Chapter 177

• I turned toward the door, my pulse hammering as an impossibly tall figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor. As he stepped into my cell, I instinctively retreated, my bare feet sinking into the still-warm pool of Leif’s blood. Despite the suffocating circumstances, my body knew better than to let him too close. His presence alone was enough to smother the air in the room, thickening it with something dark and dangerous—something that made every breath a struggle.
• Then, the light revealed him. A man with unruly, wavy black hair and piercing green eyes threaded with flecks of gold, his gaze luminous against the deep olive of his skin. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline only enhanced the sheer intimidation he exuded.
• He didn’t so much as glance at Leif’s lifeless form on the floor. His eyes stayed on me, watching with an intensity that made my skin prickle. He took a step forward, and I reflexively stepped back. A smirk tugged at his full, pale-pink lips—a knowing, wicked curve that sent an unwelcome shiver through me. He kept closing the distance, moving with the kind of ease that spoke of control, of inevitability. And then my back met the wall.