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Prologue

Selena

“Put down the knife, my love.”

His deep voice used to excite me, igniting a fire within my soul. Just yesterday, I could lose myself in his eyes, surrendering to the darkness he brought with him.

But not anymore.

He was nothing but a cold-blooded killer, a monster dressed in designer clothes and expensive shoes. “Not a chance.”

“Then you will die, and it won’t be by my hand. Do you understand?”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“I can’t let you do that, dear. It would haunt me.”

I let out a bitter laugh, tears welling in my eyes. I knew he didn’t care—just like he had no soul.

As he stepped closer, I brandished the knife, the blade glinting in the dim light. I could see the fear in his eyes as he jumped back, his anger clear on his handsome face.

He looked down at his shirt, noticing the red mark from where the blade had grazed him. I chuckled softly at his surprise.

“Then so be it.” I took a step forward, feeling the weight of the ancient knife in my hand. My grandfather had given it to me when I was a child, a tool he once used in the sugarcane fields of Hawaii. I cherished it as a piece of my past, a reminder of the moments spent by the beach, shaping my childhood memories.

Once, this same knife had saved my life, wielded by someone who protected me at all costs. Now, it was my turn to defend what was mine—my career, my soul, my heart.

I wouldn’t let this savage man take everything from me, even if it meant losing my life in the process.

“You’re in danger, dear. Let me protect you,” he said, his eyes locked onto mine.

“That’s not happening.”

“You know you belong to me.”

I laughed, bitter and defiant. “Not anymore. I’ve seen the violence of your world, and I want no part of it. This is my home, my life. What happened between us was a mistake.” I stepped closer, and he didn’t back down. When I pressed the knife against his chest, he looked down at it before spreading his arms wide.

“Then do it, Selena. End my life. If that’s what you want, take away our need for each other. Go ahead.”

His challenge was clear, and the smug smile on his face disgusted me. I realized he had already taken so much from me—my freedom, my spirit. Now, he wanted my heart. As tears streamed down my face, I pulled back my arm, ready to strike. I had become the hunter he had always been.

“I hate you,” I whispered through gritted teeth. But deep down, that wasn’t the truth.

He tilted his head slightly, a flicker of sadness breaking through his usual cool demeanor. “And I love you, my dear. Together, we will find our destiny. You will be mine forever.”

Panic washed over me, clouding my thoughts.

As I swung the blade, tears continued to fall. Memories of our first kiss danced in my mind, beautiful and vivid. I was flooded with moments of passion and excitement, knowing that my life had changed the day he entered it.

A connection that drew us together, igniting a spark between us.

The gentle brush of his fingers against my skin.

The electric thrill of our first kiss.

The moment he filled me completely, banishing the shadows and flooding my world with light.

But now, I felt myself being pushed back into the darkness. The weight of the shadows pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating. I could no longer feel my legs; they had turned to stone beneath me. The machete slipped from my grasp, falling in slow motion as if time itself had frozen.

“Joshua…” I whispered, my voice barely breaking through the thickening air, but he didn’t respond.

As the darkness loomed closer, I realized I might not be the only one in danger. A chilling laugh echoed from the shadows, and I knew—this was far from over.