Chapter 26: Chapter 26

The stench of the old apartment hit me as soon as we stepped through the gates. I had purposely kept the place unkempt, making sure Gabriel would see just how "bad" things were for me. His face twisted slightly in disgust, but he tried to cover it with a smile.

"You can't keep living here, Kiara," he said, shaking his head. "I'll send you some money to help you pack out of this place. You deserve better."

Yeah, right, I thought, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. This was all part of his little act, playing the good guy while keeping me under his thumb.

He moved closer, his eyes softening, his hand reaching for my waist as if he wanted to pull me in for a kiss. I dodged it smoothly, stepping back with a small laugh. "Gabriel, let's not get ahead of ourselves," I said, brushing off his advance as casually as I could.