he door long after

Cr

in his brain like a shard of glass, sharp and impossibl

glass to his lips and let

look at him like that half-terrified, half-fascinated. S

look in

made his chest ache in a way he hadn't felt in a while. Like something

ttered into a thousand pieces, just lik

into wealth, yes. But n

ped in Chanel. She married his father for power. Got

en his fathe

s first stock certificate and a signed letter

looked him in t

e not

at. Cold. Br

rshipped, studied, trying to

ther had spat. "And now,

ped being a son. He bec

ck. The mansion, the butlers, the summer y

unless it was business. And

etimes, still

d like that, Xav. I loved your

o love. She knew how to perform. How to dress grief in d

r one night of pleasure, and still h

e was Elo

was seven. His first kiss

ng else worked. Knew where he hid his whiskey and how he hated

ew how to d

im breathless... then went to a party and let his best fri

with Mason fo

f*ckin

ill called him when she was sad. Still slept in his bed. Said Mason

ime, he let her

t her

"Why don't you jus

his chest, and whispered

man I can keep. You're the

ld've h

u stupid and lust

love. He did control. He

sleepovers, no texting, no attachm

* to feel anymore

toni

d someone as much

a slaughterhouse. So modest. So unsure. So pu

't shrink. Didn't

to be anywhere but there but a

d she said sh

as g

he wanted

Any woman could

nnocence made him feel d

ck and he

d to taste it. Br

st her

rules. Her f

nd through his hair, a

d outside. Cold,

d out hi

el security

pa

Summit. I want names. Especially one Ava Creed. Student. Pro

her

ly. No re

hun

st. It was curiosity. And Xavier Ha

he was a billionaire. She'd lo

n one a

that pissed him off m

weren't meant to be lo

meant to