The pen trembled in Selene Carter’s hand, though she held it with the practiced composure of a woman raised never to show weakness. Across the mahogany table, Adrian Kane sat still, too still, broad shoulders squared, jaw locked, dark eyes unblinking.The only sound in the room was the soft scratch of paper as Selene slid the documents forward.“Sign them,” she said, her voice cool, clipped, betraying nothing of the storm clawing at her chest.Adrian didn’t move. His calloused hands rested on the table, fingers scarred and strong, as if forged for battles that had nothing to do with her world. He studied the papers, then lifted his gaze back to hers.That silence, it was what had ruined them. Silence in the face of her family’s contempt. Silence when whispers painted him a failure. Silence when the police dragged him away in handcuffs two years ago, leaving Selene humiliated in front of her entire circle.She wanted him to fight for her. To explain. To deny. But Adrian Kane had only e

The black sedan idled at the curb outside Selene’s apartment, its tinted windows reflecting the pale light of dawn. Two men in dark suits stood by the rear door, their posture sharp, precise, not hired bodyguards, but military.Selene clutched her coat tighter around her shoulders. Every nerve screamed at her to run back upstairs, lock the door, and pretend none of this was happening. But the weight in the air, the cold authority in the voice that had called her, made it clear she didn’t have a choice.The taller of the two men opened the door. “Mrs. Carter. Please.”Her feet moved before her mind could catch up. She slid into the leather seat, heart pounding, the scent of polished steel and antiseptic sharp in the air.The man beside her shut the door, the locks clicking into place with finality. The sedan pulled away from the curb.“Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.“Headquarters,” the man answered simply. No explanation. No reassurance.Selene’s

The knock came again, three sharp raps that rattled the frame, Selene pressed her back against the wall, her breath shallow, every instinct screaming not to answer.Her eyes darted to the phone on the nightstand, but even if she called someone, who could she trust? Her family, who had already condemned her? Adrian, who had pushed her away?, And Damon Locke was on the other side of her door.“Selene,” his voice floated through, smooth as velvet, low as a whisper meant only for her. “I know you’re awake.”Her chest tightened. She bit her lip, staying silent.“You should let me in,” Damon coaxed. “The world outside is cruel. Cameras, whispers, betrayal in every corner. But I… I can make it softer. Safer.”Her hand hovered over the deadbolt. Something magnetic in his tone tugged at her even as every nerve screamed to run. She hated herself for how it made her hesitate.Another knock, slower this time, deliberate. “Or do you want me to come back when you’re not alone?”Selene’s blood, turn

The gunfire tore through the night.Adrian shoved Selene to the ground as shards of glass rained down, the deafening cracks of bullets shredding the silence. He covered her with his body, his hand gripping her wrist tight, his breath harsh against her ear.“Stay down!”Her heart thundered, every nerve on fire. The sharp scent of gunpowder mingled with the metallic tang of blood, she realized her arm was cut, thin lines of crimson dripping from the glass embedded in her skin.Adrian lifted his head just enough to scan the angles. His eyes were cold, calculating, a predator assessing the kill zone. Then, in one smooth motion, he rolled off her, drew his weapon, and returned fire through the broken window.The sound was merciless. Controlled. Deadly.Selene pressed her hands over her ears, trembling, but she couldn’t look away. She had never seen him like this, not the silent man who ate at her dinner table, not the husband who let her walk away without a fight. This was Adrian Kane unma

Selene’s chest constricted, every nerve screaming. “Stop! You don’t have to do this!”“Oh, but I do,” Damon replied smoothly, his gaze fixed on her like she was the only person in the room. “Because this isn’t about him. It’s about you.”Adrian’s gun didn’t waver. His voice was cold steel. “You shoot him, and you won’t leave this house alive.”Damon chuckled softly. “Maybe. But if I die, your little Selene dies with me. And we both know you can’t risk that.”Selene’s breath hitched. Damon’s words slithered into her veins like poison, because they weren’t wrong. Adrian had thrown himself in front of bullets for her already. He’d do it again. And Damon knew it.“Why me?” Selene whispered, her voice breaking. “What do you want from me?”Damon’s eyes softened, almost tender, though the gun in his hand never moved. “Because you walked away from him. Because you’re proof that even the mighty Adrian Kane can be broken by something as fragile as love. You, Selene, are the weapon he can’t defe