Page 38

The black SUV is waiting at the curb, engine running. Marco holds the door open as Gio helps me into the backseat, then slides in beside me. The partition between us and the driver is raised, creating an intimate cocoon that suddenly feels more like a trap.

For the first several blocks, neither of us speaks. The city lights blur past the tinted windows as we navigate through Cooper Heights’ downtown district. I keep my hands folded inmy lap, hyperaware of every breath, every shift of his body beside me.

“You were gone for a long time,” he says finally, his voice deceptively calm.

My pulse quickens. “Was I? I didn’t realize.”

“Forty-three minutes.”

The precision of his answer makes my blood run cold. He was timing me.

“The line for the bathroom was really long,” I say, forcing my voice to stay calm. “And then I ran into a few people on the way back. You know how these events are—everyone wants to chat.”

“Who did you talk to?”

“Just some wives of the other investors. Nothing important.” Another lie, but delivered with the same practiced ease as all the others.

“Hmm.” The sound is noncommittal, but I can feel him weighing my words, searching for cracks in my story.

The silence stretches between us again, thick with unspoken tension. I stare out the window, watching familiar landmarks pass by, each one bringing us closer to home and this uncomfortable interrogation to an end.

Then his hand lands on my thigh. The touch isn’t gentle or affectionate. His fingers press into my flesh with just enough pressure to make his point clear.

“I understand that being in the public eye can be overwhelming,” he continues, his thumb tracing a small circle against my skin that feels more threatening than tender. “But disappearing, making me wonder where you are, that can’t happen again.”

“It won’t,” I whisper, hating how small my voice sounds.

“Good.” He releases my thigh but doesn’t move his hand away. Instead, he lets it rest there like a brand, a reminderof his claim on me. “Because I would hate for there to be any...misunderstandings about where your loyalties lie.”

The SUV turns into the long driveway of the Worthington estate. The familiar sight of home should bring relief, but tonight it feels like arriving at another kind of prison.

Marco brings the car to a stop in front of the main entrance, the headlights illuminating the imposing columns and massive oak door.

“Get some rest,” Gio says as Marco opens my door. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

“Of course.” I gather my purse and slide toward the door, desperate to escape the suffocating confines of the car. “Thank you for understanding about tonight.”

He catches my wrist as I move to exit, his fingers circling my bones with deceptive gentleness.

“Sweet dreams,bella,” he murmurs, bringing my hand to his lips to press a kiss to my knuckles.

The gesture should be romantic, but all I feel is the implicit threat beneath the tenderness. A reminder that he’s always watching, always aware, always in control.

I manage a smile and slip from the car, my legs unsteady as I climb the front steps. The SUV doesn’t pull away until I’ve unlocked the front door and stepped inside, the engine’s rumble finally fading into the distance.

Only then do I allow myself to breathe.

The foyer is dark except for the soft glow of the security lighting, casting long shadows across the marble floor. My heels click against the stone as I make my way toward the grand staircase, each step echoing in the cavernous space.

What have I done?

The question echoes in my mind as I walk into my bedroom and move to the bathroom, stripping off my dress with shaking hands. In the mirror, I see the evidence of Reign’s possession.Faint marks on my neck that will darken by morning, slight bruises forming on my hips where his fingers gripped me.

I step into the shower, letting hot water cascade over my skin.

It can’t wash away what happened, can’t erase the memory of Reign’s hands on me, his voice in my ear claiming me as his. Nor do I want it to. For the first time in years, I feel awake, alive, present in my own body instead of floating above it, observing my life from a distance.

As I dry off and slip into a silk nightgown, my phone chimes with a message. My heart races as I reach for it, knowing before I look who it will be from.