Natalie~
Time seemed to stop. My breath hitched, and an icy wave of panic washed over me. The air in the gallery grew heavier, almost choking me, as if his presence alone could rob the room of oxygen. Surrounded by vibrant paintings and murmuring voices, I felt utterly trapped. The man who had destroyed my life was here.
I tried to turn, to blend into the crowd, but it was already too late. His cold black eyes locked onto mine, scary and void of emotions. His nostrils flared slightly, as though he could sense my fear—or worse, my scent. My blood ran cold, and a shiver cascaded down my spine.
No matter how much I scrubbed my body during every bath, his scent clung to me like a curse, buried deep in my blood—a cruel reminder of the day he marked me and shattered my world. I hated him with every fiber of my being. I cursed him every single day for stealing the life I had once dreamed of, for reducing my future to ashes.
