LOGINGABRIELLE’S POV PRESENT CONTENT WARNING: Dark themes, violence, murder, emotional manipulation, toxic relationship dynamics. Damon’s expression was flat by the time I stopped speaking. The silence made me uneasy. I couldn’t let it continue. “I went to see Zane so he could wipe the clinic footage,” I added quickly. My brain was begging me to shut up, but I couldn’t. “It didn’t work, so there’s probably footage of me kidnapping a patient,” I continued. “Although, judging by the state of that place, maybe they couldn’t even afford CCTV cameras.” Damon still said nothing. He just stared at me with the same unreadable expression that was beginning to make my stomach hurt. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. ‘In my defense, their security was terrible. Like… deeply concerning.’” Still nothing. Regret was slowly creeping up my spine. Not for what I did, but for the possibility that Damon might actually be angry with me, or worse. He returned to Aiden and leaned down to ta
GABRIELLE’S POVAN HOUR AGOAiden took out a knife from his back pocket. “Let’s take a nice walk into the woods.”I turned around and began walking forward.I could still hear faint music from the party behind us.Aiden stayed close, the knife still in his hand.I kept my expression calm even though my pulse was beating painfully hard against my ribs.“Just do as I say. If I wanted to kill you immediately, I would have done it already,” he said.“That’s comforting,” I replied flatly.He laughed softly. “Most women would be screaming for help by now. They would have double-crossed me, or tried to.”“Most women wouldn’t have followed you into the woods in the first place.”“That’s true.” His voice carried amusement. “You must like me a lot. But it’s okay. You can pretend I’m forcing you.”I almost laughed.“Why would any woman like you?” I asked, still walking forward. “You stink. You’re not attractive enough for your attitude. You’re weak and pathetic.”I turned slightly—he had paused
GABRIELLE’S POVA FEW DAYS AGOI tailed Aiden from the parking lot almost all the way out of town.My curiosity was piqued.I wondered what had prompted him to drive such long distances, but I was going to find out soon enough.Over an hour later, he finally pulled into a building.I followed suit from a distance, then waited until he had gotten out of his car and into the building before entering the parking lot.I paused for a second, unsure what to do next.But I had already come all this way. I couldn’t just turn around now.I got out of the car and cautiously entered the building.People were walking in and out casually, the receptionists barely paying attention to anyone unless they approached the desk.That was when I realized this place was a care facility.Most of the people sitting around the lobby were elderly. Some looked confused, others seemed completely disconnected from their surroundings.A few nurses moved through the building quietly, helping residents from one room
DAMON’S POVI retraced my steps through the entrance, scanning the hall as I walked.She wasn’t there.Rhys was still seated where I had left him, speaking with a group of men.I walked straight to him. “Where is she?”He frowned slightly, then dismissed the people he was talking to. “What are you talking about?”“Where is Gabrielle?” I asked, my voice louder than intended.His expression fell, like he suddenly realized he was supposed to be looking out for her.“She stepped out back a few minutes ago.”“With who?”“She was alone.”I nodded once and turned away, ignoring the rest of what he said and Fiorella’s questions.I didn’t waste time asking anyone else.I stepped outside and headed toward the back of the building without breaking stride.I dialed her number again.It rang once before going straight to voicemail.Fuck!A few steps ahead, I spotted her bag on the ground. I checked but her phone wasn’t in it.I stopped for a moment, scanning the area around me for any possible thr
DAMON’S POV I followed Zane out of the hall. He stopped by the open field beside the building, took a cigar from his submissive, and lit it. I stood a few steps away from him. “I thought you were dead, Carter.” He froze, then turned to me slowly. “Gravari,” he said, his expression dark. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” His submissive kept staring at me. I ignored her. “What are you doing with Don Lorenzo?” Zane exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his gaze steady on mine. “Business.” “Funny,” I replied. “I didn’t think your business involved men we’ve always been against.” His jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his composure. “Careful, Gravari. You’re starting to sound like you own me.” “I just want to know if you’ve switched sides,” I said. “Then I’ll be on my way.” A deliberate brief silence stretched between us. Zane took another drag from his cigar, then flicked the ash to the ground. “You always did have a way of making everything sound like a threat.” “That’s becaus
GABRIELLE’S POV Damon did not react immediately. For a second, he just stood there, staring at me like he was making sure he heard me right. Then his jaw tightened. “Say that again,” he said calmly. I held his gaze. “He said he would delete everything—the photos, files, and recordings only if I slept with him.” The air in the room shifted. Damon looked away from me for a brief second, dragging a hand down his face before letting out a slow breath. When he looked back at me, something in his eyes had changed. “Did he touch you?” he asked. “No,” I answered quickly. “Of course, not.” His shoulders eased just slightly, but the tension did not leave his body. “Do you want him to?” I blinked, surprised that he was even asking me that. “Never!” “So why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. “I could tell something was wrong this morning.” “Well, you didn’t come home last night so we couldn’t talk,” I retorted, folding my hands across my chest. “And I know you’re trying to keep your h
GABRIELLE’S POV “How did that happen?” I asked, my heart racing. He exhaled and sat on the bed. “Selene kidnapped your sister at the event. I took her back to the hospital. She snuck her underwear in my jacket when I left her alone in the car.” The knot in my stomach slowly loosened but my
GABRIELLE’ S POV I let out an embarrassing moan. Damon placed his other hand on the wall beside me. “See how your body never lies?” Then he leaned even closer, his breath warm in my upper lip. “You’re staying with me because you’re my wife and because I chose you, Gabrielle.” I lost my
GABRIELLE’S POV With all the willpower I had left, I moved out of his arms and threw a pillow at him. I was still in my clothes from last night and my coat was on the floor. He sat up, and I saw that he was shirtless, with his hair tousled. “Hey, come back to bed.” God, how could his hair
GABRIELLE’S POV Damon’s eyes fell on me and I felt my breath hitch slightly. I held his gaze, waiting for him to look away first, but he didn’t. “Oh, hi Gabrielle,” Selene said, snapping the tension between us. I turned to her and managed my usual polite smile. “Hi, Selene. What were you







