Chapter 75

• I stepped back, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I tried to appear calm and confident—Hadrian's mark was supposed to be my shield but fear gnawed at me. Vikram loomed over me, his imposing frame radiating a quiet menace. Standing this close, I couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling that he could crush me with a single hand if he wanted to.
• “How about a drink, beautiful?” he asked, his tone dripping with arrogance. Without waiting for my reply, he strode to a nearby table and returned with two glasses of prosecco.
• He handed me one, and I stared at the golden liquid with suspicion.