Page 70 of The Don's Forbidden Obsession

She was resilient.

I had to hand it to her.

She had more nerve than anyone I knew.

Walking away, I sighed deeply. I knew what I was about to do was complete madness.

Stupidity.

As soon as I approached the house she shared with Dominic, a sense of unease washed over me. I knew the risks involved in what I was doing, but I couldn't help myself.

I remembered my mom’s retelling of her and Dad’s story.

I remembered she said having clean clothes was something that made her feel human. It had been days since Annabelle had gotten clean or changed her clothes.

Now, I could have just gone and bought some clothes.

But a selfish part of me wanted to do a little rifling through Dominic’s things while I was at it.

Sneaking into her bedroom window, I found myself surrounded by familiarity.

It was strange.

I had only been there once, but it felt like I’d seen it a dozen times.

Small, personal touches.

Photos, yearbooks, ribbons, and trophies.

Little stuffed animals.

Small glimpses of her life.

I smiled faintly before getting annoyed with myself.

What the hell was I smiling at?

I gathered an armful of clothes. A couple of T-shirts. Yoga pants.

I wasn’t going to bother with the underwear.

I wasn’t going to be accused of being a pervert.

Just as I reached for the doorknob to venture toward Dominic’s room, a blast erupted and a tall, bearded man barreled through the door, lunging at me with a knife.

Instinct took over, and although I didn’t evade the initial strike, I managed to throw myself out of the window, knowing I needed to leave the scene quickly.

Pain shot through my arm, the blade still in it.

26

ANNABELLE

I watchedas the door swung open, revealing Luca's towering figure filled with an indomitable rage. The room seemed to shrink in the face of his seething presence. My heart raced.

He had never been more intimidating than at that moment.

His breath was ragged, and his teeth were gritted in anger.

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