I looked at his hand, large and strong, but I didn’t take it.

I stood up on my own, smoothing the front of my sweater.

“I’m not going to Chicago, Damon,” I said.

He paused, his hand hovering in the air before he slowly let it drop to his side.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “The estate is secure. Leo needs to be in his home.”

“The estate is your home,” I said, looking him dead in the eye. “It was never mine.”

“Nora, we’re a family,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, urgent tone.

“We were a family before you found us,” I replied. “And I won’t go back to living in your shadow.”

He stared at me, his striking eyes searching my face for any sign of hesitation.

“I am not the woman who ran away four years ago,” I said. “I won’t be locked behind your security gates.”

“I was trying to protect you,” he said.

“By controlling me,” I countered. “I’m buying my own place, Damon. A place where Leo and I can live without your guards watching our every move.”