Pulling me into his arms, he whispered, coaxing, “That’s better. We’ve survived worse days together, haven’t we? Go unpack your things. Later, I’ll explain everything to you.”
His hand rested gently on my head, just as it had countless times in the past.
Then, he turned and ran back outside—to Mariam and her child.
2
Arizona’s POV
I looked around and saw that every trace of my son and me had been erased from the villa.
The puzzle we once pieced together no longer sat on the coffee table. My son’s beloved dinosaur figurines were gone as well.
In their place, Mariam’s expensive trinkets glittered on every surface. A toy car and a few building blocks—belonging to another child—lay scattered by the edge of the carpet.
A metallic taste rose in my throat, and my eyes burned. Forcing down the ache, I made myself walk toward what had once been my bedroom.
The moment I pushed the door open, a low and guttural snarl tore through the air, vibrating in my ears.
A massive black dog lunged at me, its sharp fangs glinting as it stopped barely half an inch from my face.
My entire body went rigid. My breath came in shallow gasps, and every drop of blood in my veins seemed to turn to ice.
The dog slammed me onto the floor. Its weight pressed against my chest until I trembled uncontrollably with no sound escaping my throat.
Just as its jaws were about to close on me, Charlton’s cold, commanding voice cut through the air.
“Alpha! Stop!”
The black dog hesitated, bared its teeth one last time, and finally stepped aside.
I collapsed on the floor, drenched in cold sweat. When I lifted my head, Mariam was walking toward me, smiling sweetly as she cradled the little boy in her arms.
She bent down and stroked the dog’s head, her lips curving into a mocking smile.
“Dr. Crumpler, I’m terribly sorry. You’ve been gone for five years, and there weren’t enough rooms in the villa, so I took the liberty of housing Alpha in yours. If you really mind, I can have someone move him to another room right away.”
Her tone was airy and dismissive, almost generous, as though she were the true lady of this home. Perhaps, in these past five years, she really had been.
My nails dug deep into my palms as I clenched my fists.
Before I could respond, the little boy in her arms piped up in his childish voice.