LOGINDAMON’S POVFLASHBACKThe morning I signed the last of the divorce papers, I felt nothing.Cassie wept across the table from me.Her mascara had tracked two perfect lines down her face and her lawyer kept sliding boxes of tissues toward her.Mine kept sliding documents toward me.I signed each one without hesitation.Cassie looked up at me between pages, her eyes red and swollen, and said, “Please. Damon. Please look at me.”I looked at her but I knew it wouldn’t help.There was nothing in my expression worth finding except hate—for myself.I hated myself for sitting there and looking into my now ex-wife’s eyes as she cried without even feeling the slightest bit of guilt.Anger blazed in her eyes. “You’re a cold-hearted monster, Damon. I hate you.”She wasn’t wrong.I was a heartless monster who strangled his own father with his bare hands. Maybe loosing the ability to feel was my punishment for that.I would hate me too.Her eyes instantly softened. “But I love you. I know we discuss
GABRIELLE’S POVFather’s arms tightened around me, and I held on just as firmly.“Bree told me you came by,” he said. “Before I stepped out you were gone.”My grip on him tightened. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me.”He pulled back just enough to look at my face.“I am a bad father for not reaching out sooner,” he murmured. “I was so angry and for what?”I shook my head. “No. I knew my actions were wrong.”His gaze moved over my face. “It wasn’t enough to throw my daughters out.”Daughters.Emily and I.Would he hate me if I told him I handed my own sister over to Rhys for what she did?Or would he understand that she couldn’t be saved anymore? That she would always come after me if I had let her go?My heart thudded wildly. “Emily—”“Murdered an innocent woman and almost killed you twice,” he cut me off. “She impersonated you to steal from me too.”I swallowed, feeling a dull ache in my chest.“I’m so sorry.”He frowned slightly. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”“I can’t help
GABRIELLE’S POVTWO WEEKS LATERMy eyes fluttered open slowly.I felt something heavy on my arm, and when I looked down, I saw Lila’s head resting there.She had climbed into our bed last night, insisting there was a monster under her bed.But I knew it was because she missed Anya, and it made me hate that woman all over again for what she had done—and was still doing to her daughter.Damon finally told her the truth, that Anya had been lying to her and trying to use her to cause problems between us.And that she would stay away for a while.Lila wasn’t happy about not seeing her mother anytime soon, which was expected, but she was getting better.I moved Lila’s hair away from her face carefully.Then I lifted my gaze and saw Damon fast asleep beside her, a calm expression on his face.Before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched him, my thumb brushing over his cheek as I watched him.Being this close to both of them at the same time made it impossible not to notice how much
GABRIELLE’S POVI stood in front of Fiorella. “Did you manage to get your son?” She hesitated briefly, then nodded. “Yes. I have to hide him again, though. I just wanted to apologize for… everything.”I studied her face for a moment, trying to decide what to say.“You did what you had to,” I replied finally. “We all did.”Her lips pressed together. “That doesn’t make it right.”My gaze dropped to her hands to see they were still twisting together.I reached out to hold them. “I understand more than anyone how it feels to have no choice. You did what you had to.”Her hands kept trembling in mine.I exhaled deeply. “You’ve always been there for me. That’s something I can’t throw away for a situation you couldn’t control.”“You shouldn’t have to,” she said softly. “Not after what I did.”“I told you,” I replied, my voice calm. “I understand.”She shook her head, looking away from me. “No, you don’t. I knew what I was doing and I still did it.”That stung more than I expected.I let out
GABRIELLE’S POV I didn’t say anything after Rhys spoke. I just stared at Damon, waiting for him to deny it. He didn’t. . My conversation with Barrister Keane suddenly made sense. A tight feeling settled in my chest, and it spread slowly, pressing against my ribs until it became hard to breathe. “Is he telling the truth?” I finally asked, as I put things together in my head. “Is that why you signed your wealth to my name?” His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look at me. “Yes.” “Yes?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly. “You’re intentionally putting yourself in a position where you could lose everything?” He finally held my gaze. “I know what I’m doing.” “And I know you,” I shot back. “You don’t stop once you decide something. You go all the way, no matter what it costs.” Silence fell between us again. I swallowed, trying to calm down, but the more I thought about it, the worse it felt. We had just talked about the future. About staying together. About choosi
GABRIELLE’S POV My chest hit the table as Damon pressed my waist down with one hand while the other tangled in my hair. We were lost in pure ecstasy while gunshots rang out around us, but at some point, the noise faded, completely drowned out by my own pleasure. Then he switched positions again, turning me over and placing my legs over his shoulders. My eyes rolled to the back of my head. I felt him lightly tap my cheek. “Hey, hey look at me. Unless you want me to stop.” My eyes popped open immediately. “No… please.” Damon drove into me so hard it began to hurt in a way that felt so good. He ate me out after, and put me in so many positions that I lost count of how many times we both came. When we finally let each other go, I couldn’t help but fall into a short nap in his arms as we lay on the floor. Damon was still beside me when I woke up minutes later. He was wearing his jeans and I was back in my dress. His handwork, no doubt. I lifted my head and found h
GABRIELLE’S POV I wasn’t sure at what point I fell asleep but I woke up the next morning on Damon’s bed, my body sore and my thighs aching. But that wasn’t what hurt the most. I touched his side of the bed and it was cold. I lay there, staring at the space beside me. Damon didn’t come b
DAMON’S POV FUCK! I stared at Gabrielle spread out like a buffet on my bed, her core dripping onto the sheets and her body trembling. I never fucked on my bed. I hated going to sleep with the smell of sex on my sheets but for Gabrielle, I had made the exception. Her legs were wide open
GABRIELLE’S POV The snow fell in a thin and relentless curtain, blanketing the cemetery in white. The coffin was already lowered halfway into the ground, and the ropes made a soft creaky sound as the men worked with stiff, gloved hands. Their breaths puffed out in pale clouds, their faces
GABRIELLE’S POV I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but the words were stuck in my throat. After a few seconds, I tried again. “Is she another one of your ex-wives?” A moment of silence passed between us. “No, we were together as teenagers,” he said, walking past me to sit on







