"Boss!" Viktor's voice. He's pulling at my arms. "Boss, let go! You're going to kill him!"
I squeeze harder.
"AXEL!"
Viktor's shout breaks through the rage. I release Leo. He collapses, coughing and gasping.
"Get out of my sight," I say quietly.
Leo looks up at me, hand on his throat, and there's genuine fear in his eyes now.
"You're making a mistake."
"The mistake was thinking you were worth saving." I turn my back on him. "Pack your things. You're leaving tomorrow."
"Where am I supposed to go?"
"I don't care. Just get out of this estate. Out of this city. And stay the fuck away from Aurora."
He leaves, slamming the door behind him.
I stand there, breathing hard, knuckles bleeding.
What have I done?
I just ended the engagement. Destroyed the alliance I worked so hard to build. Threw away my relationship with Luca.
For Aurora.
But I can't let Leo have her. Can't watch her marry a man who assaulted her, who plans to hurt her, who sees her as property to share.
I'm in too deep.
That dangerous possessiveness Viktor warned me about? It's fully taken over.
Aurora is mine.
I don't care what it costs. Don't care who I have to fight or what I have to burn down.
She's mine, and I'm keeping her.
Even if it destroys everything.
14
AURORA
"Okay, don't freak out, but we're staging an intervention."
Chloe's face fills my phone screen, but she's not alone. Tiana's there, and they're both sitting in what looks like Chloe's apartment, a whiteboard behind them covered in notes.
"What—"
"An intervention," Chloe repeats. "Because you've been radio silent for two days, which means either you're dead or something major happened."
"We made a list," Tiana adds, holding up a notebook. "Of possible scenarios. Ranked by probability."
Despite everything, I almost laugh. "You made a list?"
