He Told Me I Meant Nothing, Then Destroyed Half of New York When I Disappeared

I tried to pull away from his grip, but his hand was an iron vise, holding me firmly in place while his thumb gently stroked the line of my jaw.

"Let go of me!" I gasped, tears of rage springing to my eyes. "You said I meant nothing! You stood in that study while your precious fiancee bragged about your March wedding and told me I was just an accountant!"

Roman’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked beneath his skin.

"Celeste Marrow is dead," he said flatly.

My breath caught in my throat. "What?"

"Her father tried to use her to poison my inner circle three days after you ran," Roman said, his voice entirely devoid of remorse. "The Marrow family no longer exists. There is no wedding. There is no alliance. There is only what is mine."

"And you think I'm yours?" I demanded, pressing my hands against his chest, feeling the hard, rapid thump of his heart beneath his black shirt. "I am a prisoner! You kidnapped me three years ago, and you kidnapped me again today!"

"You were never a prisoner, Evelyn," Roman growled, his gray eyes burning into mine. "A prisoner can be replaced. A prisoner doesn't make a man tear down an entire city block because he can't stand the sight of an empty bed."

He released my neck, stepping back slightly, though his gaze never left my face.

"You will stay here at Blackwood Estate," Roman commanded, returning to his cold, authoritative tone. "You will fix the financial damage the Marrows caused to Northstar Atlantic over the last seven months. You will have your own wing of the house, three private guards, and anything you ask for."

"And if I refuse?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Roman picked up a crystal decanter from the side table and poured two fingers of scotch into a glass.

"If you refuse," he said calmly, "I will arrest every person in Blackwater Cove who helped you hide. The baker. The landlord. The woman who sold you your flower pots. I will destroy their lives piece by piece until you pick up a pen and go back to work."

I stared at him in utter horror. "You're a monster."