Page 36 of Hunter

“You don’t have to thank me, Sophia. You’re stronger than you think.”

His words settle in my chest as I hang up, leaving me staring out at the dark ocean. The waves look endless, their rhythm relentless, and for a moment, I feel like I’m drowning all over again.

I shove my phone back into my pocket and look around, expecting to see Maxim somewhere close by. He’s always hovering, always watching, like an anchor I can’t decide whether I need or want to cut loose.

But he’s not here.

A flicker of panic claws at my chest. He wouldn’t leave me, would he? No. I shake my head. That’s ridiculous. He’s probably trying to give me space.

Still, the voice in my head whispers darkly, he’s gone. You finally pushed him too far.

The thought sends my heart into a tailspin. The air feels colder and heavier. My stomach twists. I’ve been fighting to prove I don’t need him, but the idea of him leaving me alone here, hours from home, fills me with dread.

I stand abruptly, scanning the area. My voice trembles in my head. He wouldn’t leave you. Would he?

I can’t shake the gnawing doubt. I need to find him.

Walking back through the doors, I’m greeted by a waiter who offers me a polite smile and gestures for me to follow him. I trail behind, curious, as he weaves through the elegant bustle of the restaurant. The clinking of glasses and murmured conversations fade as he leads me to a back room, away from the noise.

When he opens the door, my breath catches in my throat.

The sight before me is nothing short of magical. My heartbeat stutters then races as I take it all in. Hundreds of fairy lights hang from the ceiling, their soft glow shimmering like fireflies caught in an eternal dance. Two lines of tiny tea lights form a delicate path toward the table, where a dozen red roses sit in a crystal vase at the center, regal and striking. Scattered across the floor are hundreds of rose petals, their crimson hue vibrant against the polished wood.

I step inside, the air fragrant with roses and something warm and musky that’s distinctly him. My throat thickens, a lump of emotion forming as my chest tightens with love, gratitude, and something so profound, I can barely name it.

Slowly, I make my way to the table. Leaning in, I close my eyes and inhale the sweet, earthy scent of the roses. It feels grounding, like everything in this moment exists only for me. A smile tugs at my lips, soft and involuntary. I can’t believe he did this.

“Hi,” his deep, husky voice comes from behind me, wrapping around me like a warm embrace.

I whirl around to find Maxim leaning against the doorframe, watching me. His intense gaze feels like a caress, as if I’m the only thing in the room worth looking at.

He strides toward me in just a few steps, pulling me into his arms before I can even think. With effortless strength, he liftsme, spinning me in a circle. A laugh bursts out of me, light and unrestrained as the butterflies in my stomach take flight. For a moment, it feels like I’m floating, untethered by the weight of the world.

“This is beautiful, Maxim,” I whisper breathlessly when he sets me back on the ground. My voice is tinged with awe, softer than I expected, as if the words themselves can’t do justice to how I feel.

A faint smile curves his lips, his blue eyes glinting with satisfaction. “Let’s eat,” he says simply, his tone deep but tender.

With gentle hands, he guides me to the table and pulls out my chair. The gesture feels so natural yet so intentional, like every move he makes tonight has been carefully planned for me. As he takes his seat across from me, I can’t help but think this feels like a scene straight out of one of my favorite romance novels.

He has outdone himself tonight.

FIFTEEN

MAXIM

Forgoing the idea of chasing after her, I redirect my focus to the bastard who dared mess with what’s mine. Sophia will be fine. She has five of my best men shadowing her every move. She needs space after our disagreement, and I can’t risk making her feel suffocated.

My phone buzzes with a notification. Sophia is receiving a call.

Before I returned her phone, I installed an app that alerts me to her activity. A text, a call—I see it all. This one’s from Bobby, her therapist friend.

I did a deep dive into him the moment she asked him to call her. At first, it infuriated me that she’d turn to someone else instead of me. But when I saw his qualifications and their long history since college, I grudgingly admitted it might help. As much as it irks me, all that matters is her healing.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll sit idle.

I push open the door to the private room the manager generously offered me, my gaze landing on the pathetic excuse for a man tied to a chair in the center. He’s perched on a plastic sheet, his panicked eyes widening as I step in. At the sight of me, he lurches, the chair tipping and sending him crashing sideways.

Pathetic.

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