---- Chapter 6 Erin Calhoun POV: "Go change," Carlton insisted, his jaw tight. "Now." | met his gaze, a slow, cold smile spreading across my face. "And what if | don't want to?" He pulled me further into the shadows of the hallway, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Don't do this, Erin. She's younger than you. You should be the bigger person here, just let her have this one." | pulled my arm from his grasp. "No." He looked shocked, then a cruel smirk twisted his lips. "You don't get to say no to me." "| just did," | said, my voice steady. "Fine," he hissed, his handsome face contorted with anger and disdain. He was so sure of his power over me, so certain | would crumble. "If you walk out that door in that dress, we're done. We're over." He expected me to beg. To cry. To apologize and promise to be the good, supportive girlfriend he needed me to be. Instead, | looked him straight in the eye and said, "Okay." ---- | turned and walked away from him, away from the party, without a single backward glance. | didn't go back to my room. | found a deserted terrace, grabbed a bottle of red wine from an unattended service cart, and settled into a chair overlooking the dark, silent mountains. The wine was good. | drank it straight from the bottle, the cool glass a comfort against my lips. The alcohol worked its magic, dulling the sharp edges of my newfound freedom, leaving a hazy, pleasant buzz in its wake. | pulled out my phone and sent a text. Me: The pain is back. It really hurts this time. The reply was almost instantaneous. Harvey: Where are you? A minute later, my phone rang. It was him. | leaned back in the chair, the cool mountain air on my skin, feeling deliciously, dangerously drunk. "You called me Erin," | murmured into the phone. "In the car, you called me Erin. But just now, you called me by my full name. Why?" There was a pause, and then a low, deep chuckle that vibrated through the phone and straight into my core. "Erin," he said, his voice now a soft, intimate caress. "Tell me where you are." ---- | told him. And then | added, "Come and get me." He didn't take me back to my room. He led me through a series of winding stone paths, away from the main lodge, to a secluded villa tucked away in a grove of bamboo. "will anyone see us?" | asked, my words slightly slurred. His hand found mine, his fingers lacing through mine as he guided me up a set of stone steps. "This wing belongs to my family. We're safe here." "I'm not scared," | said, stopping at the top of the steps. | turned to face him, the moonlight silvering his hair. "And | broke up with Carlton." He was still for a moment. "When?" "Just now. You were there," | said. He didn't say anything, just stood there, his handsome face cast in shadow and light. The wind whispered through the bamboo, making the tall stalks sway and creak like an old ship. He looked like one of them-tall, elegant, and unbending. Then he tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me against him. "Good," he said, his voice a low growl. "Don't you ever go back to him. You're mine now." We reached the villa's entrance, a heavy wooden door set in ---- a stone archway. Before | could even register what was happening, he had me pressed against it, his mouth crushing mine in a kiss that was all pent-up hunger and raw possession. When he finally pulled back for air, his face was buried in the curve of my neck, his breath coming in ragged gasps. | wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling in his hair. "Harvey," | whispered. "Yes," he breathed against my skin. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!