She stared at him, a flicker of disbelief still evident in her eyes. “You’re crazy,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
She couldn’t hide the revulsion creeping into her tone.
Rowan smiled, his expression both dark and possessive. “Yes, I am. Crazy about you, Crimson.” He leaned down, his lips brushing against her forehead in an unnervingly gentle kiss, but it just chilled her to the bone.
Amara turned her face to the side, refusing to let him see the conflict raging inside her.
She had come here for answers, but now she was faced with something much darker than she had anticipated.
The man standing before her wasn’t the Rowan she had started to believe in, the one she thought had a gentle heart beneath the ruthless exterior.
This man was dangerous, and he seemed entirely unapologetic about it.
“Since a month ago,” Rowan began, his voice calm, though the words carried a deadly weight, “Alessandro had been going behind my back. His men killed some of my best men, Amara. He took over some of my business deals in the past two weeks. And last week…” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “He tried to assault Valerie.”
Amara’s heart stopped. She felt her stomach twist as the words sunk in. “Valerie?” she asked, her voice faint.
Her mind raced, trying to process everything.
Rowan’s eyes flickered with something he couldn’t quite place, and a cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Was that jealousy he detected? “Yes, Valerie,” he repeated, watching her carefully, as if gauging her reaction. “She’s one of my business partners, and the daughter of the previous leader. Alessandro tried to assault her.”
Amara shook her head, struggling to comprehend. “Alessandro wouldn’t do that.”
Rowan’s gaze hardened. “Do you really not know Alessandro’s true nature, Amara? You know his reputation as a playboy, but you think that’s where it ends?”
“I know his reputation,” Amara snapped, her voice rising, “but he wouldn’t sink that low. He wouldn’t…”
Rowan leaned forward, his expression darkening. “That’s where you’re being naive, Crimson. Valerie was saved because I, and Raven, were there. Do you realize what could’ve happened? She’s barely nineteen. And Valerie isn’t his first target. There have been countless women, Amara. Women who weren’t as fortunate.”
Her breath hitched. She had known Alessandro’s reputation with women, but this?
Sexual assault? The thought was too horrifying to bear.
She couldn’t picture it.
Not him.
“Tell me you’re lying,” she whispered, desperation seeping into her voice.
She wanted this to be some sick joke, something that could be undone, erased.
But Rowan’s eyes remained cold, unflinching. “I’m not.”
Amara’s world began to crumble, her chest tightening as she processed his words.
She didn’t know how to react.
She felt like she was suffocating, the weight of it all crushing down on her.
She could have handled Alessandro’s playboy tendencies, his arrogance, but this?
She couldn’t.
As a woman herself, if Alessandro or anyone had done this in front of her, she would have killed him on the spot without a second thought.
There was no defending that.
A strange sense of relief washed over her.. a horrible, twisted relief that the man she was supposed to marry was dead.
But it made her sick at the same time.
Rowan watched her, his expression unreadable as she tried to gather herself.
“I had no plans to kill him at first, honestly,” Rowan continued, his voice steady as if he were discussing business rather than a murder.
“But Raven would have done it sooner or later. And your engagement to Alessandro? That was the final push.”
Amara felt nauseous. Her engagement… Her life had been spiraling out of control, and she hadn’t even realized how deeply entrenched she was in this dark, violent world.
The guilt weighed heavily on her. She hadn’t loved Alessandro, but she never wanted him dead.
Now, she was caught between the reality of his monstrous actions and the man she once knew, who no longer existed.
“I don’t know how to react, Rowan,” she said quietly, her voice hollow, almost defeated.
Rowan reached for her hand, his touch unexpectedly gentle. “That’s okay,” he whispered. “I understand.”
Amara didn’t pull her hand away.
She was too drained, too lost in the whirlwind of emotions.
Rowan led her to the couch, sitting her down gently.
She didn’t fight him.
Her mind was still reeling, trying to come to terms with everything he had told her.
“Sit here,” Rowan instructed softly.
He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, returning with a glass of water.
He handed it to her, watching her closely as she gulped it down, trying to calm herself.
“Drink slowly,” Rowan cautioned. “You’ll choke if you’re not careful.”
Amara nodded absently, her thoughts still miles away.
She couldn’t think straight.
How had her life come to this?
She had thought she knew who Rowan was.
Now, she wasn’t sure if she could trust anyone.
Rowan sat beside her, his hand brushing lightly against her arm. “How’s Vaughn doing?” he asked, as if they could just go back to normal conversation after all of this.
Amara blinked, at the sudden shift of topic. “He’s fine,” she managed to say, her voice still strained.
Rowan nodded, his eyes softening for a moment. “He can come visit anytime. I mean it.”
Amara looked at him, unsure of what to say.
She knew Rowan had a soft spot for Vaughn, but now that she had seen this side of him, she didn’t know what to think.
Could she trust him with her son?
Could she trust him at all?
Before she could say anything, they heard footsteps approaching.
Rowan’s head snapped up, and Amara followed his gaze.
Harvey and Kyle entered the room, their expressions tense.
“What happened?” Rowan asked, his tone immediately shifting to one of authority.
Harvey glanced at Amara, hesitating. Kyle seemed equally unsure.
“Talk,” Rowan ordered, his patience wearing thin.
Harvey spoke first. “Another deal is gone, bro.”
Rowan’s jaw clenched. “Who’s behind it?”
“It’s Raven,” Harvey said.
Rowan cursed under his breath. “Raven Blackwood.”
Harvey nodded.
Rowan’s frustration was palpable.
“There’s more,” Kyle added.
Rowan’s eyes darkened. “Go on.”
Kyle hesitated but finally spoke. “Raven is marrying Valerie Thorne this weekend. Here’s the invitation, boss.” He handed Rowan a card.
Rowan took it, his eyes scanning the invitation before tossing it aside. “Of course… How am I not surprised..”
He looked back at Amara, his tone lighter but no less intense. “Would you like to attend their wedding with me?”
Amara shook her head, still overwhelmed. “I’m not from your business circle, Rowan. I don’t belong there.”
Rowan chuckled, though there was a darkness in his eyes. “But you’re with me.”
Amara’s lips pressed into a thin line. “No, Rowan. I’m not.”
His chuckle deepened, a sound both amused and dangerous. “Come with me. Then you can see my circle there.”