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  “You should stop me,” Alex murmured, his teeth tugging at my nipple, making a strangled hiss escape my dazed mouth.
    Yes, I should, I thought to myself, but how could I? How could I stop him when there was this strange heat pulling me toward him…. toward the sinful place where his suit-clad thighs now rubbed gently against my body?
    I was an idiot. A total fucking idiot. My hands instinctively tangled in his thick hair, still damp from the shower he definitely took on his way here, the strands not fully dried. I could feel the wetness against my fingers, and it only made everything more intense.
    He suddenly moved his mouth away from my nipple with a soft pop, raising his face to mine. His silver eyes were now a deep blue, glazed over as he took me in. His gaze burned into me.
    What did he see? Did I look dazed with desire like him?
    I wouldn’t know. The next moment, his warm breath seized my jaw, and his lips crashed down onto mine, kissing me with a heat that made me shiver. The sink creaked beneath me as he spread my legs wider, using one hand to grab my ass and pulling me closer. I gasped in surprise as his free hand cupped the back of my head, pulling me deeper into the kiss.
    “Isla, you in there?”
    A sharp knock at the door made me freeze. My heart skipped a beat. Alex didn’t hesitate. He pressed my naked breast into the fabric of his suit jacket, his chest hard against me, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
    “Let go of me,” I murmured, my voice harsh as I tried to press my thighs together, but I couldn’t. Shame washed over me, thick and cold, as my hand instinctively moved to cover my exposed breast.
    “I locked the door”
    Alex’s breath was warm against my ear as he spoke, his voice dripping with amusement.
    “Oh wow. So you definitely came in here trying to seduce me, huh? Just like you accused me of trying to do to you?”
    I glared at him, my eyes burning with frustration as his face shifted. Gone was the dazed look from earlier, replaced with the unreadable arrogance he always wore. He reached down, helping me fix the drawstring of my dress, his palm lingering a beat too long on my breast.
    “You didn’t wear a bra,” he remarked simply, shocking my senses. He then walked to the mirror beside me, pulling a sleek black comb from his suit jacket. I sat there, still disoriented, watching as he ran the comb through his hair, brushing it back effortlessly removing the signs of our tango.
    He plucked the comb from his hair and slipped it back into his jacket pocket, turning to face me. He gave me a long, assessing look, his eyes lingering a moment too long.
    “You might as well get down from the sink,” he tsked, his voice mocking. “What a sight you make.”
    Without another word, he turned and walked toward the door, uncaring that I was still disheveled and breathless from the moment we’d just shared. The door clicked open, and he stepped out, leaving me sitting there, still reeling.
    Celeste’s voice came from the other side.
    “I thought I’d find you here,” she said, her voice calm but sharp. She paused, looking behind at what I could guess was Alex’s retreating figure, then turned back to me.
    I didn’t spare her a glance as I struggled to climb down from the sink, my heart still racing, my body still trembling from the intensity of what had just happened.
    Taking a deep breath, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my hands smoothing down my disheveled hair as I tried to gather myself. My face was flushed, eyes wide with confusion and something else—shame, heat, frustration. What the hell had just happened?
    She plucked a tube of lipstick from her purse and casually dabbed it on her lips, not even sparing me a glance.
    “What was that about?” she asked, tone light but laced with something sharp.. curiosity or mockery, I couldn’t tell.
    “Um… I don’t know. Just husband and wife business,” I replied with a lift of my brow, hoping to deflect her.
    “Oh, darling.” She smirked, eyes still glued to her reflection as she smacked her lips together. “Don’t insult my intelligence.”
    Her gaze flicked to mine, then back to her lipstick. “We both know this is a contract marriage. I just hope this whole thing doesn’t turn into a mess…. him sleeping with you, sleeping with me, and then there’s Beatrice.” She chuckled lightly. “He’s literally making rounds with the triplets.”
    The urge to strangle her clawed at my throat.
    I knew he was sleeping with her. 
    Oh bury me now..
    I stood there for a few more breaths in the restroom, steadying myself, pulling every piece of my dignity back into place I stepped out of the restroom with Celeste’s voice ringing in my ear about waiting for her but screw her. When I finally stepped out, I spotted Alex in the distance, deep in conversation with Joseph. My stomach flipped.
    Without saying a word, I walked over to my seat and sank into it, keeping my eyes glued to the screen of my phone like it was a lifeline.
    “You wanna go home now?” Alex’s voice murmured by my ear moments later.
    I turned to him with the sweetest, fakest smile I could muster. “Of course.”
    He placed an arm around my waist in a move that felt more like possession than affection, then reached out to give Joseph a departing handshake.
    Joseph leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek, surprising me. “It was nice having this moment with you, dear. I’d really like us to talk more. Maybe show you around, spend some time…”
    I nodded stiffly.
    “And I’d very much like you to call me Dad,” he added with a hopeful smile.
    I blinked. “You don’t expect me to do that anytime soon, sir,” I replied bluntly. “I just… I can’t. There’s too much I still don’t understand. Please don’t force me.”
    He shifted slightly, visibly taken aback. “No, no—I’m not trying to force you, I just—”
    “She said don’t force her,” Alex cut in coolly. “Don’t worry. I’ll get her to talk to you.”
