The dimly lit room reeked of power, luxury, and danger. Roman Sionis—Black Mask—leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the polished mahogany desk. His gaze burned through the darkness, his mind plagued by a single, maddening thought. Nicole.

He had everything a man could ever desire—wealth, power, respect. Women lined up for a chance to be in his orbit, desperate for even a fraction of his attention. And why wouldn’t they? He was Roman fucking Sionis, the most feared crime boss in Gotham. No one said no to him. Until last week.

Her refusal had cut through his pride like a blade. Nicole. A name that had haunted him since childhood. She was the first true friend he’d ever had, their bond genuine in a way nothing else in his life had been. But their friendship had been brief, crushed under the weight of his parents’ disdain for hers. She disappeared from his life as quickly as she’d entered it, leaving him with nothing but the faint memory of her smile.

Now, she was back. A woman grown, more stunning than he could have imagined. And God, he wanted her. Wanted her with an intensity that was almost suffocating. But she wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t swayed by his money, his charm, or his reputation. She looked at him now the way she had back then—unimpressed, unshaken, unyielding.

Her rejection gnawed at him, a festering wound he couldn’t ignore. Who the hell was she to deny him? He was Roman Sionis. Women would kill to be in her place. And yet, Nicole had looked him in the eye and refused him.

It was maddening. Infuriating. Almost… thrilling.

For the first time in years, Roman found himself obsessed, not with power or money, but with her. And he would have her, no matter what it took.