Chapter 31 —The CrossroadsNarrator:Aylin could barely stand. Her body was shaking, her knees threatened to buckle, and her breathing was a mess. Roman had left her there, standing in the middle of his office, her pulse racing and her skin burning with equal parts desire and rage.He, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. Cool. Damn confident as he finished his whiskey with the same calmness with which he had just left her trembling.Aylin tried to catch her breath, but it was useless. She felt every word he said running through her body like a burn.Roman smiled slightly, with that arrogance of his that drove her crazy.“Look at you...” he murmured, almost mockingly. “You look like you're about to moan, beautiful.” Aylin pressed her lips tightly together, wanting to glare at him. He set his glass down on the desk with a precise movement, then straightened up and calmly took his jacket from the back of the chair. “Let's go,” he said then, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't j

Chapter 33 —I warned youNarrator:The journey to the mansion was hellish with pent-up anticipation.Roman didn't let go of his thigh at any point.At first, it was just a slow, provocative caress, the touch of his fingers sliding over the fabric of her pants. Then the pressure increased, his fingers sinking into her skin with a firmness that left no doubt about his intention.Aylin placed her hand over his, not to stop him, but to affirm what was happening. Roman glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. The way she watched him, her lips slightly parted, her breathing increasingly erratic, her eyes lit with the same need that coursed through his body, made him curve his lips into a dark smile.He squeezed harder. Aylin stifled a gasp. Roman felt the shiver run through her skin like an electric shock.If they weren't in the damn car, he would have taken her right there.Every red light, every damn second of waiting, was torture.The silence was charged with electricity, with looks t

Chapter 35 —The Next MorningNarrator:The sun filtered through the curtains, painting the room with a warm, lazy hue. Aylin blinked slowly, feeling the weight of sleep still trapped in her eyelids. Her body ached in all the right places, her skin still tingling with the memory of the night before. She shifted slightly and then felt him. Roman. His arm was around her waist, his slow breath against her neck, his presence enveloping her even in sleep.Aylin swallowed, feeling her pulse quicken involuntarily.The chaos of the night before flooded her mind in a whirlwind of images. His mouth, his tongue, his hands. His damn way of making her lose control, of twisting her until she was begging, trembling, broken in the best possible way.And now... she was trapped in his embrace.She moved her leg carefully, but as soon as she slid an inch, she felt the pressure of his fingers digging deeper into her waist.“No,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.Aylin froze.“Roman...”He buried his

Chapter 37 —He's Not HereNarrator:The nights were longer without him. Aylin hadn't seen him since that time. She wasn't looking for him, nor was she avoiding him. Or maybe she was.The mansion was big enough that they didn't run into each other. And he, apparently, wasn't trying to meet up with her either.But some nights, when she lay in bed, her chest tight and her mind racing, she would look out the window.And there he was. The orange glow of a cigarette lighting up in the darkness. In his corner, his refuge, his hiding place. The bench in the garden that, for a time, belonged to both of them.Aylin rested her forehead against the glass, feeling the cold bite her skin, but without looking away.She could barely see him. A shadow among shadows. Smoking, his body leaning against the back of the bench, one leg resting on the other, his arm hanging with a languor that was not carelessness, but repressed fatigue.“Is he thinking about me?” she wondered. The idea was absurd. Illogical.

Chapter 39 —Dorian LangdonNarrator:The office was dimly lit. Only the glow of the city beyond the windows illuminated Roman's stern expression.Dominic entered, phone still in hand, jaw tense, brow furrowed with the weight of frustration.“Nothing,” he blurted out. Even with all my contacts, we can't get her out. At least not through regular channels.Roman didn't respond right away. He ran a hand over his face, trying to contain the rage burning beneath his skin.Aylin was still there, locked up, alone. Waiting for a fate she didn't deserve.He wasn't going to allow that. He didn't have many options. And he hated that.He hated feeling control slipping through his fingers, that there wasn't a single move on his board that could be made without risking something.But he wasn't going to lose her.He adjusted his jacket, exhaled slowly, and picked up the phone.Dominic watched him from across the desk, frowning.“What are you going to do?”Roman didn't answer right away. His fingers sl