Page 28 of Arianna

Same as storms, and the man a few feet away from me speaking quietly to his employee, is surely one of the most dangerous storms I will ever face.

After we landed, I was brought here. To a beach house in Malibu. The place is small, and nothing like I would imagine a man like him to live in or own.

The place is not luxurious—it is quiet and away from the crowds of this city. No, it is not somewhere I would envision a man like him living in. It does not quite scream egotistical bastard.

Sighing, I stick my feet in the sand and take in everything around me. The pink sunset looks ethereal. The sun is setting to later allow the moon room to breathe. The mix of colors blend in together, making a beautiful shade of pink before night falls.

The soft waves break apart once they meet the shore and the serene breeze blows my hair gently.

This is new to me.

I have never been to the beach.

Hell, I have never been anywhere outside of Detroit. The only traveling I ever did was in my dreams. Every time I closed my eyes and wished to be away from home.

Every time the whip hit my skin, or my father landed a blow, I would fly away to another place.

A place of beauty and peace.

A place like this.

Therefore, yes, I should be plotting all the ways I could free myself from this man and whatever he intends to do with me, but for the first time in my life, I do something for myself and don’t think of anyone else.

I breathe.

After years of this constant feeling of dread and pain, while I drowned in nothing but hate, I breathe in and laugh like a maniac.

I laugh, and I cry.

Not caring if Sebastian Kenton, my enemy, sees me.

Just for this moment, I allow myself to be human.

How odd…

I found peace in this fucked-up situation.

Once I am done, I dry my eyes as if it never happened.

As if I didn’t just break down in front of the sea and the sunset to witness a moment of vulnerability, I would never share with anyone else.

I move closer until my feet are touching the water.

Memories of dreaming of this moment with my sisters try to take me under, but I stop them before they hurt me.

I was powerless for a long time, but I will never return to that place.

Never again.

I am so deep inside my head that I miss the moment Sebastian left his bodyguard’s side and joined me.

I don’t look his way. I keep staring at the line where the sky kisses the sea and concentrate on the blissful sensation of the cold water touching my bare feet.

“Stunning, isn’t it?” His husky voice is a whisper, but I manage to hear him. I want to ignore him. I should not give him a second of my time because he does not deserve it, yet, for some odd reason, I feel the need to hear his voice again. His tone is smooth and commanding, but it also makes me calm. I cannot stand it, yet I want to listen to him just as much as the sound of the waves.

Serenity.

How is it possible to feel both enraged and calmed by this stranger’s presence?

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