Chloe's POV. The rain fell in heavy sheets against the stained-glass windows of the old church, as if the sky itself were mourning. I stood beside the polished mahogany casket, my black dress clinging to my petite frame from the damp chill that had seeped through my coat. At twenty-one, I looked smaller than ever—fragile, lost, my wide green eyes rimmed red from days of silent crying. My father, Marcus, had been my whole world. Now he was gone, taken by a sudden heart attack that left me reeling in an empty house filled with echoes.The service ended in a blur of condolences. Old family friends patted my shoulder, murmuring platitudes. But one man lingered at the edge of the crowd, tall and imposing even in his tailored black suit. Damien Blackwood. My father’s best friend since college, the godfather I'd never officially had, the man who’d always called me “princess” with that deep, rumbling voice that made my stomach flutter even as a teenager.He approached me slowly, his sharp ja
Last Updated : 2026-06-14 Read more