Isla pov My eyes were fixed on Alaric as the car moved slowly. By now, the rain had completely stopped, and the president had been nice enough to take us back home. But it seemed I was the only one who was grateful, because Alaric blatantly ignored the president’s attempts at conversation, his eyes glued to his phone as he typed something out. “I didn’t take you for a romantic, Alaric. Kissing a woman like that in public? Under the rain? It looked like I was watching a movie or something—you definitely had me smiling,” the president laughed, reaching out to slap Alaric’s shoulder playfully. Alaric merely glanced at him and swatted his hand away in disgust. “Creep,” he hissed, still refusing to spare even a glance at the president or me. His eyes stayed locked on his phone, no matter how hard I stared at him. Call me crazy, but it felt like he was ignoring me on purpose… like he didn’t want to meet my gaze. And what the hell? We just shared a kiss under freezing rain and confes
Isla povAlaric Voss was a vulnerable man.He was the kind of man who might appear powerful, strong, and untouchable but deep down, he was also someone hiding a storm of demons within.All I had ever seen was the indifferent or teasing man, but as I stood there, staring at Alaric under the pouring rain with his suit barely shielding us both, I saw that vulnerability in his eyes. And I couldn't even begin to describe what I felt in that moment, or what exactly went through my mind… but what I was certain of was this:I wanted to take care of this man. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to be there for him. Just as he had been there for me.The heavy rain was all we could hear as our breaths mingled, and as I watched that almost desperate look flash across Alaric’s eyes, he held me tighter, as if letting go would mean losing me altogether. But I had no intention of slipping out of his arms.I had never wanted to be with anyone the way I wanted to be with him. Not with Leon. Not even w
Isla pov It was really him. As I stared at him, my heart pounded hard against my chest, and the cold night wind bit at my skin. But that wasn’t why I shivered. No, the real reason was the way Alaric was looking at me. There was amusement in his eyes, yes… but also a flicker of something else, something I couldn’t quite decipher. And whatever it was, it sent a chill down my spine. Because in that moment, I knew I had just uncovered a part of him— a part that might change everything between us. “I’m surprised you remembered,” Alaric hummed, the corner of his lips lifting into a faint smirk as his piercing gray eyes narrowed on me.” “How did you remember? For two years at your side, you barely noticed me… and when you did, you tried to ignore me. But now—now you remember.” My breath hitched as he stepped toward me, eyes locked on mine. He easily towered over me, leaning down slightly until his gaze met mine—sharp, intense, unrelenting. I couldn’t breathe. Something in th
Isla pov The tears fell to the ground, hot and relentless. As everything came crashing in at once, my heart hurt. I wasn’t sure why it hurt so much… but it did. How could I not have recognized him? How could I not have realized that the man from two years ago was Alaric? The man who had been abandoned by his real mother. Who was treated as nothing but a mistake by his own family. That man had told me how he was left to burn alive, how he heard his father and stepmother at the door, deciding whether he should live or die. How he was beaten and starved as a child. How he was kidnapped by the very woman who was supposed to be his stepmother. And the only reason he knew it was her… was because he heard the kidnappers talk about her to him. He had refused to believe it. He had hoped—prayed that his family would come for him. But as the days turned to a week, and no one came… He realized no one was looking. The only reason he was able to escape… was luck. The luck of
Third pov Flashback. At that crucial moment when Alaric lost his balance, he thought about the saying that when a person is about to die, their life flashes before their eyes. He had heard that in moments of shock, time would slow down and memories would flicker by— that the brain would rapidly retrieve emotionally charged or core moments as a kind of survival mechanism, replaying a person’s past up to that point. He always thought that was ridiculous. He never believed in it. But now, as he stared at the red-haired girl watching him in horror, his body tilting dangerously to the ground below…it actually happened. Time really did slow down. And those memories came rushing in, all at once. From the day he was just a little boy, no older than six when his abusive mother dragged him to the front of the Voss mansion, screaming that he was the son of the Voss family… before leaving him there. Alone. Sold to the wolves. Then to how he was mistreated, starved, and beaten by the m
Third pov Flashback. The thumping of his heart was all he could hear as he slumped against the wall, eyes closed, panting heavily as he struggled to stay conscious. No, he couldn’t afford to pass out. If he did, they would only wake him and continue their assault, even more enraged than before. He had to stay awake. He had to. So he groaned and peeled his eyes open, and through his blurry vision, he saw four men in front of him. Two of them had beaten him senseless, leaving him bleeding so badly he was certain a few bones were broken by now. The other two sat back, watching the scene unfold like a show, clearly entertained by the sight of him beaten and broken. This was meant to be a lesson, a brutal warning to Alaric Voss to never again dream of stepping out of line. “Haha! Did you see how he flew into the wall? My punch sent him flying and then boom!” Caleb laughed maniacally, his eyes locked on Alaric, who groaned and let his head slump forward, blood dripping steadil