ella

ngering madness of my dream, I stepped out into the estate's Rose Garden. The morning air was crisp, heavy with the sweet, suffocating scent of b

appy now,

sually perfectly styled hair disheveled, his ey

ft, though my pulse steadied into a co

nt. "Clara is locked in her apartment. My grandmother cut off her allowance and threatened

ow dare you speak to Miss Rossi this way? You publicly humiliated her, paraded a sho

stupid maid,"

tremble, playing the exact role he expected. "Does my dignity mean nothing to

he stale whiskey on his breath. He reached out and grabbed

ine pain flari

ll apologize. You will tell her you overreacted and beg her to lift the restrictio

me disgusted him, turning on his hee

. But it wasn't Grayson's threat that made

I slowly turned my head toward the edge of the garden. Behind a row of towering, gloomy I

er was

't see his eyes, but I could feel them. The predatory, Siberian coldness radiating from the trees was id

ine. I quickly turned away, hurrying tow

c V-16 shut with a solid thud, sealing us in

om my eyes. The trembling stopped. I leaned back against the plush le

y bruised wrist with tearful eyes. "We have to

otion. "Damon Falcone only cares about

m treat you like this

ching my lips. "I'm not heartbroken, Gina. I fe

ed by the sudden sh

ng out the tinted window at the passing city. "If I break the betrothal, I lo

ow

, suffocating fiancée. I will obsess over his studies. I will buy us tickets to the longest, most tedious classical music

f around his neck like a perfect silk tie, and I will pull until he suffocates. I wi

ght-iron gates of Trinity College,