~VALENTINA MONROE~
My gaze tracked his every movement as he took his seat among the men, and the heat drained from my body, leaving ice in its place.
The memories I had tried to suppress crashed violently into me—the guilt, the pain, the wish that I had done things differently, the slow acceptance that the boy I destroyed had died long ago.
But here he was. Alive. And somehow far more terrifying than death itself.
My pulse stumbled hard.
He had changed.
God.... he had.
The last time I saw Kael, he had been dangerous, lean, restless, burning with rebellion and ambition. But the man that just walked into Paragon looked like something forged entirely for violence.
Broader shoulders strained beneath the dark fabric of his suit. Power clung to him effortlessly, heavy and undeniable, the kind that made rooms shift around men like him without them ever asking. His features had sharpened with age into something dangerously beautiful.
Even from a distance, I could see there was no softness left in him.
Not a trace.
He looked like the kind of king the underworld created when they wanted people to be afraid.
My stomach twisted as a memory flashed through my mind. I had betrayed him and cost him everything. Not just his empire but his mother, Elena, had gotten caught in the crossfire too. That guilt had clung to me for the past eight years.
I had done that to him.
Maybe not intentionally. Maybe not knowingly. But I had still handed my father every piece of him like a fool too desperate for approval to understand what she was destroying.
And now the consequences of my stupidity sat twenty feet away looking like vengeance made flesh.
He hadn't taken notice of me. Not yet. I should run. Every instinct in me screamed at me to disappear but my foot remained rooted to the floor, curiosity tangling with the fear that was exploding in my veins.
I couldn’t stop staring.
Something about him pulled attention naturally, violently, like gravity itself bent in his direction.
The other women noticed him too.
Of course they did.
I watched one of the dancers straighten subtly when he passed, her expression shifting with interest. Another woman near the bar stared openly at him with parted lips. Kael ignored all of it completely, his focus fixed on the men speaking around him while one tattooed hand adjusted the expensive watch resting against his wrist.
The sight of that hand nearly unraveled me further.
I remembered those hands.
I remembered them bruised from underground fights. Warm against my skin. Gentle in ways a man like Kael should never have known how to be.
But I could sense there was nothing gentle about him anymore.
The darkness inside him was visible now. Not metaphorically. Literally visible. It sat inside his expression like something alive, turning his beauty into something lethal instead of inviting.
And still—
Still my heart reacted treacherously.
Then movement beside him caught my attention. One of the men next to him glanced around casually before slipping something into a drink. A pill. Then he handed it to Kael who seemed not to notice and took it easily.
My entire body went rigid.
Years ago, my father had taught me not to drink during meetings with my foes for it was the quickest way to die. Kael was seated with Theodore’s men. Of course they wanted him dead. Theodore took control of the conglomerate after my father, and I could bet my life that Kael still hadn’t submitted to his rule or joined his syndicate with the others. He had refused back then under my fathers rule— it was the whole reason why my father used me as bait for him. What I couldn't understand was why Kael was seated amongst his enemies now and was trustful enough to accept a drink from one of them.
From my experience, whatever it was that was slipped inside his drink was poison.
I stood abruptly from my seat before my brain could even catch up. Ronan cursed beside me but I barely heard him as my mind was reeling with different thoughts.
Not again.
I couldn’t watch Kael die again.
Before fear could stop me, I turned and walked straight toward the stage, shedding my robe and leaving the lingerie set beneath.
The music shifted the moment I stepped beneath the bright lights. Cheers erupted instantly around the room as recognition spread.
'Wildflower.' The men echoed.
I forced my shaking body to move while every instinct screamed that what I was doing was insane.
Kael would kill me if he recognized me.
But that was exactly what I was betting on—him recognising me, so I could draw him away from his companions and help him. Depending on the poison, he could drop dead at any minute.
I danced, allowing my body to follow the rhythm of the music. But this time felt different from every other night I had stepped onto the stage as one of Paragon’s midnight ballerina. This time I was dancing in front of the man who no doubt had hatred for me the most.
Then it happened.
Kael looked up, his gaze landing straight on me. And the oxygen seemed to seize from my lungs. At first, there was nothing behind his gaze. Then I saw the exact moment recognition settled in.
The glass in his hand stilled halfway to his mouth while something terrifying moved across his face. Rage. Pure rage. It darkened his expression so quickly it almost looked inhuman, swallowing every trace of calm.
He knew it was me. Even after eight years. Even beneath the blonde hair, the heavy makeup and false identity. He knew exactly who I was.
Hatred burned visibly in his eyes now, cold enough to freeze blood. I stumbled slightly through the dance before forcing myself to recover. Panic exploded violently inside me as his gaze remained locked onto me with predatory intensity, unmoving, unblinking.
Then he stood.
The movement alone sent fear crashing through my chest.
I turned immediately and disappeared from the stage, pushing through the velvet curtains toward the darker private halls beyond. My pulse thundered wildly beneath my skin while I searched desperately for somewhere to hide.
Because if Kael was following me... that felt worse than being chased by a wild animal.
I could barely find a safe haven, before a hand wrapped violently around my wrist, pulling me backwards.
My body slammed hard against the wall, pain shooting up my spine, and there he was. Right in front of me.
Kael invaded my space, standing barely inches away, hard muscle, and fury. One of his hands pinned my wrists above my head while the other pressed a gun coldly against my throat.
My breath caught.
God, he smelled good.
Dark whisky. Sharp cologne. Danger.
His face hovered inches from mine, devastatingly beautiful and absolutely lethal.
“Hello, Valentina.”
His voice came out deeper and rougher than I remembered, the kind of voice that didn’t need to rise to sound dangerous. Eight years ago it used to wrap around my name softly.
Now it sounded like a death sentence.