Page 140 of Symphony for Lies

A slow exhale left my lips. “And you let them think they could?”

“I let them believe it…” he corrected. “…so I could destroy them from the inside. When I saw what they did to you… When I watched you lose everything because of their disgusting methods...”His fingers flexed again, knuckles turning white. “I made them pay for it. And I warned Ella that if she ever tried to talk to you or even breathe in your direction, I’d ruin her. She knows I meant it.”

The words hung between us like a storm.

I didn’t realize I had moved closer until my fingers brushed against his. The warmth of his skin sent a ripple of heat up my arm, but he didn’t flinch. If anything, he looked like he was barely holding himself together.

“My mother went to see you. She said she wanted to apologize. And she claims she had nothing to do with getting you fired from the school, or the bribery attempt at the clinic.”

My brows furrowed.

Something wasn’t adding up.

“So it was the Aria family?”

He nodded.

But he wasn’t looking at my face anymore. His eyes drifted slowly down my body, tracing the bare skin of my thighs, lingering at my waist, and climbing higher. I felt his gaze like a touch, like heat curling around my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs.

His lips parted slightly, and a muscle ticked in his jaw as his throat bobbed with a slow, controlled swallow.“Wow.”

His hand was still beneath mine, warm and strong.

“Zane? Are you okay?”

His gaze snapped to mine, and the look in his eyes hit me like a slow-burning flame. An unapologetic, desperate yearning.

“I’ve never been better,” he vowed huskily.

Needing a moment to collect my thoughts, I said,“Thank you for your honesty, Zane.”

I stood up, trying to make space between us and whatever was happening. I grabbed a small, delicate knitted sweater my grandmother had made for Ivy before her passing.

“And thank you for taking Ivy in. For bringing her to Simon.”

When I turned back to him, I held the tiny garment out.

“Just a thank you?” His voice was a dangerous invitation.

I laughed, deciding to tease him back. Pressing my fingers to my lips, I blew him a playful kiss.

And that was a mistake.

The moment my lips left my hand, something snapped.

His expression changed, and he gripped the edge of the couch like he was physically restraining himself.

I unleashed something in him.

One breath.That was all it took.

He stood up and placed his firm, unyielding, and possessive hands on me. His grip stole the air from my lungs as they wrapped around my waist and effortlessly lifted me into his arms.

“Zane!”

His husky chuckle cut my protest short, sending heat over my spine.

He carried me with steady, purposeful strides, his fingers pressing into my skin as if he had been waiting for such a moment for far too long.