Damien’s POV
The men kept shoveling without pause, their movements steady.
Alex was chest-deep now, his arms pinned at his sides by the dirt already piled around him. His once-arrogant face was streaked with sweat, tears, and grime, his eyes bulging with raw terror.
“Damien!” he screamed, his voice cracking. “Please! Stop this! I am begging you! On my knees… if I could move, I’d be on my knees! I did not do it! I swear on my mother’s grave! I drugged her but I did not touch her! Sofia and Marcus came before I could! I lied! I lied to hurt you! Please, stop the dirt! I cannot breathe! The weight… it’s crushing me!”
I stood motionless at the edge of the hole, arms crossed over my chest. Inside, the rage still burned hot, Elena’s face flashed through my mind, the way she had trusted the w
