The penthouse felt suffocating, even with the city lights blazing beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Damien paced like a caged predator, glass of whiskey in hand, teeth clenched. Every news alert, every leaked snippet, every murmured gossip about Bella fueled the fire in him. Rage, lust, obsession, and grief swirled into a potent storm that he couldn’t control. The smell of alcohol and the metallic tang of spilled blood from the broken glass littering the floor merged with his sweat, an intoxicating scent that matched the chaos inside him.
He stopped abruptly in front of the couch, staring at the space where Bella had sat only hours before. The memory of her eyes, wide and fearful yet aroused, burned into his mind. He could still feel the heat of her body pressed against his, the trembl
