“Unbelievable,” Sasha muttered beside me, her voice like acid. “Un-freaking-believable.”
But I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I was glued to the glass, my breath shallow, my hands trembling in my lap, and then it got worse. Sophie’s face crumpled as tears spilled down her cheeks. She covered her face for a second before clutching Ryan’s arm, her voice desperate, begging. Ryan looked furious, frustrated, dragging his hand through his hair again like he was losing his patience.
And then she hugged him. She threw her arms around him, clinging tightly.
And he… he didn’t push her away.
The sight shattered me. My chest broke apart, the pieces scattering like glass, and the tears just came, hot and unstoppable. pressed my hand over my mouth as a broken, ugly sound escaped me.
“Anna.” Sasha’s voice softened immediately. She grabbed my shoulders, her eyes wide as she saw me breaking down. “Stop looking, please. Stop looking at them.”
But I couldn’t. My eyes blurred, my face wet, and still I stared, watching until my heart physically ached.
“Anna, listen to me,” Sasha’s voice cracked as she pulled me closer, shaking me slightly. “He doesn’t deserve your tears! He doesn’t deserve the way you’re breaking right now. Forget him. Forget everything about him. Do you hear me?!”
“I can’t…” I whispered brokenly, my lips trembling, the sobs tearing out of my throat no matter how hard I tried to hold them in.
“Yes, you can!” Sasha snapped, her hand squeezing mine tightly. If it’s the tattoo you’re worried about, we can fix it. It’s not even that big, Anna. A huge butterfly can cover it up, easily. You don’t have to live with that reminder forever. Don’t let that mark make you feel trapped. You’re not trapped. You’re free to walk away from him.’
Her voice cracked, her anger mixing with the desperation she felt for me. She hated seeing me like this. I could hear it, I could feel it. She wanted to shake me, to pull me back to reality. “Stop being rash because of love, Anna. Stop breaking yourself for someone who doesn’t even have the decency to explain himself to you. Please… just stop.”
I pressed my face into my hands and sobbed, my body trembling as Sasha pulled me into her arms. My tears soaked her shoulder as I cried and cried, wishing I could erase it all, wishing I could go back to before any of this started.
But I couldn’t. I was already too deep. And it hurt so damn much.
ANNA’S POV
“The guys are waiting for us outside already.” Sasha’s voice broke through as she stood behind me, fixing the last bit of her lipstick while I stared at myself in the mirror.
My sapphire gown clung to me in all the right places, the slit running high up my thigh making me look far bolder than I actually felt. My makeup was perfectly done, my hair pinned in a way that framed my face, and yet, no matter how good I looked, the mark on my neck stood out like a glowing red flag. I swallowed hard, telling myself it didn’t matter, but deep down it did. It mattered more than anything.
“I’m ready. Let’s go,” I muttered finally, straightening up.
Sasha gave me a quick glance in the mirror. She looked stunning in her red gown, same cut as mine but a different shade, her slit flashing as she moved. We both looked sexy, hot, like girls who were supposed to be confident tonight. I wasn’t, but at least I looked the part.
When we stepped outside, the sleek car already waiting by the dorm caught my attention. The doors opened, and two guys stepped out, both in black suits that hugged their broad frames perfectly. They looked like they belonged on the cover of some fashion magazine. I instantly recognized one of them. Liam. The same Liam who had been trying to talk to me for weeks, the same one who always found excuses to linger around me. The other guy was Caleb.
“Damn,” Liam whistled as his eyes swept down my body like I was nothing but a prize he’d won. “You look beautiful.”
I forced a smile, even though every muscle in my body screamed as if how uncomfortable I was with the way he was staring. His hand moved like he was about to hold me, maybe guide me to the car, but before he even touched me, a voice so deep and familiar and commanding rang out.
“Don’t you fucking dare touch her!”
I froze and turned, and there he was. Ryan. Coming out of his own car like a storm. My breath caught because I hadn’t even noticed when he arrived, but now he was here, standing there in a darker shade of blue that matched my gown so perfectly it looked like it had been planned.
He walked straight to me and before I could even react, he grabbed me to himself. His grip was firm, strong, possessive, and the moment I tried to push him off, he only held me tighter. His eyes burned into Liam, his whole body practically daring him to try again.
Liam stiffened, then dipped his head with the kind of respect that felt almost automatic. “Prince Ryan.” His tone was filled with recognition, like he knew exactly who Ryan was, and what he was capable of.
Ryan didn’t answer him. He just stood there, holding me like I was his and his alone, his jaw tight. The aura rolling off him made Sasha visibly shrink back. I saw the way she frowned at him, ready to speak, but whatever she wanted to say died on her tongue the second she felt that raw power he carried. She couldn’t get a word out. None of us could
“She’s with me,” Ryan finally said, his voice low but commanding. “I’m Anna’s date tonight.”
I jerked back against his grip, glaring at him. “The hell you are,” I snapped. “You ignored me for three whole days, Ryan. Three days! and then what? You suddenly decide you’re my date? After going out with another woman? After-” I cut myself off, anger boiling so hot I could barely form words. “How dare you show up now and try to act like everything’s okay?”
