Blood and Petals

never truly slept, but the streets felt quieter now, it bathed in the dim glow of streetlights. Emilia stood at her flower st

s som

it the mome

smirk that had irritated her earlier was gone, something unreadable took its place. His presence unsettled her, but she refus

with slow, deliberate steps. Making the air between them crack

lled voice, but there was something else bene

f you're here to gloat

his head. "I wasn't aware I n

ecause Adrian Lombardi, arrogant billionaire and

ayed on his lip

had spent years keeping her life separate from men like him and from the likes of h

how the little space separated them now

t, there was something in his expression that shif

, there was a sudden voic

ili

his hands folded in front of him like a silent warning. The old priest had always been a presence in her

mething l

ffened at the sight of the priest. "Father

een the two of them before settl

owned. "A

. Then, softly, he spok

ll. The noise of the city, the hum

fa

trying to piece together f

, but she caught the way his body wen

ws som

to Father Gabriel.

"Come by the chur

her heartbeat became lo

Adrian for a second before he tur

ssed against her chest, but she forced herself to push it aside. She had spent

ian. "You looked... un

, it had a flicker of something he was trying to keep buried. "You should be ca

nging him. "Are you saying tha

long pause b

this time, it didn't reach

isappearing into the night. And Emilia was

pped the edge of her flowe

she would go to t

truth. About what truly

destroyed e