Chapter 32: A Joke

In the months following that fateful night with Bella, Reid had thrown himself into his work, burying the memory of their passionate encounter beneath piles of paperwork and endless business meetings. He had always prided himself on being a man in control, one who never let emotions or desires cloud his judgment. But Bella had shattered his carefully constructed façade, exposing a part of him he had tried to forget.

The devil inside him whispered tempting thoughts in the dead of the night, urging him to reach out to her. To reclaim the fiery passion they had shared. But Reid knew better. He was a man with a dark history, tainted, a reputation for ruthlessness in the corporate world. He was no good to her, and their realities were worlds apart.

Despite his efforts to move on, the company of other women had left him feeling empty and unsatisfied. Even the most beautiful and skilled of his usual companions couldn't ignite the same fiery passion that had sparked between him and Bella.

And