PROLOGU

E

The rain was coming down in sheets, drumming against my office window in a steady, relentless rhythm. The gray skies outside matched the weight in my chest, though I couldn’t quite place why. Everything felt… different . A small chill crept along my spine as I flipped through the day’s appointments, my eyes lingering on one name that felt like it didn’t belong here— Damien Blackwell .

New clients often come with their own mysteries, each one bringing a story that unwinds slowly in this quiet, safe space I’d created. But something about his file felt different. The name alone left a strange taste in my mouth, as if I’d swallowed a memory I couldn’t place. I tried to shake it off, telling myself it was just another case, just another person who needed help. But the sense of unease persisted, deepening the quiet shadows in the room.

When he finally arrived, it was as if the temperature dropped. Dark hair, whiskey eyes that seemed to drill right through me, and a presence that held the room in a tight grip. I’ve met all kinds, seen all shades of darkness in the eyes of those who sit across from me, but never like this . In that moment, every nerve in my body seemed to vibrate with something foreign—a mixture of curiosity, intrigue, and something that felt far too close to fear.

I forced myself to hold his gaze, refusing to flinch, wondering if he could sense that I was already losing my footing. If he did, he said nothing—just offered a small, almost mocking smile.

And that was how it began. A stranger in the rain, a patient I should have turned away, and the first step into a darkness that would strip away every layer of who I thought I was.