Mag-log inAs if he could read the turmoil racing through my mind, Damian spoke again, his voice dropping into a low rumble. "I don't expect anything in return from you, Arabella. Consider this my contribution toward your new beginning."His grey eyes locked onto mine, burning with a warm, steady intensity. "I know you are still anxious about your divorce being finalized. But allow me to take responsibility for your fresh start."He reached out, his long fingers sliding the silver keycard across the polished table until it rested against my knuckles, repeating the very words he had spoken in the SUV hours ago."Take this as your chance to make new memories... good ones," he urged softly. "Hand the painful memories over to me, Arabella. Let me build better ones in their place."My heart skipped a frantic beat.I stared at him as a massive crack fractured the walls I had fought so desperately to build against him.*Could someone this good—this protective—truly exist for me?*Damian Sterling stood
28"Do you have any idea how gangsters treat the women they claim?" he purred, his fingers lightly brushing the nape of my neck.His touch was featherlight, yet intensely possessive. My breath hitched in my throat, my heart slamming against my ribs."Most gangsters kidnap their women," he murmured, his dark voice vibrating right against my skin. "And the few who don't will lock them away from the world—treating them like beautiful trophies, cultivated entirely for their own pleasure."Every muscle in my body went rigid, my thoughts spiraling out of control.I had always known Damian Sterling as a quiet, aloof, and formidable titan.He was a man of calculated, terrifying patience—the kind of strategist who moved like a chess master, always ten steps ahead.I never imagined that when it came to the desires of his heart, he could be this aggressive, this raw, and this utterly domineering.It felt impossible to build a defense against him. But why did I feel like I was the one to blame? I
27Damian turned an icy, razor-sharp gaze onto Jake and uttered a single, low command: "Scram.""Yes, Boss!" Jake squeaked, dumping the massive paper bag onto the entryway console before practically throwing himself into the elevator.The doors slid shut with a quiet chime, leaving Damian and me standing alone in the silent, echoing hallway.I couldn't form a single sentence. I was utterly mortified, my face burning with a fiery, unbearable heat. I had completely, spectacularly misunderstood his intentions."A mistress?" Damian drawled softly, tasting the word on his tongue as if analyzing its texture. "It sounds strangely intriguing coming from your lips."There was an unreadable, dangerous glint in his gray eyes. They looked darker than usual—heavy, intense, and hooded. His gaze drifted slowly down from my eyes, lingering on my mouth before sweeping over my entire body and returning to hold my gaze hostage.The obscure, predatory light dancing in his eyes made my lungs freeze.I bi
26I kept my gaze glued to the passenger window, desperately avoiding his heavy, focused stare."Do you enjoy looking at the city skyline that much?" Damian asked, his voice smooth and amused. "Or am I really that scary?""It's a city full of painful memories," I replied softly, my tone guarded. "Why would I like it?"Damian deliberately ignored the gloomy edge in my words, letting out a low chuckle. "So, you don't think I'm scary?""I didn't say..." The rest of my sentence caught in my throat as the trap snapped shut.By stating I didn't like the city, I had implicitly answered his binary question: *he wasn't the scary one.*A subtle smile spread across his features as he caught my flustered expression. "Why don't you take this as your chance to make new memories... good ones? Hand the painful memories over to me, Arabella. Let me build better ones in their place."My body went completely rigid.The weight of his words settled heavily in the air. I didn't know how to respond, nor di
25For a long moment, I stood frozen in the center of the living room, tongue-tied, my gaze fixed on the double doors Ethan had slammed shut."W–what does he mean by that?" I whispered into the lingering silence, asking no one in particular. Ethan was the one who claimed our marriage was a mistake, so where was this sudden, petulant resistance coming from?"Arabella, dear," Caroline said softly, stepping closer and taking my trembling hand in hers. "I think Ethan is having second thoughts... Perhaps deep down, he doesn't want to lose you after all."I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take a slow, agonizing breath in and out.*Second thoughts?* No. The only reason Ethan was acting out was because his bloated ego couldn't stomach the reality of me walking away first. He wanted me broken, begging, and groveling at his feet just to feel powerful.*What a heartless scumbag.*Three whole years of marriage, and he kept showing me ugly, malicious sides of himself I never knew existed. Who o
The look on Ethan's face was absolute gold. The color drained from his face, his skin darkening into a dangerous shade of crimson at my confession."Who bought them?" he bit out, his sharp eyes narrowing as his mind raced, desperately calculating which powerful figure in the industry could have possibly handed me such a lifeline."Why don't you take a guess?" I replied, forcing a calm, provoking smile onto my face. "I told you before that I could raise that money in three days if I lowered myself to your level.""You ran to another man the second you got the chance?" Ethan roared, his composure shattering as he lunged forward, his hands reaching for my throat.Before I could even react or step back, Damian caught Ethan's wrist before his fingers could reach me. I had almost forgotten he was standing right behind me."I told you not to lay a hand on her!" Damian growled, his voice deep, dangerous, and dripping with raw menace.Ethan froze, staring at his father with sudden suspicion. S
***Wedding day*** The door bursts open with a hard shove, slamming against the wall with a loud thud that makes everyone in the room turn. Aria turns in her seat; her stylist pauses in her actions, a powder brush in hand. Cara lets out a gasp that sounds like a scolding waiting to happen.Kayden
Hello loves… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for journeying with me all the way to the end of Kayden and Aria's story. Writing this novel has been an adventure filled with late-night plotting, emotional twists, and characters who refused to stay quiet—yet none of it would mean anything w
Hello Loves, Thank you so much for reading and supporting Aria and Kayden's story. It means more than I can ever say. If you’ve enjoyed my writing so far, I’d love for you to check out my newest novel. “BOUND BY FOUR MOONS: The Omega's temptation.” It’s filled with the same emotional intensity
"Would you stop interrupting me when I speak?" Kayden growled, causing Aria to flinch at his harsh voice, but despite her fear of this new side of her husband, she was determined to get to him.Fueled with determination to win back her husband, Aria hugged him tighter, putting all the seductive ski







