The pressure of Rhys's fingers around my throat made it difficult to breathe. I lay beneath him on the bed, paralyzed with fear as his crimson eyes burned into mine. This wasn't the rejection I'd endured before—this was something darker, more primal.
"You think you can seduce me with this body?" he scoffed, his gaze sweeping over me with cold dismissal. "Your little makeover might fool others, but it doesn't work on me."
His words cut deeper than any physical pain could. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I struggled not to let them fall. But the dam broke, and hot tears streamed down my face.
"Really?" Rhys sneered, loosening his grip slightly. "Crying now? Do you think that will work on me?"
I couldn't hold back anymore. All the pain, humiliation, and heartache I'd endured exploded out of me.
