The warehouse reeked of sweat, smoke, and adrenaline. You hadn’t wanted to come, but your friends insisted. “It’ll be fun, just one fight,” they said.

You stood near the edge of the crowd, arms crossed, trying to tune out the roaring voices. Then the announcer’s voice boomed, introducing the final fighter of the night.

The man stepped into the ring. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. And then you froze.

No—impossible.

Lucian

Your heartbeat stuttered as the lights hit him. The face you had tried to forget, the face that haunted your dreams, was staring back at you. Six years gone, six years of silence, and there he was—your ex. The boy who had abandoned you without a word.

But he wasn’t the same. He moved like a predator, eyes dark, expression unreadable. And when his shirt came off, you saw it. Your name—inked down his spine.

Your stomach twisted. Anger. Confusion. A pull you hated to admit was still there.

The fight was violent. Every strike seemed personal, every movement fueled by rage. The crowd cheered, but you couldn’t breathe. When his opponent finally fell, he didn’t celebrate. He didn’t smile. He just turned… and looked at you.

The crowd blurred, the music faded, and suddenly it was just the two of you.

Minutes later, he pushed through the mob and stood in front of you, his chest still heaving, blood smeared across his lip.

“You thought I left because I didn’t love you,” he rasped, voice low, raw. “But I left to protect you.”

Your hands shook, torn between shoving him away and pulling him closer. “Six years,” you whispered, your throat tight. “Six years of nothing. And you expect me to believe that?”

He stepped closer, so close you could smell the metallic tang of blood mixed with sweat. His gaze was sharp, almost dangerous, but beneath it—something softer lingered.

“I don’t expect forgiveness,” he said. “But I came back for you. And I’m not leaving without you.”

Your breath caught, fury and longing colliding in your chest. You hated him. You wanted him.

And for the first time in six years, you realized—this wasn’t the end of your story. It was just the beginning.