The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 218

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The End Of a Marriage

Chapter 218

Graham Lancaster as her husband? The thought was almost

laughable. Yes, she was drawn to him–how could she not be? His

commanding presence, the way his deep voice seemed to wrap around

her like velvet, the way his eyes seemed to burn into her soul as if he

could see every thought she tried to hide… It was intoxicating. He

was intoxicating. And she had felt that pull for years, even when she

had been too young to understand it.

But attraction wasn’t enough. Not when Graham was so infuriatingly

arrogant, so confident in his ability to control everything and everyone around him. Isla knew that if she said yes to his proposal,

she would be handing over her freedom. He would keep her under his

thumb, deciding her every move. That was the kind of man he was–a

man who thrived on power, on control.

A flicker of bitterness tugged at her lips. Deep down, she couldn’t

shake the suspicion that his proposal wasn’t about love or even

companionship. It was about possession. Graham didn’t just want her

in his house; he wanted her in his life, tethered to him by a ring on

her finger and vows she couldn’t escape.

And then there were the other women. Graham’s reputation preceded

him–a trail of stunning, sophisticated women, each more glamorous

than the last. Isla couldn’t remember ever seeing him with the same

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Chapter 218

woman twice. They were the kind of women who looked like they

belonged in glossy magazines, their beauty sharp enough to cut glass,

their confidence undeniable.

How could she ever compare? A nineteen–year–old girl, awkward and

untouched by experience, standing in the shadow of women who had

likely seen and done it all. How could someone like her possibly hold

his attention?

Her chest tightened as an unwelcome thought crept in. She wasn’t even considering his proposal… was she? Isla shook her head, trying

to banish the idea. But the question lingered, stubborn and

persistent.

What if she said yes? What if she accepted?

Her imagination betrayed her, spinning images that made her pulse

race. Graham wouldn’t waste any time–she knew that much. He

would seduce her with the same ease he used to command a room.

His touch would be deliberate, confident, setting her skin on fire with

every brush of his fingers. He would whisper things in her ear, his

voice low and smoky, words that would make her knees weak and her

resolve crumble.

She gulped down water from the jug on her nightstand, trying to cool

the heat rising in her body. He would ravish her. That much was

certain. He would make her crave him, make her body ache for his,

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Chapter 218

and when he finally had her–completely, utterly–he would move on.

The thought sent a cold shiver through her, snuffing out the warmth that had built in her chest. Isla could see it so clearly: him walking away, leaving her behind like a broken doll, discarded and forgotten.

She wasn’t like the women who came before her. They could brush off

his rejection, move on with their lives.

But her? She was already too attached–to the house, to him. If she

let him in, if she gave him the power to destroy her, she wasn’t sure

she would survive it.

Another image flashed in her mind, unbidden and maddeningly vivid:

tangled sheets, his lips on her skin, his body pressed against hers, consuming her in ways she couldn’t even imagine. The heat of it

made her cheeks burn, but it was quickly overshadowed by fear.

No. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. She couldn’t do this. Whatever Graham’s reasons–whatever underhanded motive lay behind his proposal–she couldn’t say yes. She had already lost too much. Her parents, her stepfather… every loss had carved another

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