Chapter seven

The air in the car felt thick and suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides as Asher loomed over me. His presence filled the small space, stirring memories I had spent the last five years burying. His face was unreadable, but those sharp sapphire eyes—the ones I remembered too well—held a knowing glint that sent my heart racing.

I shifted uncomfortably beneath him, my back pressing against the leather seat as I tried to put some distance between us. "What do you want, Mr Blackwood?" My voice wavered despite my best efforts to sound steady. I wasn’t that girl from five years ago—the one who had let herself get swept up in a moment. I had responsibilities now. A life I needed to protect.

He didn’t answer right away. His hand, large and calloused, brushed against my cheek, and I flinched. That touch, once igniting sparks, now only fueled my fear. I was trapped. He was too close, too calm. Too dangerous.

“You disappeared,” he finally said, his tone steady but his eyes flashing wi