Henry Jackson leaned against the doorframe, tears streaming down his bloodied face. "Isabella... I... I didn't know where else to go. She... she broke me."
Isabella's heart clenched. This man, a stranger turned protector, now stood before her like a wounded animal. Henry had listened, comforted her when she was at her lowest, and their shared vulnerability had led to a night of raw passion. Today, when Logan showed up at her hotel spewing threats, Henry had stepped in, fists ready, chasing him off. Now, here he was, broken. "Come in, come in," she urged, pulling him inside gently. "You're shaking like a leaf. Sit down before you collapse."
She guided him to the plush leather couch in her spacious living room, the city lights twinkling through floor-to-ceiling windows like distant stars. Henry slumped down, wincing as blood dripped onto the white rug. "I'm sorry... Your rug... I left this afternoon to see her... Eliana. And now... everything's ruined."