    He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he led me away, his grip firm on my waist as I sighed Celeste perching close to Joseph smiling sweetly at me as she mouthed something i didn’t quite catch.
    The moment we stepped into the parking lot and the cool air hit my skin, I spun in his arms, shaking him off.
    “You’re one manipulative, lying bastard!” I hissed, jabbing a finger at his chest. My hand lifted automatically, the heat of a slap rising in me.
    But he caught my wrist mid-air.
    “You’re getting too comfortable with this manhandling thing you keep trying on me,” he muttered, glancing down at my hand, still clawed against his jacket like I was about to tear the fabric.
    Sensing the presence of people strolling into the area nearby, Alex let go of me, and I slid wordlessly into the car just as Orbot pulled up. To my surprise, he climbed in beside me, settling in the back seat instead of the front.
    He leaned forward slightly to speak to Orbot, but I didn’t care to listen. I turned my face toward the window, focusing on my own reflection as the streetlights flashed by in streaks of gold.
    Not once did Joseph ask about my mother.
    Not once did Celeste mention her.
    Not once did my so-called father try to explain what happened with the woman who raised me.
    The car continued rolling down the dark road in silence. I didn’t speak. Neither did Alex. I just kept my gaze fixed outside, letting the steady hum of the engine lull me into oblivion.
    When I opened my eyes, the world was still moving. We were still in the car.
    I blinked blearily and sat up—only to realize my head had been resting on Alex’s shoulder. A faint trail of drool clung to the corner of my mouth. Mortified, I wiped it quickly.
    The warm, rich scent of his sandalwood cologne lingered in my nose. His hand…was on my back. Slowly stroking it in a soft rhythm, as if he’d been comforting me in my sleep.
    He didn’t pull away. Instead, he looked down and said softly, “Are you alright?”
    I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I looked past him, catching Orbot’s’ eyes in the rearview mirror.
    “Where are we going?” I asked, voice groggy but wary.
    He flicked on the car light, casting a glow over his stern features. “Ma’am,” he began politely, “I think you should ask your husband.”
    I turned to Alex. He was bringing out his phone, the screen’s glow outlining the sharp angles of his face—the high cheekbones, the clean line of his jaw, that always calm and unreadable expression.
    “Alex,” I said, more alert now. “Where are we going?”
    He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he nodded to Orbot, who veered off the unfamiliar road home and down a narrow, dimly lit driveway.
    I sat up straighter, confused.
    We pulled up near a wide-open field that stretched out beneath a canopy of stars. The area was dark, eerily so, except for the distant silhouette of a white duplex at the far end. A fence creased the farmland bordering it.
    “What is this?” I asked, my voice low. 
    The car rolled to a stop beside the house. I got out hesitantly, casting another glance at the unfamiliar structure.
    Alex leaned into the driver’s window and exchanged a few words with Orbot, who gave a crisp nod and to my surprise, pulled away, tires crunching over gravel.
    And just like that, I was alone. With him.
    I folded my arms across my chest feeling a sudden chill from the night air. “What’s going on?”
    “Calm down,” he replied, grabbing my hand. I flinched and pulled it away, avoiding his touch.
    “Suit yourself,” he muttered, unfazed.
    He walked ahead of me, now dressed only in his dress pants and a white shirt—his suit jacket still in the car that had just driven off.
    He pushed open a small gate and gestured for me to follow. I hesitated, then stepped in behind him.
    Inside, the lights flicked on, casting a warm amber glow across the living room. The space was modest but well-kept, with earthy tones, clean wooden floors, and a strange sense of…comfort. Like someone cared about this place.
    But that only made the unease in my chest twist tighter.
    “Alex,” I said again, quieter this time. “What is this place?”
    Alex moved further into the living room, his steps slow, deliberate, controlled. He sank into a deep mahogany armchair with the air of a man who owned everything in the room—including me. Then, without a word, he tapped the arm of the chair across from him, signaling for me to sit.
    I hesitated.
    With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV mounted against the far wall. The screen blinked to life, casting soft flashes of light across his angular face. The dim yellow hue of the room made his features even more pronounced—his jaw tense, the veins in his neck pulsing faintly, his eyes glinting like polished silver.
    “You want to know the truth, right?” he said calmly.
    My breath hitched.
    “Well…” he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “I want to tell you the truth.”
    But something in his tone made my stomach twist. He wasn’t speaking like a man eager to confess.
    The flickering light from the television painted shadows across his face, outlining every sharp edge of him like a portrait brought to life. My breath came in shallow puffs as I wrapped my arms tightly around myself but not because the space was cold… hell it was warm and comfortable in here, the sudden heat from his gaze making my skin feel too thin, too exposed.
    “A-Alex…” I stammered, stepping back a little facing the door. “I think I—I want to go back to the estate. I’m not familiar with this place—”
    “No,” he said simply as his soft footsteps came from behind stilling the air.
    He moved behind me, slow and silent, like a predator playing with its prey. His voice brushed my ear.
    “You wanted the truth…” he murmured. “I’ll give it to you.”
    As he said it, his hand slid across the curve of my waist, grazing my skin dragging my body to the hard planes of his chest.
    “This right here,” he murmured near my ear, his breath warm against my skin, “was the house...” he paused. “The house Beatrice and I used to come to… whenever we needed to be away from everything.”