Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 3

Vespera's povThe candles had burned down to the wicks, leaving pools of hardened wax on the imported tablecloth.I stared at the cold Risotto. It was the third time I’d reheated it, and at this point, it was essentially glue. I adjusted my glasses, the heavy black frames sliding down my nose, and checked my watch.11:45 PM.“Happy Anniversary, Vespera,” I whispered to the empty room, my voice cracking just a little.I reached for my wine glass, but my hand paused when the front door’s biometric lock beeped. The heavy oak door swung open, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.Randell Sterling walked in.He was a man who looked like he was carved from marble and dressed by the devil—sharp, expensive, and devastatingly cold. He didn’t look at the dining room. He didn’t look at the decorations I had spent all day setting up. He was typing on his phone, his thumb moving furiously.“You’re late,” I said, standing up. I smoothed the skirt of my vintage floral dress—a d

Vespera’s povThe interior of the Maybach was silent, save for the low hum of the engine and the sound of my own jagged breathing. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows like streaks of dying stars, gold and white melting into each other. I watched Randell through the tinted glass as he stood frozen on the sidewalk. He looked small. For the first time in my life, the man who had loomed over me like a god looked like nothing more than a statue left out in the rain.There had been a time when the mere sight of him would have made my stomach twist with nervous anticipation. I used to search his face for approval, for warmth, for any sign that I had done something right. Tonight, all I saw was confusion. And something else. Fear.“You can breathe now, V,” Liam said. He didn’t look at me. He was busy tapping a rhythm on his knee, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. The city reflected in his pupils, sharp and calculating.I let out a breath I’d been holding since the lobby. My lungs