He carried me into a waiting room and carefully set me down on a soft sofa, his every movement gentle, too gentle. I didn't understand why. Men like him didn't do things without a reason.
He sat across from me, elbows resting on his knees, eyes dragging over my face like he was memorizing every inch of it. I could feel the weight of his gaze, but I didn't bother to hide my boredom. I was just about to speak when he beat me to it.
"I know you're confused about who I am, Bella," he began, his tone flat, unreadable. "So I'll tell you."
He paused, and then a slow, smug smirk crawled across his lips. "Your mate and I-we've been rivals in business for years. I found out he had you too." His voice carried a strange amusement. "But what I didn't expect was that he'd waste you. Treat you like tr
