ANNA’S POV

    The guy didn’t even wait a second longer. He bowed quicklyb, /bmuttering, “Pleaseb, /bforgive me,” before scurrying off like his life depended on it.

    I just stood there, frozen, my brows furrowing. People always did that around Ryan, and even though I was seeing it more than once, it still threw me off every single time. The respect, the fear, the way their whole demeanor changed the moment he appeared, it was as if he was someone much bigger than I really knew. Sure, I knew he was the heir to the family’s business, but bnow/b, with what I’d just found out from Dad and Mom, that he was also the future Alpha of the packb, /bbit /bfelt like my entire life had been thrown into some new reality that bI /bwasn’t even sure I was ready for.

    Ryan reached for me, but I moved away quickly, refusing his touch, band /bI walked straight off the dance floor. My chest bwas /btight, my head pounding, and all I wanted was air.

    Of course, he followed after meb, /bcalling my name, his voice echoing through the hall as if he wasn’t beven /btrying to keep things private.

    I scanned the ce, desperate for somewhere to hide, and when I saw a group of girls slipping into thediesb‘ /brestroom, bI /bwent straight after them. He wouldn’t dare follow me there. At leastb, /bthat was what I thought.

    I was wrong.

    Before bI /bcould even push the damn bdoor /bshut, his foot slid between it, stopping me cold.

    “Ryan!” bI /bsnapped, my chest rising and falling fast.

    He didn’t even look the slightest bit guilty. He grabbed my hand and dragged me right out of, thedies band /binto the men’s restroom insteadb, /bhis grip unshakable.

    bI /bripped my hand free the moment he let bgo/bb, /bring bat /bhim with all the fire bI /bcould muster, but he bstood /bbthere /bas if my anger didn’t even scratch him. Calm, firmb, /bunbothered. Then, without hesitation, he locked the door behind us, band /bbthe /bbsound /bwas making my stomach twist because now it bwas /bjust usb, /bbno /bbone /belse nowhere bto /brun.

    “Why are byou /bavoiding me, Annab?/bb” /bHis voice was blow/bb, /bbdeep/b, the same tone I’d heard before when he sounded as if something inside him wasn’t fully human anymore. It bwas /bscaryb, /bstrongb, /bmanding

    I tried bto /bpush past him, heading bfor /bthe bdoor/b, but in one swift move he yanked me back and pinned me there insteadb, /bhis body caging me against the cold bwood/b. His face was bso /bclose bto /bmine, and my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could feel it.

    “Leave me, bRyan/bb!/bb” /bI bshouted/b, struggling against him, but he bdidn’t /bmoveb, /bdidn’t budge an inch. Instead, his eyes locked on mineb, /bsharp and searchingb, /bas if he was desperate bto /bunderstand. “Why are you suddenly avoiding me? What the hell did I do?!”

    “What did byou /bdob?/b” My bvoice /bbroke with disbelief. “You seriously bdon’t /bknow what you did? You ignored meb, /bRyan! Three fucking days you left me on read, and then when I finally saw you again, you were on a date with Sophie. bSophie/b! Your betrothed So yeah, go to her and leave me bthe /bhell alone!”

    bHis /bjaw clenched tightb, /bhis eyes flickering with something dark before he exhaled hard. “So bthat’s why /bbyou’ve /bbbeen /bavoiding me? Because I bleft /bbyou /bon read?b” /bHe shook his head quicklyb, /balmost as if he couldn’t believe what bI’d /bjust said, and then his tone shiftedb, /bsoftening in a way that bwas /bquite enough to make my knees weak. “Anna. I bwasn’t /bignoring byou/b. I bswear/bb, /bbI /bwasn’t. I bwas /bon a business tripb, /bba /breally packed one. I barely had time to breathe, let alone touch my phone. I didn’t beven /brealize untilter that my iMessage bwasn’t /bing through. My phone got lost. I had bno /bbway /bbto /breach byou/b.b” /b

    I froze for a second, staring at bhim/bb, /btrying to read if he was blying/bb, /bbbut /bthen he reached into his bpocket /band bpulled /bout ba /bbbrand- /bnew phoneb, /ban iPhone 17 Pro bMax/bb, /bbas /bif he was making his bpoint/b. “bI /bwould never leave byou /bhanging on bpurpose/b. bNever/bb./b”

    43

    The phone looked real enough. And his tone, God, his tone was so genuine that it made my chest ache. But I wasn’t done, not

    yet.

    “Then what about Sophie?” I demanded, my voice sharp. “Why did you go on a date with her?b” /b

    His jaw ticked again, and he let out a bitterugh that wasn’t funny at all. “That wasn’t a date. She told me her dad wanted to meet with me, and I thought it was the right time to end things once and for all. I didn’t know it was a setup. a trick. And then you saw me there, and you were pissed, and I get it, I swear I get it, but it wasn’t what byou /bthought, Anna. Not even close.”

    My lips parted, but before I could say anything, he reached for my waist, pulling me closer, and his mouth brushed mine so softly it nearly undid me. “I missed you,” he whispered, his breath warm against my lips. “bI /bwould never ignore byou/b. Especially not now you have my mark.”

    His mouth dropped lower, pressing softb, /bslow kisses against my corbone, right where his mark was still burning bon /bmy skin. “So fucking beautiful. It looks so good on you.”

    I shivered, my body betraying me as a little giggle slipped out.

    “Stopb, /bRyan,” I mutteredb, /btrying to push him back, but bI /bwas smiling despite myself.

    He giggled too, the sound was so boyish, so unlike the heavy tension in the room.

    “God, I love byour /bgiggles,” he said against my skin, and then his mouth was on mine, kissing me deeplyb, /bhungrilyb, /bas if he had been starved for me these past days. His hands held me firm, like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go. “I missed byou /bso much,” he murmured between kisses. b“/bYou don’t even know. I couldn’t get byou /bout of my head while I was in those meetings. bYou /bwere all over me.‘

    I let him kiss me, let him pour his desperation into me, but I pushed gently against his chest, breathless. b“/bbNot /bhere, Ryan. This is the men’s room.”

    His lips lingered over mine, his voice huskyb, /bblow/b, as if he was almost begging. b“/bJust a little quickieb,/bb” /bhe whispered. “Please, Anna. I’ve missed byou /bso fucking much. I’ll be so fast, I swear.”