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