Page 126 of Possession

Ashley clenches her jaw, her nostrils flaring, but she has nothing left to say.

Rachel shifts uncomfortably. Maya mutters something under her breath, and just like that, they retreat, their heels clicking sharply against the marble floor as they disappear into the crowd.

I watch them go, my pulse still pounding, but it’s not from fear.

It’s from victory.

A slow smirk tugs at my lips.

Hunter suddenly steps beside me, slipping an arm around my waist. “I could’ve handled that for you, you know.”

I tilt my head, looking up at him. “I know.”

His lips brush against my temple, his pride in me as clear as the stars in his steel-gray eyes.

“But I didn’t need you to.”

I did this.

I fought for this.

I deserve this.

And for the first time, I truly believe it.

He grins, nodding. “No, you didn’t, and it was sexy as hell. If you weren’t the star of this show tonight, I’d take you to the bathroom and fuck you properly.”

“Later, Mr. Middleton.” I wink.

I turn back toward my painting, taking it in—every brushstroke, every choice, every piece of me embedded into the canvas.

It’s not just a painting.

It’s proof.

Proof that I belong.

That I’m not just a student.

I am an artist.

And this?

This is just the beginning.

Chapter 42

Keeping The Peace

HUNTER

Power is about perception.

And tonight, I need every motherfucker in this room to perceive me exactly the way I want them to.

As a man who is unshaken.

As a man who is still standing.

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