THERON POV I kept telling myself I was doing the right thing. That I was protecting her. Hiding her from the spotlight, shielding her from danger. So why did this fake breakup feel so deeply, horribly wrong? The feeling only worsened once I stepped into my penthouse. The space had never felt emptier. Her presence had lingered in the air, but now her scent was fading, minute by minute. The tightening in my chest grew sharper with the realization she wouldn’t be here for days, maybe even weeks. My hands curled into fists. I hated every part of this. I wanted to scream that my father and Chun Kit could go to hell. But recklessness wasn’t an option. If my father had Nazzareno Bellotti attacked or worse, just for overhearing a conversation then what might they have done to Ami if someone per

