It’s been months since that night, since the moment I thought I could outrun what had already consumed me. I thought I could bury the truth, lock it away like an unwanted secret, but secrets have a way of clawing their way out, no matter how deep you bury them.

I never saw him coming.

That was the thing about Rex—he didn’t need to chase. He never had to. He was always right there, watching, waiting, and he knew me better than I knew myself. He knew the moment I would crack. And the moment I would break.

I stood at the edge of the balcony, the city lights flickering below me like a million tiny stars. But there was nothing peaceful about it. It wasn’t beautiful anymore. Not with Rex’s presence in my blood. Not with his touch still burning in my veins.

I didn’t hear him approach, but I felt him—felt the shift in the air as he stepped closer, so close his warmth consumed me. I didn’t turn around. I didn’t need to.

“Evelyn,” his voice was a low whisper against my ear, like a promise. “You know this isn’t over.”

I clenched my fists, the anger inside me bubbling to the surface, the years of torment from my stepdad flaring up like a firestorm. “You don’t own me, Rex,” I spat.

But even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie.

His hand gripped my wrist, and in an instant, I was spun around to face him. His eyes, dark and filled with something unreadable, held me captive. I couldn’t breathe. He was so close, the air between us thick with something dangerous.

“I don’t need to own you, Evelyn,” he said, voice hushed but firm. “You’ve already given yourself to me. Whether you want to admit it or not.”

I wanted to fight him, push him away. But his touch—damn it—his touch made my body tremble in ways I couldn’t control.

“You’ll never escape me,” he continued, his voice low and confident, his lips grazing my cheek. “Not now. Not ever.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but they were not tears of fear. They were tears of understanding. Because no matter how much I fought it, I knew one thing: I was already his. Completely, irrevocably.

And I wasn’t sure if I hated that or craved it.