I stood in the grand foyer of Levi’s estate, the air thick with tension. The scent of expensive cologne mixed with the lingering staleness of betrayal. The man who once vowed to love me now looked at me like I was prey cornered, helpless.
If only he knew.
I forced a nervous swallow, keeping my posture tense but not defensive. “I don’t want to keep fighting, Levi,” I said, my voice carefully measured. “I just want to talk.”
He smirked, stepping closer. “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said in a while.”
His arrogance was suffocating. He thought he had already won.
Levi reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek. My stomach twisted in revulsion, but I didn’t flinch. Not yet.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured. “Even after everything, you still belong to me, Ashley.”
I forced my
