The office of Silas Vane is a temple to perfection. Everything is glass, steel, and right angles. I don't belong here. I am a restorer of ruins-a woman who spends her days in the dust of crumbling cathedrals.

"You're late, Miss Sterling." Silas Vane steps into the light. He is exactly like his buildings: tall, imposing, and devastatingly sharp. His dark eyes sweep over me like he’s checking a foundation for cracks. Specifically, he looks at the way my sleeve has ridden up, revealing the faint, silver jagged line of the scar on my wrist. I quickly tug the fabric down.

"I heard you were the best," he says. "That you find the 'soul' in the rubble."

"I believe everything has a story worth saving, Mr. Vane. Especially the broken things."

Silas walks around the table, stopping just inches from me. "Why me?" I ask. He reaches out, and his long, elegant fingers catch my wrist. He doesn't pull my sleeve back, but he presses his thumb right over the spot where my scar begins. "Because you know what it’s like to be rebuilt," he murmurs.

"I don't want a perfect house," he continues. "I want a house that has survived. I want you to map every crack, every chip in the stone. I want you to show me where the light gets in." He hands me a pencil. "Draw me the part of you that you think is the ugliest. If we're going to build something together, I need to know the topography of your soul."

🖤 He doesn't want a perfect house; he wants to know the topography of her soul. Are you swooning over Silas yet? Let us know in the comments! 💬 Hit ❤️ if you love a hero who embraces the scars, and share this chapter with a friend who needs a beautiful love story today. 🏛️✨ #RomanticAudioClub