Mag-log inThe striking, facial structure. Sydney is an absolute, undeniable replica of the woman in the vintage photograph—Tobias’s mother. The almost psychotic protectiveness Tobias has shown toward Sydney from the very first moment he met her. The massive financial safety nets he threw under her, the fact
Before I can even open my mouth to apologize for breaking into his house, Tobias speaks. His voice is incredibly quiet, completely devoid of its usual sharp authority, yet it carries a heavy, haunting weight that pins me right to the carpet. "For years..." he murmurs, his finger continuing its slow
I stand frozen on the gravel path, the engine of Sydney’s departing car roaring in my ears. I watch the taillights of her vehicle bounce over the cemetery threshold, disappearing completely from sight, and with every inch of distance she puts between us, my heart shatters into a million jagged, irre
My throat locks up. I’ve seen Owen angry, I’ve seen him arrogant, and I’ve seen him lethal in a courtroom. But I have never seen him cry like this. "I am so sorry for leaving you in that jail cell, Sydney," he whispers again, his voice cracking completely now as he stares down at my lips. "I know n
The second Owen’s fingers touch the chrome handle of his sleek black sedan, I violently twist out of his reach. I yank myself away from his side, clutching the lapels of his oversized designer suit jacket against my chest like a shield. He freezes, his hand dropping from the door as he whips his he
My stomach completely drops. The press. The paparazzi who were banned from the main service have already spotted the commotion from the outer gates. Long, heavy camera lenses are already poking through the iron bars, the rapid, machine-gun clicking of shutters filling the air as they capture every
"That was stupid," Owen interrupts, his voice flat. I pause, the bluntness of his critique catching me off guard. I look at him, seeing the lack of pity in his gaze. He’s right. It was probably the most stupid thing I've ever done. I nod, agreeing with the man who is currently my only hope. "It wa
The air conditioning in Owen’s suite is hummed at a perfectly cool temperature, but I can feel a single, traitorous drop of sweat gliding slowly down the curve of my spine. My skin feels hyper-sensitive, prickling under the weight of his gaze. I try to speak, to lay out everything I thought I woul
I almost choke on the very air I’m breathing. A wave of heat flushes my skin, followed by a cold sweat. I’ve been lying to Nicholas for weeks, pretending I was working on reaching out to Owen, when in reality, I was terrified of the man. And now, here he is, standing on the balcony with only a few
"It’s small," he remarks, his lip curling in distaste. "It smells old and used. Is this really the life you’re choosing over the mansion? Over me?" "It’s a life where I can breathe. That’s worth the lack of square footage." I fold my arms across my chest, trying to build a barrier between us. "Why







