Alina’s pulse roared in her ears as the weight of her decision pressed down on her. The city stretched below her like a glittering abyss, and yet, inside Damon’s penthouse, the air was suffocating. Damon stood across from her, his icy-blue eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her knees weak.
She had come back to him.
Not because it was the safe choice. Not because it was the logical one. But because the thought of walking away felt like carving out a piece of her soul.
Damon’s jaw was clenched, his entire body tense, as if he was waiting for her to say the words that would either destroy him or bring him back to life.
“I’m here,” she finally whispered.
A slow, measured breath left his lips. “Are you sure?”
The depth in his voice sent a shiver through her. She kne
