Lost in the ruins of his heart

!!! Aur

the abyss-raw, terrifie

e you?! H

lowed everything-no light, no ground, no air. Just cold, endless s

di

yi

gg

are y

trapped bird. My breath caught mid-throat, eyes wide, body frozen. Sweat clung to every inch o

uldn't tell if I w

I saw

f the bed, silent and

idn't speak. He just s

m light from the moon filtered through the sheer curtains, casting silv

me fr

into the pockets of his black slacks. No tie. Shirt collar open. Yet he still

xpression etched acros

broken or weak. But he didn't lo

ow. Smooth. Controlled. Complete

I say? That I woke up screaming the names of ghosts I couldn't remember? That

he nightstand. He poured water into a crystal glass-e

brushed ag

y. Strangel

.. I fel

ty. Not

that he was real

h I knew this wasn't kindness. It wasn't concern. It was routine. J

three," he said. "Try to get som

eavy in my che

wedd

would become

A ring that came with power, privilege, and

f it felt

this was

't even

s sur

de

led with silen

and suit jacket, and walked out

oodn

ntle

door click

sil

rved from restraint, wrapped in mystery. He never raised his

ked in a cage-too

family-Europe's most dangerous and respected empire of influence.

attention. He

the att

penthouse. In his bed. On th

ded to bind himself to for

led around the water glass, heart sl

y

ed me more than the

es' daughters. Women who would've sacrificed their sou

t

e day he found me. A girl with no name worth knowing. A

... he

peak of the past. He just offered a

reathe, to think, to pretend I wasn't

ounding me as I crossed the room. The lights were off, bu

wice the size of m

a small car. Perfumes I never o

he reflection

kin pale. Eyes

ok like a b

irl caught in som

ed the edge of

he fear. The nights I curled up on thin mattr

. and still, I could

of this bel

s world.

a page torn fro

w... the in

ld become

er tha