Chapter 1

The scent of sandalwood, mixed with the faint trace of the cigar he occasionally smoked, lingered in the air, wrapping around my senses. He kissed me exactly the way he always had: soft, gentle, and teasing. His masculine scent, combined with the feel of his lips, threatened to overwhelm me, but just before it could, he pulled away.

"Mmmm."

I moaned softly in protest, the loss of his touch a tangible ache. Slowly, I opened my eyes, meeting the familiar deep blue of his gaze. His eyes, usually warm, were now cold, like a winter sky.

"Sophia," he said, his lips curling into a cruel, unforgiving smile.

"Don't think you can ever run from me."

I frowned, about to ask what he meant, but before I could speak, he grabbed me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I cried out, but no sound escaped. I tried to speak, to demand answers, but it was as if he couldn't hear me. Or worse, he didn't care to. Panic surged as I struggled to break free, but his grip was unyielding, much stronger than mine.

"Sophia," his voice was a whisper, his lips barely brushing mine. I shivered, trembling with fear as he added, "I won't ever let you go."

A silent scream escaped me as I jolted awake, my body still shaking from the terror he'd instilled in me. I was gasping for air, my hand pressed tightly against my mouth to stifle any noise. I looked at the man lying beside me. Different from the one in my nightmare, the man beside me had brown hair and equally brown eyes. Slowly, I relaxed, watching him sleep. His steady, even breath calmed me, and I allowed myself to lie next to him, facing him. But I didn't dare blink, too afraid that the man from my dream might somehow appear.

Bob and I were married. Just a few months ago, I'd been content knowing that I had him as my husband. It wasn't perfect, but it was comfortable. I had known Bob for years, and while we'd been married for three, we had never been close in a physical sense. He kissed me, yes, but it was always gentle, never deep, never passionate. That had always been reserved for Adam.

The thought of Adam hit me like a wave, and I mentally slapped myself. No, Sophia. Don't think of him. But the memory of Adam, the way he had made me feel, pushed through my defenses.

Adam was my first love. The first man who had ever truly made me feel wanted, loved. I thought I had moved on, but lately, he had been invading my dreams again. The first time it happened, I'd brushed it off, thinking it was just a fleeting memory. But the dreams had intensified, and with them, my unease.

Maybe it was just the frustration of being stuck in a platonic marriage with Bob. Part of me wanted Bob to take the initiative, but another part of me feared what that might mean. Bob, for all his kindness, was impotent, and I had never been able to bring myself to kiss him the way I had kissed Adam.

No, don't go there, Sophia! I forced myself to focus.

I was supposed to be a professional. And yet, when Monday came, my world was turned upside down.

The office buzzed with rumors about the new CEO, a position previously held by someone I had worked closely with. No one knew who was taking over. I felt a mix of excitement and unease about the change, but nothing could have prepared me for the moment when I saw him again.

Adam.

I stood frozen as I saw his familiar figure walking down the hallway toward me, surrounded by murmurs of surprise from the other employees.

"Sophia, what are you doing?" Alexa asked, her voice pulling me back to reality.

I blinked, not sure how long I had been staring at him. I finally shook myself out of my daze and forced a polite greeting, "N–Nice to meet you, Sir," but Adam merely glanced at me before turning and heading toward the elevator.

I couldn't even remember what happened next. I didn't faint, though I felt like I might. His cold gaze, the way he ignored me, it was like a punch to the gut. Somewhere in my mind, I thought I should have expected it, but my heart wasn't ready to let go.

How much does he hate me? The question haunted me. Surely, he hadn't forgotten me, right?

"Why are you letting him affect you so much?" I muttered to myself, frustrated with my own weakness. "Just because you saw him again doesn't mean you have to fall apart."

But the moment I glanced at my phone, the guilt hit me again. Bob had sent me a message, something simple: "Hope you're hungry. The chicken soup will be waiting for you at home."

Other women might swoon over such thoughtfulness, but for me, all I could feel was the weight of the guilt. The message seemed so insignificant compared to the flood of emotions I had for Adam.

"Sophia?" Alexa's voice broke my thoughts, and I almost jumped out of my skin.

"Uh, Alexa! What can I do for you?"

She looked at me with a curious, slightly worried expression. "Adam asked me to give this to you," she said, handing me a large box.

I frowned as I opened it, revealing a white dress, one I recognized immediately. It was a dress Adam had given me three years ago, the last time I'd seen him. My heart clenched, and a wave of anger surged through me.

I grabbed the dress and stormed off, not bothering to explain myself to Alexa.

"Sophia, where are you going?" she called after me, but I ignored her.

When I reached the elevator, I punched the button for the CEO's floor, my anger boiling over. I didn't knock when I reached Adam's office. I just threw the door open and marched in.

Adam looked up, his expression unreadable. But I wasn't backing down this time. Trembling with fury, I threw the dress in front of him.

"What the hell do you want from me?" I demanded, my voice shaking with emotion.