The door clicked shut behind Darian. Silence slammed down, thick and heavy, stealing my breath. I stood frozen in my office, the air thick with the ghost of him—sandalwood and leather clinging to me, dangerous and too familiar.
His words scraped at my mind: "I need you, Maria." Soft, urgent. A command wrapped in a plea. My knees gave way. I sank into my chair, the cool leather shocking against my thighs after the heat his touch left on my cheek.
Darian—his gray eyes piercing through my defenses, offering me a lifeline or a noose. And then there was Hector, my father, his voice echoing in my head from our last call: "You’re a Reyes. Your safety isn’t negotiable."
Control masquerading as love. Who was the liar here? Darian, with his dark promises, or Hector, with his iron grip? My chest t
