Fled the estate. A massive blowout. It matched the suitcase hidden in the dark corner of her closet perfectly. S

. She didn't look for Julian. She didn't wait for his five-minute warning. Driven by pure, unadulterated panic, she fled the ballroom, ignori

rous, but she kept her face turned to the glass, the silence b

se had barely clicked shut before sh

The emerald silk of her gown hissed against the marble floor as

o jacket still perfectly straight, but his expression had gone comple

ved, the suffocating pressure from the restroom finally exploding. "I'm not playing your little doll anymore,

o slits, his frame turning

ve blowout. She told me I signed away my rights and fled this house with a packed bag right before my car went off the cliff. A

followed was heav

lowly, the perfect, unyielding billionaire mask fractured. His jaw tightened so hard a

g," he whispered,

ou told me you were protecting me. You told me I was exactly where I belonged. B

l. She expected him to order her to bed or

stride, he closed the distance between them, his large hands reaching out to grab her shoulders

emotion so raw it terrified her. "Fine. You want to know

ing straight into the sto

to control every single aspect of your life, just like I'm doing now. I built a cage around you, and you hated me for it. You

through his hands, the utter devastation on his face, it was entirely real. There was n

anger draining away, replaced

again," he whispered, his face dropping closer to hers, his warm breath mingling with her ow

y audible. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, the pr

his gaze dropping to her trembling lip

them since the hospital, through the dining room,

hands from her shoulders up to her jaw, tilting h

f pure hunger and consuming passion. He pulled her body flush again

slate, but her body recognized the absolute wildfire of his touch. The spark between them burned away every doubt, every question, and

inch, both of them were panting, th

as he stared down at her with a terrifying, absolute possessiveness. The ol