cal revulsion seized her. Stella's body went rigid, a statue carved from ice. Her mind de
sound was so jarring, so unexpected, that Victor actually flinched. He glanced at it, his face
e O
e door exploded inward, splintering off its hintical unit. No wasted motion. No hesitation. They were machines built for one purpose. The man in the lead was Julian's head
ding and disorienting. But before relief could even form, a colder, sharper understanding followed
of motion, he was disarmed, his arm twisted behind his back at an unnatural angle. A choked cry of pain escaped his lips
the furniture. A damaged piece of inventory to be catalogued later. He spoke in
ck of garbage. A trail of blood smeared across the pristine marble. The ent
e was okay. No words of comfort. No explanation. No one even looked at her. It was as if they had just extermi
Sterling, wiping away Victor Novak's filth from his asset. She wasn't a woman who
he soul. It hollowed her out, scraped away everything soft and vulnerable, and left only something ha
ou
opping into still water. It wasn't a though
was done being prey. The cool New York night air felt like a slap, shocking her back to a painful clarity. She looked down at her
ave him. For good.
nth birthday, like a gift. She had treasured it then. Now it tasted like ash. The apartment was bright. Julian was sitting on the living room s
as bitter o
dress and the stark pallor of her face. His inspection was thorough, clinical. He wasn't lookin
. She began to pack, her movements quick and precise, devoid of any sentimentality. She didn't take the expensive things. The
ed, his voice low and gravelly. There was something dangerous i
s cold as the grave. She refused to give him the satisfaction of
frame from the nightstand. It held the only photograph she had of herself and Leo, tak
ing a long, oppressive shadow over her. The shadow swallowed her whole. He st
e adoration and fear that had lived in her eyes for seven years were gone, replaced by a calm, desol
aid, her voice steady.
uine emotion she had seen from him all night, and it was rage. He had expected tears, pleas, hysterics. He had
his possession to
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