bly before he slowly turned. His piercing gaze raked ove

ed low in his chest like dis

"I said let's get a divorce." Her voice

e grand clock in the foyer. Then Gadreel's lips twisted in a

o her. "Because I missed your little celebration? Or our precious anniversa

ng her chest constrict painfully. Hot tears threate

laugh. "I'm setting you free. Isn

on before she lost her nerve: "Evangeline's back in P

AC

impact vibrating through her body. His eyes burned with

a man who would never love her back had drained h

el sneered, completely blind to her inner deva

ly flinch. She willed herself to hold steady, but his proximity was overwhelming-the crisp bergamot scent

she hated how her pulse betrayed her, hammering agai

th venom. "The entire city knew Evangeli

chance like a vultu

her lips as he spoke, a

are play the w

al in her. Years of suppressed fury s

ng to his broken body while society p

ive years of devotion while weeping

eel never awakened, would his precious Ev

d it matter now? She'd chosen this path li

tone. Her fingers dug into the table's edge as she til

t for the first time, the storm i

n ace," she continued, lips curling in a mi

asn't the trembling mouse

" he snapped. "N

verything, he still reduced her to a gold-digger, just like the

uneducated stand-in, barel

massaging his atrophied muscles, reading to his u

r like acid. But it wasn't too late-she'd carve her freedom from his arro

her lips curling into a razor-edged smile.

ot through her at the flash of shock in his eyes. Let him choke on his own hypocris

st like a steel manacle, his pupils dil

ut he only tightened it, forcin

a sexless marriage is four years and ele

out warning, he seized her chin, dragging her face so

esting, probing-as if discovering

s voice dropped to a velvet-rou

notice, too absorbed in the way her lips yielded under his touch. They were

hought aside, his e

r legs for strangers," he sneered. "Tell me, Ivory-wo

m connected with his cheek before she coul

pat, "maybe your dick should

e, gripping its edge until

You belong with Eva

ware rattle. No one-no one-turned their back on him after striking his face. The heat radiatin

ned across her lips, laced with whiskey and venom. "That

're nothing. A placeholder. A s

icious. Ivory's vision blurred, but she refuse

Gadreel sneered, finally releasing

cuffs, the gesture d

me stop you. Just remember-when you come crawling

each one a hammer strike to her composure. Onl

ing her palm. Blood welled-crimson beads against porcelain skin-but the physical pain ba

oll, Ivory finally surrendered to the sobs clawing

r lips and the blood on her hand

r ag

o believed love could bloom in barren soil. When she rose from t

im. Not f