“I’m not going with you,” I added firmly. My chest was heaving, my voice shaking but steady enough to cut through “Liam is my date, and I’m not leaving him dateless because you think you can just show up and take over my life whenever you feel like it.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened even more, his eyes locked on mine, but before he could argue, Liam’s voice came in, surprisingly soft. It’s okay, Anna I’ll find another partner. You can go with Prince Ryan.”
“”What?” I blinked at him, caught off guard. My stomach twisted.
Liam didn’t explain further. He just gave me one last look, then turned, slipped back into the car with Caleb, and a still-silent Sasha followed without another word. The car pulled away, leaving me standing there with Ryan, my entire body shaking with fury.
“Unbelievable,” I hissed, finally wrenching myself free from his hold. “You really think you can just walk in and own me like this? You can go to hell, Ryan. I mean it. Go back to Sophie, or whoever the hell she is, because I’m so done with you. I’m so done.”
I was still talking, words tumbling out sharp and angry, when suddenly Ryan’s hands were on me again. Before I could fight back, he pulled me hard against him and slammed his lips onto mine.
My eyes went wide. My body froze. I wasn’t a fan of PDA, not even close, and yet here he was, kissing me so deeply in the open, in front of anyone who could’ve been watching. His mouth moved against mine with a kind of desperate hunger that felt as if he had been starving for me.
“God, Anna,” he groaned against my lips, his voice breaking with raw emotion. “I fucking miss you so much.”
“Ryan, stop it! Stop it, Ryan!” I shoved at his chest, my hands pressing hard, but he only pulled me closer, his grip like iron, holding me as if letting go wasn’t an option.
“I miss you so much, my love,” he whispered quickly, almost desperately, his lips brushing over my cheek, trailing frantic kisses down my face, over my neck, like if he kissed me enough I’d forget, like all the hurt would just vanish.
“Don’t, Ryan! Stop it, I mean it, get off me!” My voice cracked with anger, my body stiff, every nerve screaming. I shoved again but his arms only tightened more.
He pressed his forehead against mine, breath ragged, refusing to budge. “Please, Anna, please… I just can’t stay away from you.” His voice was low, trembling, broken in a way that made my chest twist even as my anger boiled hotter.
Then he pulled back, his jaw tight, his eyes dark, his tone sharp enough to make me freeze. “Get in the car,” he ordered.
“What?” I stared at him like he had lost his mind. “Are you crazy? No, Ryan. I said no. Leave me alone!”
His grip on me tightened. His eyes burned into mine, and his voice dropped lower, firmer, carrying a warning I knew he meant. “Anna, get in the damn car. Or I swear to God, I’ll take you right here. I don’t care who sees. I’ve missed you too damn much.”
Something in his tone made me stop. It wasn’t a threat to hurt me, it was a desperate promise, a dangerous edge that told me he wasn’t bluffing. He meant every word. My chest rose and fell too fast, my mind screaming at me to walk away, but my legs betrayed me, I slid into the seat, my arms crossed tight, lips pressed together so hard they hurt.
Ryan closed the door and went around to the driver’s side. My body was rigid, my silence loud, but I could feel his silence louder. The air was heavy, tense, charged with everything unsaid.
He gripped the wheel sp hard his knuckles turned white. For a long moment he said nothing, then finally, his voice broke the silence, softer than before. “Anna, I really did miss you. Every damn day. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t even breathe right without you. I thought I was losing my mind.”
I turned my face away, staring out the window, bitterness clawing at my throat. “Stop lying, Ryan. Just stop. You’re so damn annoying!”
His eyes snapped to me, shocked, his lips parting like I’d just slapped him. For once, he didn’t answer. He just clenched the wheel tighter, his jaw locked, the muscle ticking as if he was holding himself back from exploding
The moment we reached, Ryan turned off the engine and looked at me for a moment before he quietly said, “Wait, I’ll get the door for you.” He didn’t even give me a chance to argue before stepping out, and I stayed seated only because I knew it would annoy him less if I just waited, but the second he was halfway around the car I pushed my own door open and got out, not even sparing him a glance. His frown was immediate, I saw it out of the corner of my eye, the way his jaw tightened as if he was about to scold me, but before he could take a single step closer, voices rose all around him
“Ryan Wolfe! Prince Ryan” people were shouting, and within seconds he was surrounded, like they had been waiting for this exact moment to pounce on him. I froze for a second, watching as the crowd closed in, and then my eyes caught someone familiar in the chaos. Sasha She was standing at a distance, looking around nervously like she was searching for someone, and when her eyes landed on me she looked like she could finally breathe.
Sasha! I called out, and the relief on her face doubled as she ran to me and I ran to meet her halfway. We hugged briefly before she pulled back, grabbing my shoulders, her eyes scanning my face like she was checking if I was really okay.
“Anna, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay,” she rushed out, her words tumbling over each other.”Of course I am,” I said quickly, though my voice was still shaky. “I’m fine, Sasha.”
She exhaled deeply, pressing her hand to her chest like she’d been holding her breath. “Phew, thank God. Anna, I swear, that guy is really scary. I don’t usually fear people but the kind of vibe he gives, it’s terrifying. He’s hot as hell, yes, damn handsome too, but Anna… I can’t explain it, it’s like standing next to a fire you know can burn you alive.”
Her words stung, because I knew exactly what she meant, and I hated that she was right. I just nodded, trying to hide the war in my chest, when I noticed Caleb beside her. “Where’s Liam?” I asked, surprised not to see him with them.
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