CHAPTER 51

As the door clicked shut behind Thiago, the silence in the room was deafening. I stood there frozen, my heart racing, my mind still trying to catch up with what had just happened. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, as if I could erase the kiss—the control he had over me. My body trembled, not just from the fear but from the shame of how my emotions were tangled, conflicting.

I hated him. I hated what he had done, and yet... the way he held me, kissed me—it made me feel things I didn’t want to admit.

How could I be so weak?

I collapsed into my office chair, my hands shaking as I pressed them to my forehead. My thoughts spiraled in a million directions. Marcus was dead. Thiago had killed him without a second thought. All because I had dared to question him, to try and uncover the truth. What kind of man was I dealing with?

No, this wasn’t just about me. If I stayed with Thiago, if I didn’t push back, who else would he hurt? How long before I became just another casualty of his t