Williams POV.
As I stepped into the shower, the hot water cascading over my shoulders, I scrubbed myself vigorously, trying to wash away the tension and confusion of the night. Allison—or Seraphina, as I had known her—kept invading my thoughts. How many times had we crossed paths since she reappeared in my life? Too many to be mere coincidence.
I had been invited to Harrington's masked party, not expecting anything out of the ordinary. And then, there she was, moving through the crowd with an air of confidence that left me stunned. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her dress hugging curves I hadn't known she possessed. Every time I saw her, a pang of regret hit me hard. It was like some cosmic payback for all the things I had done to her.
I couldn't get the image of her dancing with another man out of my mind. The way she moved, so skilled and graceful, it nearly drove me nuts. How could she have changed so much in just a year? The Allison I knew was a loving wife, always supportive, never questioning. She stood by me, even when I was wrong, never arguing. She was the exact opposite of Jessica.
But tonight, she was the opposite. Seraphina had become Allison, a woman of action, confident and self-assured. She wasn't just different—she was everything she hadn't been before. And then, the gunfire erupted. Allison was on a mission again, always involved in dangerous situations, never taking a break. She put her life on the line to protect others, and it was something I couldn't comprehend.
The image of her facing down Dmitri replayed in my mind. She could have been shot. I saw him slip out his gun and aim it at her, and in that moment, I knew I couldn't let it happen. All reservations vanished as I lunged at Dmitri, wrestling the gun from his hand. The adrenaline, the fear—it all came crashing down.
And then, Allison turned to me. There was a brief flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. She was all business, ordering Dmitri’s men to be secured. And the rest of her team arrived, ensuring Dmitri and his men were handcuffed and taken away.
“Allison, are you okay?” I had asked, hoping for something more than the cold response I knew was coming.