t. The kind of silence

cer didn't wait. He grabbed Ayla by t

Ayla screamed, cl

he fell hard, her knees skidding on the

You ungrateful bitch. After everything I

ing the side of her phone in her pocket, activating the audio recorder

a, and then he laughed. "So you k

ing, Ayla. You're going to stay here, be the perfect wife, and wait until I get my trust

I signed the papers three years

d. "Those papers are

nged

ross the face. The force of it sent her spinning int

n her vision. Sh

d, grabbing her throat. He s

the. Black spots d

he choked out.

ed slightly. "Sterling? You're

en, pure rage took over. "You're lyi

sed hi

IC

power grid being shut down. The lights went out. The air conditioning died. An

tairs, quick

, turning toward the d

d with a smooth, silent precision, the lock disen

ing stood in

nd trousers, looking less like a thug and more like the personification of de

w the blood on her lip. The

sn't human. It was pure

" Ayla w

. He crossed th

s up. "Now wait a minute, Ste

d with Spencer's jaw w

shing into the armoire. He

slammed him into the wall. His movements were brutally efficient, a serie

ethodica

, crawling forward

rumpled like a broken doll, wheez

chest was heaving. His knuc

r to protector. He took off his turtleneck, leaving him in

se?" Julian asked, his voice

obbed. "Just

p into his arms. He

loor. "You... you can't

e looked down at

if you ever come within ten miles of her again

of the room, steppin

said to the men behin

e, sir?"

e servers, the medical files from his stu

night air. Ayla buried her f