LOGINClaire’s POVThe morning of the inauguration felt like a death sentence. I woke up with my chest so tight I could barely drag in a breath, my skin crawling with the anticipation of what the fuck this stalker was planning. It was D-Day.I stumbled into the shower, cranking the water to scalding, trying to scrub the cold dread off my skin. It didn't work. As the steam filled the bathroom, my mind went to the darkest places. Dad. Stephano. I’d failed them both. I was supposed to be the avenging angel, the girl who ended the De Lucas, but here I was, drowning in the fact that I was actually in love with the fucking monster who’d pulled the trigger on my family. 'God, why will you let this happen to me?' i found myself questioning God for my own mistakesIt’s just infatuation, I told myself, clutching the shower wall until my knuckles turned white. No sane human falls in love with a man who murdered their kin. I had to believe that. It was the only thing keeping me from snapping.I stepped
Claire’s POVMy pulse was thrumming in my ears, a frantic, uneven rhythm that drowned out the hum of the house.I reached the door to Grey’s room, the metal handle cold against my palm. I stared at the wood, my hand trembling so violently that the knife felt like an anchor dragging me down. Do it. End it. Save yourself. The words were a mantra, but my feet were lead. I stood there, paralyzed by the sheer weight of the choice, my breath hitching as I realized I was shaking like a leaf."Don't just stand there in the dark, Leah. Come in."My heart stopped. His voice was rough, low, and terrifyingly close, despite the barrier between us. I froze, my throat clicking shut. Was he talking to me? How could he..."I can see your shadow under the door," he added, his tone tinged with a weary sort of amusement.The air rushed out of my lungs. He wasn't asleep. He hadn't been asleep this entire time. A cold, brutal realization washed over me. this was a waste of time because there was no way I c
Grey’s POVI watched the bathroom door slam shut, the click of the lock sounding final, cutting me off from her completely.I let out a harsh, frustrated breath, running a hand through my damp hair. I’d tried to warn her. I had literally laid it out for her, but for some reason, she just wasn't fucking listening. She’d snapped at me, letting her pride twist my words into an insult, but this had nothing to do with her capability. It had everything to do with safety.The Leah I knew was not someone who would willingly jump at an opportunity that involved public speaking. Her anxiety practically ate her alive at the mere thought of a crowd. Yet here she was, stubbornly digging her heels in, refusing to back down. Her inauguration was in exactly three days, and the knot of worry tightening in my chest was turning into pure panic.I needed to find a way to convince her to turn down the offer. Alto wouldn't retract it, which meant she was the only one with the power to save herself, but she
Grey’s POVThe heavy double doors of the ballroom had barely closed behind us, and I was already suffocating. Five minutes. That’s all it took.I’d stepped away to greet Luciano, an old friend I hadn't seen in months with the intention of keeping the conversation brief. But the moment my eyes drifted across the crowded room and landed on Leah, my chest tightened. A man was already there talking to her.It’s nothing, I told myself, forcing my attention back to Luciano. Just standard party small talk. But the lie was anything but convincing, I knew exactly how dangerous the men surrounding us were, and the sight of someone uninvited circling my wife made my pulse spike. I cut Luciano off mid-sentence, barely offering a muttered excuse before I left.I reached the table just as the bastard was about to take a seat."That’s his seat," I heard Leah say, her voice steady but tightly coiled.He ignored her, his fingers wrapping around the back of the chair, pulling it out anyway. The arrogan
Grey’s POVI’d had enough. The stifling air of the dinner room, the fake smiles, and the endless senseless chatter of my father, it was all grating on my nerves until I was one breath away from snapping. I needed out. I pushed through the heavy double doors into the cool, biting night air of the terrace. I was five minutes into my escape, just starting to feel the tension in my shoulders loosen, when the doors clicked open again. Reine. Of course.I turned my back to her, focused entirely on the pack of cigarettes in my pocket. I didn't have the patience for her tonight."mind if i join you?" she asked, her voice sliding into that syrupy, familiar tone that used to work on me years ago."I’d prefer if you stayed inside, Reine," I said, my voice clipped.She let out a soft, mocking chuckle. "Still the same attitude, I see. What’s gotten into you?"I didn't answer. I was too busy patting down my jacket, my irritation spiking when I realized my lighter was missing. I must have left it o
Claire’s POVThe first thing I became aware of was warmth and the second was the heavy arm draped around my waist. My eyes snapped open and for one disoriented second, I didn’t recognize the room, the dark vaulted ceiling, the floor to ceiling windows, the expensive black marble fireplace across the room. Then memory hit me all at once. His hands, his voice against my ear, the way I had kissed him back like I’d completely lost my mind.Oh my God!I froze beneath the sheets, horror slowly crawling up my spine as I realized I was lying in Grey DeLuca’s bed after willingly having sex with the man who murdered my family. I wanted to evaporate. My face burned so hot I thought I might die from sheer embarrassment alone.What the hell is wrong with me?Carefully, painfully carefully, I lifted Grey’s arm off my waist and slid out of bed. He shifted slightly in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Thank God. I spotted my clothes scattered around the room and nearly wanted to throw myself into the oce
Claire’s POVI folded my arms, raising a brow at him. "No, Grey. You’re going to open the door for me, or I’m not getting in."His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might actually refuse. But then, with an exasperated sigh, he stepped forward, yanked the car door open, and gestured dram
Claire's POVSitting in front of a mirror, I stared at the unfamiliar girl looking back at me. My hair was halfway curled, the soft waves fell down my shoulders, and I felt like a mannequin up on display. Grey’s stepmom stood behind me, curling my hair with her perfectly manicured nails."You’ve go
Claire’s POVIt had been days since the blood samples were taken, and every second of it felt like a countdown.I switched on the computer and logged into the private account Stephano and I agreed to use in emergencies. The moment I got in, his message popped up.Stephano: Did you make it in?Me: B
Claire’s POVThe air outside the building felt suffocating.All of us stood in uneven lines, waiting to be called one by one. The tension was so thick it pressed against my lungs. It reminded me of job applicants waiting for interviews , except this wasn’t about employment.It was about survival.A







