chards

Even in his shock, his tone carried that same sickening, ingrained arrogance-the vo

my eyes landing on the cheap bouquet of plas

he man who claimed to be my grieving fiancé couldn't eve

down hard, directly onto the center of the fake petals. I didn't hesit

ack

ly in the dead silence. It wasn't just a flower I was crushing; i

size of pinpricks. The muscle

to my absolute, silent obedience. The sight of me actively destroying so

ween us in one aggressive stride. The oppressive, he

act same expression I would use to look at a r

kets with a flick of his wrist. Standing next to a true apex predator m

houlder. His fingers were curled, ready to grip me, to physi

rush the fabric of my trench

r in a flawless evasion maneuver. Five years of grueling, daily hand-to-

He froze, his arm suspended awkwardly in the

ad just inverted, a

a sick, twisted flash of possessive joy ignited in hi

oice dripping with venom. "Five years, Ivy! You let me carry the

soft, brea

he was the primary victim. I felt a wave of profound secondhand embarrassment fo

lowly pulled off m

to constantly brim with unshed tears and desperate pleas for hi

ty radiating from my eyes burned him. He involuntarily t

actly are you questi

the dark, sociopathic cadence of my adoptive brother, Arnulfo.

our fiancé!" he blurted out, the patriarchal ent

my pocket and pulled out my phone.

definition close-up of my hand intertwined with Collin's, a mas

ve to see it. I simply checked the time. My schedule

le expired the second you stood in that hospital corridor

from Clayton's face. His skin tu

the ugliest, bloodies

hest heaving in panic as he furiously tried to backpedal. "

sharp click of my heel against the sto

onment. I stared directly into his panicked, darting eyes, di

head. His breathing grew shallow. His body was recogni

I delivered the fi

ered, my voice slicing

sound of her name. He looked like a man who had

s the cruellest thi

k then, Ainsley was watching from r