جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 350

Memories flashed through her mind like a reel on fast-forward.She had once loved him so deeply she couldn’t pull herself out. She had ignored William’s warnings and insisted on marrying him.Three years had taught her one thing.Wanting too much always came with a price.What she got in return was a love that was never returned. Three years of being played. And the one she hated most still walked free, untouched.The more she had loved him, the more she hated him now.Winter’s gaze drifted out to the open water.The yacht was open-air. The helm was not far from the edge.Behind her, his hand moved clumsily against the back of her head, a gesture meant to soothe.Once, she had wanted nothing more than for him to hold her, to comfort her, to protect her.Now, she didn’t care anymore.“I’m not doing anything to you,” he said, his voice low against her ear.She frowned, her already burning eyes turning even redder.Then she let out a cold laugh.Before he could react, her ha

Winter was soaked through. She had only been standing by the doorway for a moment, but a small puddle had already formed at her feet.She walked into the room.It was huge, easily the size of two bedrooms back at Blackwood Manor. In the center stood a king-size bed dressed in deep blue sheets, the dark color calm and heavy, like the ocean.It made her think of everything that had just happened out at sea.She pressed her lips together. They were swollen and sore from the kiss, and the spot he had bitten stung sharply, making her inhale.Just then, slow and steady footsteps sounded from the stairs.Chris came up, just as soaked as she was. He lifted his gaze and saw her standing there, still and silent, as if lost in thought.For a moment, something in his mind overlapped with what he was seeing now. His gaze tightened, and his steps quickened.Hearing him getting closer, Winter thought of what had happened on the water. Anger surged up again.Without turning back, she walked s

Behind her, the sea wind drove the rain hard against the bathroom window.It almost felt like the cold was slipping in through the gaps, wrapping around her.Her fingers paused on the drawer handle for a second before she closed it, her expression blank.“Dinner’s ready, Mrs. Xander.”The maid’s voice came from outside the bedroom door. The room was so large it sounded distant, pulling Winter’s thoughts back.She came to her senses, stepped out of the bathroom, and said, “I’m not hungry. And call me Ms. Scott. I’m not Mrs. Xander.”The maid froze for a moment, then remembered the instructions she had been given earlier. Whatever Winter said, they were to follow.She nodded. “Yes, Ms. Scott.”After the maid left, Winter sat on the black sofa by the window. Her hand drifted to the edge of the armrest.Then she suddenly froze.She stared at her own hand.Her thoughts had been a mess just now. She had only wanted something to distract herself, so she had reached out without thin

The moment his words fell, he felt her entire arm go stiff.He looked up, his dark gaze locking onto hers with a hint of something almost obsessive. Then he smiled.“Scared?”She was caught off guard by his smile.She had never seen him smile like that before.There was warmth in it. Indulgence. And something deeper, more complicated, held tightly beneath the surface.Maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Maybe there had been moments like this before, but they had passed too quickly for her to hold on to, leaving her to think she had imagined them.But never like this.Never so unguarded, as if he had stopped holding himself back.And yet, beneath it, she saw something else in his eyes.Something close to madness.Something that wanted to pull her in and never let her go.She remembered that day at Westbury, when he had fired at her. She yanked her hand free.“I only get one shot. If I miss, it’s over. I’m not like you. I don’t have that kind of aim. You managed to knock the gu

The wind lifted a corner of the tie covering Chris’s eyes.Winter watched it flutter, her heart rising and falling with it.She hadn’t felt much pressure while shooting earlier. But now, with only five shots left for him, she found herself holding her breath.Chris lifted his hand slightly.Winter suddenly stood up from her chair.But he only switched the gun to his left hand.She froze for a second, then remembered. He was just as skilled with either hand. He just used his right more often.Chris heard the movement. He also caught the shift in her breathing.A faint smile touched his lips.Just as he pulled the trigger, he cleared his throat. His wrist shifted ever so slightly.Bang.Winter’s breath caught.A mechanical voice announced from the display: “Nine.”She let out a quiet breath of relief, then frowned.Eight points behind her. Four shots left.Just as he fired again, a seagull suddenly flew across the range.Bang.“One.”Her heart jumped into her throat.T