The drive back home was quiet, too quiet. I found myself thinking about the things I had pushed down, the very thing I left to work to avoid. Amelia. She was on my mind, she was plaguing my thoughts and I couldn't stop it. After that night, with her. Memories of her body wouldn't leave my th
“Amy…” I breathed, the nickname slipping out before I could stop it. “Rome…” She cried. A teardrop leaving her eyes and sliding down her cheek. My eyes followed it's trail. That familiar endearment. From her lips. It was enough to make my heart feel like it was shattering. Then the ache gave
AMELIAEverything else that came after meeting with Roman in front of the room was hazy. I knew he had led me to bed, my eyes heavy with as I kept telling him to promise. All I could think about was the fact that if he owned Grayson, I wouldn't have to give my shares to Bertha. It would be better
Where was that place located? I knew we weren't in the country…I knew I was miles away. So far away that I could choose to start a new life if I actually had the money to do so. “I just…” My voice trembled, all of my emotions spilling out. “...I don't want to go home,” Roman stilled, blue e
He probably thought me to be as incompetent ss my family did. “Amelia…” Roman sighed. “I know the past few days between us have been rather…complicated,” His brows furrowed, “But, no matter how much I try to lie to myself, it's painfully clear that I care about you,” My eyes widened “What?” “I
A FEW YEARS AGO… The final bell rang, its shrill tone echoing through the halls of the community high school. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that another day of social navigation was finally over. As I made my way through the crowded corridors, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy a
My mind raced with possibilities. A new restaurant? A museum exhibit? Knowing Mom, it could be anything from a cat café to a trampoline park. As we drove, Mom told me all about her day, her hands gesturing wildly as she recounted a funny incident with one of her art students. She worked a few jo
BERTHAThere are two types of people in this world. There are the people who think there's a difference between good and bad and then those who know that there is no such thing. The world isn't black and white. It is a whole array of colors and even murder can be justified when the perpetrator i
AMELIA TWO YEARS LATER… I was twenty-seven years old, younger than my mother was when she had me, and five years older than she was when my grandfather entrusted the Guerrero family's responsibility to her. Despite trying my best not to think about her, everything I did, everywhere I walked in It
"And sitting back and doing nothing is better?" My voice rose, a mixture of frustration and desperation. "I'm tired of being the victim. Tired of being passed around like a piece of property, like something to be traded and bartered." His blue eyes flashed. "I would never let that happen to you aga
AMELIA Why was I so hesitant? I had been sure of my choices, I had accepted that it was what I really wanted and what I needed. But sitting here, with his head on my shoulder and his eyes looking so distant, I couldn't bring myself to say a word. Nothing. “Amy?” “Hm?” Roman raised his hea
Hi! Its me Dchenemi but you already know that lol. I want to thank you for sticking with this book this far and answer a few questions. Firstly O would like to apologize for the lack of updates, I have ongoing exams and I'm unable to focus on writing while the pressure of getting good grades are
AMELIA My mother had always told me I was destined for great things, and at some point in my life, I thought it was being a well-established painter or perhaps a tycoon like she wished to be. But now I realized what she truly meant. No matter how much she had tried to escape it, her past still cau
"I don't want anyone near you right now," he admitted quietly. "The thought of letting anyone close after what happened..." "Rome," I reached up to cover his hand with mine. "We can't live like that. I won't live like that – trapped in fear, suspicious of everyone." I wasn't going to tell him what
The thought of Roman losing control made my chest ache. I knew how he could get when his emotions overwhelmed him, knew the darkness he fought to keep at bay. "How bad was he? Really?" Maria led me toward the kitchen, her grip steady and supportive. "Bad enough that when this cousin appeared, even
AMELIA I cried myself back to sleep, my body was far too exhausted to do anything else. When I came to, Roman wasn't in the bedroom with me. Our bedroom. I was back home. It felt surreal seeing the familiar walls, the sheets, the scents. Everything made my eyes prickle with tears and the iron
AMELIA A FEW DAYS LATER… Isabella had kept her word. After the meeting with Mr. Rossi and a few others who Isabella failed to mention, she didn't send me back to the building I was locked up in. She gave me two flight tickets and told me to make a choice, one sent me back home and the other…was