~~PEYTON~~
I feel my heart breaking into pieces. It's not just about the words. It's his voice, his eyes—the cold, dead disappointment in them is worse than any fury. The man who had once looked at me like I was his prized possession was now looking at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe.
“Axel, I'm… I'm sorry…” I try to step toward him, but Raphael’s hand shoots out and clamps onto my arm, pulling me back against his chest.
“Get your hands off her, Raphael!” Axel roars, finally losing his terrifying control. He lunges, not with a plan, but with blind, destructive rage.
Raphael, a head taller and with the sudden advantage of surprise, shoves me violently aside, sending me stumbling to the floor. He meets Axel’s charge head-on.
The sound of their collisio
