the edg

g last night," she sai

icked up. "What

uing. I was crying. You were shout

n with a slow, delibe

t, but it felt like-like we we

g her. "And are you asking

no

You were passionate. Stubborn. You hated feeling contr

isarming, but it

... cruel to m

ered in his eye

ou. But yes, I made choices that hurt you. I prioritized the b

her plate. "Why di

tri

nned her

eek before the crash. You said you wanted freedom. A fresh start. That I was

ard him. "Then why am I here now? Why d

Because you'

not an

e I never stopped loving you. Even when yo

. "That sounds like

hed that night. And when they told me you might not wake up, I realized-none

now. But it didn't erase the tension tightening her sp

want to remember everyt

ill. I

o leave t

darkene

a prisone

ar you apart. And I don't trust anyone

pect me to

first time, the indestructib

cing, and walked out

been brief, but powerful. And the way Julian reacted only conf

ing for anything familiar. At the very back of the lowest dr

an intricate "B" ca

cl

r it would unlock

d door echoed once more in her m

secret this mansion-and

it shatt