He is the reason why I smile Again

ver left mine. The way he studied me felt like a thousand needles pricking my skin-sharp, intense, and completely unnerving. His eyes we

within me, a flicker of something dark and powerful stirred. Maybe it was the pain, the years of being humiliated and b

the sting of the blood on my lips and the bruises on my body, the idea of making Liam pay, of show

me from my dark thoughts. His words, quiet but thick

ing from my lips before I could stop it. There was a part of me that didn't want to know the answer. A part of me that was still

. The movement was subtle, but there was something predatory in it, like a lion eyeing its

echoed in the silence between us. "You think you can just offer me those things?" I scoffed, my voi

r down my spine. "Not offer, Rose. I'll make it happen. I can give you the mea

he weight of them settling over me, making the room feel smaller, tighter. The temp

eve him. Desperately. But I had learned the hard way not to trust people. Trus

d, my voice stronger now, though my throat was dry, as th

e through my body. "No catch," he said, his voice a low, almost hypnoti

Was I that desperate? The thought rattled me, but the question felt almost absurd. After

sbelief. "Why would I trust someone like you?

lash, the intensity of his gaze increasing to a point where I felt like I was

al's voice was like ice, his words cutting through the tension. But despite the col

ry aware of how small and insignificant I was in this moment. Hi

s: you're nothing without me. You're a pawn in a game you never a

rying to convince myself that I had some control, some power over my life. But deep down, I knew he was right. Li

soft now, but the edge still lingered. "I'm offering you power. The chanc

neath them. I could see the game he was playing, the offer he was making. He wasn't

o?" I whispered, my

them. But it was too late. I had already crosse

d upward into that same dark smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "You'll become my ally. We'll t

had never been one to seek power or control. I had always been the victim, the broken one. But now, something was awakening inside

ning closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "You've been broken long e

iding behind my pain, my brokenness, that the idea of embracing someth

or the first time in years, I felt like I was seeing a way out, a way to reclaim my

dible. My heart was pounding in my ch

s hand to me, and for a moment, I just stared at it. The gesture was simple,

lingering on me a moment longer than necessary

ent, I didn't care. All I knew wa