LOGINDAMON’S POVAnger was the first emotion that hit the next morning.Actually, no.For the past few days, anger had been the only thing I could feel most of the time.I hid it well from Gabrielle because being in her presence gave me a sense of calm. With her, there was only peace, love, and warmth.But the moment I was away from her, the anger crept back in—stronger every day.It was becoming increasingly difficult to control after spending the last fifteen years feeling almost nothing at all.Now, it was like something inside me had finally woken up.And it was furious.I saw Father in my sleep every night, laughing and drinking with Rocco while they tore me apart piece by piece.Over and over again, the memories from my past played like a broken record.Oh, there were so many ways to kill Rocco.And I intended to enjoy every single one of them.I exhaled deeply and tried to clear my mind as I got out of bed.Gabrielle was still asleep when I finished getting ready for work.She was c
GABRIELLE’S POVI felt content just lying in his arms, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat while his fingers traced slow patterns along my back.We stayed like that for several minutes, the silence between us comfortable and warm.“I know this might be the wrong time,” I said eventually. “But… your sister. What happened to her?”Damon’s hand stilled against my back.The change was subtle, but I felt it immediately.His chest rose beneath my cheek in a slow breath before his fingers resumed their lazy movements.“She died three years ago,” he finally said. “Four in a few months.”I tilted my head slightly so I could see his face.His expression had gone thoughtful, his eyes fixed somewhere above us as if he were looking at something far away.“I stayed with Rocco for some years after our parents’ death,” he continued. “And he assured me that Alessia was living with Beatrice.”My stomach twisted. “He lied?”“Yes,” he answered. “He had no idea where she was. By the time I came back
GABRIELLE’S POVI stared at him, searching his gaze.Damon looked almost uncertain—as if he wasn’t sure how I would respond. His eyes held mine, patient and strangely vulnerable.I reached up and touched his cheek gently.“You don’t even have to ask me,” I said softly. “I am yours completely… body and soul.”He froze as if my words had stunned him.His gaze searched my face slowly, like he was trying to find even the smallest hint that I didn’t mean it.“You know everything about me,” he said.“I do.”“And you stayed.”My chest tightened. “Of course, I did. I promised I would.”Something fragile and almost disbelieving shifted in his expression then.Damon’s free hand slid down and found mine.He raised my hand over my head, pinning it there and intertwining our fingers together.“I will always choose you,” he said suddenly, the words rough like they had forced their way out of his chest. “Before anyone else.”I blinked. “Damon—”“Before anyone,” he repeated, his voice calmer now. “Ev
GABRIELLE’S POVDamon led me downstairs and into another room at the back of the house.The moment he pushed the door open, I immediately understood why he had been hesitant earlier.The room was filled with instruments.A drum set stood near the center of the room, polished but clearly old.Against one wall sat a piano, its lid closed, while several guitars rested carefully on stands nearby.A violin case lay on a small table in the corner, and sheet music was stacked neatly on a shelf.I stopped just inside the doorway, taking it all in.“You played all these?” I asked slowly.Damon rubbed the back of his neck in a rare gesture of awkwardness. “Yes.”My gaze drifted to the wall behind the drum set.A framed photograph hung there.It was a younger Damon—much younger—sitting proudly behind the drums and he had braces.Actual braces.For a second I just stared.Then my hand flew over my mouth as laughter escaped me.“Oh my God,” I said between breaths. “You had braces.”Damon groaned i
GABRIELLE’S POV ONE WEEK LATER “Oh, and I want either a destination wedding or a honeymoon somewhere secluded and private,” I went on for what had to be the tenth time that morning. Damon tilted his head slightly like he was considering it. “Yeah. You’ve said that… how many times now?” I groaned and fell back against the car seat. “I just want everything to go right. We never had a wedding.” For the past week, Damon had been recovering surprisingly fast. I had a feeling it was mostly because he hated hospitals and wanted to leave as soon as possible. He was discharged a few days ago, and we were staying at one of the houses on Rhys’s estate. Fiorella had stopped by that morning to check on him—and to tell us about her plans to open a restaurant here in Italy. I would miss her when we returned home, but she had always loved living here and there was nothing I could do to convince her otherwise. “But I want the wedding after I give birth so I can get drunk that day
DAMON’S POVGabrielle was asleep before Rhys walked into the room.I could tell from the slow, even rhythm of her breathing and the way her fingers had gone slack against my shirt.Exhaustion had finally claimed her.It didn’t surprise me.The nurse told me she hadn’t been resting well since my surgery.I looked down at her face resting against my chest, strands of her hair brushing my jaw.I had spent a long time in my head, facing memories I had locked away for years, but seeing her face again had dragged me out of that darkness.Somehow, this woman had become the one thing capable of pulling me back from places I had no intention of returning to.“You finally wake up, brother,” Rhys said, standing beside the bed. “And only a few minutes after I left. Are you ever going to stop avoiding me?”I stared at him, but the usual irritation didn't rise. All I could see was the fourteen-year-old boy I sacrificed myself for. My little brother. One of his eyebrows lifted. “Cuddling?” I hear
GABRIELLE’S POV My body grew taut. “I was just looking around,” I said and cleared my throat. “You didn’t exactly offer to give me a tour of the villa.” He took a step into the room, his expression cold. “You shouldn’t be in here.” His voice was even colder it sent a chill down my spine.
GABRIELLE’S POV The video got cut off and Father stood up, holding a microphone. “The event’s over,” he said, his eyes darting between me and Emily. “Please go home.” The gossip got louder as the guests scrambled to the door. They threw glances at Emily and Jared, some at the man standing bes
GABRIELLE’S POV The security men stopped when they saw Damon. “That’s Damon Gravari!” I heard the other customers and staff whisper amongst themselves. Prior to our meeting I didn’t know him but he seemed to be quite popular. He stood there, his presence dominating with one hand in his sui
GABRIELLE’S POV Turns out he only wanted to take me shopping. Susan must have told him how I reacted to his sister’s dresses and he thought to make it right. The mall was busy, fluorescent lights harsh against my skin. We entered a high-end boutique and he sat at the reception whil







