Luther only pulled back once I was completely breathless, his forehead resting against mine as we both tried to catch our air.
The room was silent except for our synchronized breathing, and for a moment, the anger that had been driving me felt muffled by the sheer intensity of his proximity. He looked at me with an expression that was stripped of his usual corporate arrogance, sounding almost human as he began to speak.
"I know I did a lot of things you don't approve of, Alicia," he started, his voice low and vibrating with a raw honesty that caught me off guard. "I accept that I could have chosen a different path to bring you back to me, but in that moment, I chose the most comfortable and known path. I used the tools I’ve spent my life perfecting... control and leverage."
He took a s
