Liam softly spoke, his lips almost brushing mine, "You don't fit into this world I've created." He confessed, his voice tinged with self-interest, "But I can't help wanting to hold on to you despite my own desires." "I want to stay," I whispered back, my voice barely above a whisper, "I'm falling for you too, Liam." It should have been easy to mock, to laugh at his vulnerability. After all, Liam Sterling, the notorious killer, master manipulator, the unassailable ruler of New York's criminal underworld, was now brought low by the one woman who vowed to bring him down. For years, my sole purpose was revenge. Liam's actions had shattered my family, left me in ruins, a relentless force fueled by rage. I painstakingly rebuilt myself, each step driven by the desire to make him pay. Yet, as I found myself drawn closer to him, his touch became a consuming flame, melting the walls I'd erected. Every stolen moment, every tender kiss, weakened my resolve, igniting a longing that terrified me. How could I yearn for him when every scar bore witness to his destruction? I should despise him, seek to destroy him. But when he looked at me with those eyes, shielding me, I felt lost. And as I watched him struggle, a strange emptiness replaced my anticipated satisfaction. How could I continue our battle when I'm already falling, defeated, for the man I was meant to bring to his knees?
