phin

the floor, surrounded by the discarded silk and velvet catalogs. The silence in the room was heavy, thick wi

dn't just open-it sla

e facade he wore for the world was entirely gone. In its place stood the

His voice was dangerously low,

my hair fall wildly around my face. I tilted my head, offering hi

d. Marino red." I took a step toward him, my eyes wide and unblinking. "Your family hides behind briefcases and laws. You don't know how to celebrat

r him to look at me like I was a rabi

flared with something far more terrifying tha

vices, hauling me off my feet and slamming me hard against the cold plaster wall. The bre

s from mine. The scent of his expensive cologne mixed with the raw, metallic

ugh. "I'm broken, Julian. The lake broke me. I'll ru

oice dropping to a cruel, deadpan whisper. "The wedding happens. You are mine,

vows, I will lock you deep in this estate. You will be my beautiful, hidden secret. No on

hed over me. He didn't care if I was a monster, a

th madness, I would have to us

all. The manic light in my eyes faded, replaced by a chilling, dea

til my lips were a breath away from his ear. "Lock me away, Julian. Keep me in the dark. A

alter slightly, b

l tell him exactly who slaughtered his grandfather. I will poison his mind against you, day

e air between us

l in his eyes fractured. Genuine revulsion and a flicker of deep, unsettling horror crossed his

. He didn't say another word. He turned on his he

ut. The loc

ish, planting a seed of disgust that his mother would surely water tomorrow. But as I stared at the locked door,