Julian fixed his gaze on her, his voice steady and unyielding.

“I could have done far worse to you than I actually did. I was fully capable of using you for much darker purposes, and you know it. So who is really at fault here? It wasn’t me who chased after you first, Sophia.

You were the one who came to me. If you think about it that way, it doesn’t seem like I took advantage of you.”

His words cut deep. Sophia felt them slicing through her, shattering her inside, though she doubted he even realized the harm they caused. Or perhaps he simply did not care.

Still, she...