Marco's POV
I knew exactly what reward Lara wanted to demand from me. Her freedom, and her chance to escape and walk away from me, from this marriage, from everything that bound her to my name.
And the truth scraped my chest raw. I was never going to give it to her. Lara was mine, and she would remain by my side whether she liked it or not, and I would burn the world down before I let her slip through my fingers again.
It was pathetic, really. I have never lowered myself like this for anyone. I never needed to. Women wanted me. They chased me, begged for me, offered themselves without hesitation. All my life I never had to lift a single finger to get female attention. I never had to fight or plead or force myself into control.
But with Lara, every breath felt like a battle. I hated that I loved that about her.
