LOGINViola didn't remember falling asleep.
The low rumble of the SUV on the winding mountain roads had lulled her into a heavy, dreamless exhaustion. When her eyes fluttered open, bright, pale sunlight was cutting across her face.She blinked against the glare, her mind foggy. The car was gone.Instead, she felt the smooth, rhythmic sway of someone walking, and the solid heat of a broad chest beneath her cheek. A heavy arm was hooked securely beneath her knees, another sViola blinked, a lump forming in her throat. In all her life, no woman had ever looked at her with such effortless, unearned kindness."Thank you... it's nice to meet you, Aria," Viola whispered, a faint, shy smile touching her lips.Damian looked at her, offering a polite, respectful nod. "Welcome to New York, Viola.""Thank you, Mr. Cross," Viola said softly."Damian is fine," he corrected with a faint smile."Alright, let's get off this freezing asphalt," Damian said, glancing toward the line of idling cars. "We have the convoy ready. Are you sure you won't stay out at the estate with us, Bash? Aria had the guest rooms prepared.""I prefer my own space in the city," Sebastian said evenly. Aria sighed, shaking her head. "Stubborn as always. But fine. We'll see you at the rehearsal dinner tonight."After a few brief goodbyes, Damian guided Aria toward their vehicle.Sebastian guided Viola into the thi
Viola followed Sebastian down the stairs, her steps hesitating slightly as they neared the cars. The man standing by the car was massive—almost as tall as Sebastian, dressed in a bespoke charcoal overcoat and tailored suit. He carried an aura of terrifying, lethal authority, his dark eyes sharp and observant, like a predator surveying his territory. But the moment his gaze landed on Sebastian, the cold hardness on his face shattered, replaced by a wide, genuine grin.Beside him stood a breathtaking woman. She was petite, with long, wavy dark hair spilling over a chic cream wool coat. Her warm eyes were bright, glowing with effortless grace and warmth that seemed entirely out of place in a world of armed men and bulletproof glass."Look who finally decided to show up," the massive man called out, his deep voice carrying over the tarmac.Sebastian let out a low, genuine chuckle—a sound so rare and relaxed that Viola glanced at him in sheer disbelie
The words settled into her chest, soft and terrifying.I care about you.Coming from a man who had sworn he was made of ice, the words felt like a lifeline thrown into deep water. Viola’s defenses—the cold wall she had spent days building—crumbled just a fraction. She looked at his dark lashes resting against his cheeks, feeling the raw, heavy vulnerability in the way he held her face.She wasn't made of stone. She had spent her entire life begging for someone to care, someone to see her.Her lips parted, her voice barely a whisper in the quiet between them."Do my…Do my feelings even matter to you, Sebastian?" Sebastian stayed motionless, his forehead resting against hers, his warm breath fanning across her parted lips.The silence stretched between them for a long, fragile moment.Then his mouth moved against her skin, his answer so low, so quiet, it was almost swallowed by the drone of the aircraft:
"I lied," he said simply.The two words fell between them with terrifying simplicity.Viola stared at him, the breath knocked completely out of her lungs. "You... you lied?""I lied," he repeated, his tone devoid of guilt, devoid of remorse. "You're not leaving, Viola. Not now. Not ever." "Why?" A raw, jagged cry tore from her throat. She gripped the edges of her sweater, her knuckles stark white. "Why are you doing this to me? You told me to my face that you feel nothing for me! You said you don't do love! So what am I to you? Just a toy? A whore you can keep locked in your bed whenever you feel like using me?" The word hung in the air like a poisoned blade.Sebastian’s entire body snapped taut. The stillness vanished, replaced by a sudden, terrifying savagery that made Viola’s stomach drop into a void. His jaw locked so violently the muscle jumped under his skin. His hand shot out, his thick fingers clampi
Viola gasped into the kiss, and he took full advantage, his tongue sliding deep inside, tasting her with a fierce, possessive hunger that stole the air right out of her lungs. His hand left the window and slid into her dark hair, his thick fingers tangling into her waves, holding her head firmly in place as he tilted her mouth to deepen the angle.A muffled, broken whimper caught in her throat. Her mind screamed at her to fight. She told her hands to push him away, to hit his chest, to bite his lip. But the moment his heat wrapped around her, her traitorous body betrayed her. Her fingers curled into the fine wool of his jacket. The overwhelming familiarity of his touch sent a hot, liquid ache straight through her blood, pulling her under until her head spun.She kissed him back for three breathless, feverish seconds, surrendering to the madness.Then reality hit her like a bucket of ice water.He doesn't love you. You are nothing to him.
Two hours into the flight, the quiet in the cabin had turned suffocating.The plane had leveled out above a vast sea of white clouds, the cabin dimly lit by warm recessed lights. The flight attendant had set down a tray of warm sandwiches and tea, which Viola had barely touched, only drinking the water before pushing the tray aside.Sebastian had moved to the leather sofa near the small bar area.He was holding a crystal tumbler of amber whiskey, swirling the liquid slowly. He wasn't reading his papers anymore. He wasn't on his phone.He was just watching her.Every single time Viola shifted her gaze away from the bright clouds outside, she caught his heavy, unblinking amber stare pinned directly on her face. It was the same unhurried, predatory stillness he had held in the dining room the night before. He didn't speak. He didn't blink. He just sat there, swirling the glass, watching every breath she took.Viola shifted in her se
Dinner ended exactly as it began—stiff, quiet, and suffocating.Viola didn’t wait for Vanessa or her mother to stand up. The moment Rafael pushed his chair back, she slipped away from the table. She kept her head down, tracing the edge of the hallway until she found the heavy glass doors leading to
The heavy oak doors of the Hierro estate always felt too tall, like they were designed to make whoever walked through them feel small.Viola pulled the sleeves of her oversized sweater over her knuckles. She kept her head down, hoping her hair would fall over the sides of her face. Maybe if she sta
Viola spent the rest of the day hiding in her tiny bedroom.She didn't go down for lunch, and she skipped dinner entirely. She just sat on the edge of her bed, her knees pulled tight to her chest, waiting. She expected her mother to burst through the door at any second. She expected to be dragged t
The study in the Hierro estate always smelled the same. Old leather, expensive scotch, and decaying power.Sebastian stood near the massive mahogany desk, looking out the large window that overlooked the manicured gardens. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, just his dark shirt, unbuttoned at the coll







