ative presence. I moved into a small, quiet apartment the Reed family owned downtown, a place I used to use for late nights on c

y family. No pleading calls from my mother, no angry texts fro

rth day, i

uilding. Daniel Sterling was leaning against his sleek, black sports car, arms crossed, a th

self off the car as I approached. His v

ut," I replied, trying to wa

rist. His grip was like iron. "

of me,

eyes were burning with a possessive fire that I now found repulsive. "This whole stunt has gone on

t. It was a gift from him, from years ago, back when I was a naive medical student and he was the charming

t felt like

look creeping into his eyes. "See? You still wear it. You can't fool me, E

irresistibility. He thought a cheap piece

y what he could do with his bracelet,

ter? What ar

deep concern plastered on her face. She was wearing a beautiful new

iel's tight grip on my arm and my face. "Daniel, you shoul

ess as ever. The concerned s

it. I was done w

let. The metal felt cold and foreign against my

emotion. I looked directly at Sarah. "You

It hit the pavement wi

er eyes wide wi

My dismissal, my utter indifference to a symbol he thought held so much power o

ch," he

rist balled into a fist. Befor

my face. My head snapped to the side, and a sharp, stinging pain exp

blood in

ent. I could feel Sarah's feigned horro

yed me with words, with emotional cruelty, with pub

nger pretending. This was the real man, stripped of his

nse of clarity. Any lingering shadow of the man I though