Mia’s POV
I couldn’t breathe. Every ounce of air had been stolen from my lungs, and all I could hear was my heartbeat hammering in my ears. Sean’s weight bore down on me, his hands rough and unrelenting as I struggled against him.
My pleas fell on deaf ears.
“Please, Sean,” I sobbed, my voice hoarse and broken. My wrists throbbed beneath his iron grip, and my tears soaked into the sheets beneath me.
“Your whimper gives me satisfaction,” he muttered, his lips curling into that sick smirk that made my stomach twist in disgust. “You think you’re any better than her? You’re not. You’re nothing, Mia.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate for this nightmare to end. Just when I thought I’d reached the edge of despair, when I was ready to give up…
The door slammed open.
The force of it reverberated through the room, and Sean froze, his body tensing above me. My eyes snapped open to see Xavier standing in the doorway, his face carved from stone, his dark eyes blazing with fury.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Xavier’s voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge to it that promised destruction.
Sean scrambled off me, his hands raising in mock surrender. I didn’t dare move, too stunned to process what had just happened. My hands flew to the hem of my top, tugging it down to cover my exposed skin as shame and humiliation burned through me.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Sean said, his voice laced with false innocence.
Xavier’s gaze flicked to me for a brief moment, and I saw the way his jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. Then he turned back to Sean, his voice dropping dangerously low. “It looks like you were about to cross a line.”
Nathan appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame as if this was all some joke to him. “Relax, Xavier,” he drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Mia’s the one who’s been throwing herself at us.”
“What?” My voice cracked as I pushed myself up on the bed, my eyes wide with disbelief.
Nathan shrugged, his gaze cold and calculating. “Don’t act so innocent, Mia. You’ve been parading around here, batting those eyes of yours, hoping someone would take the bait. Isn’t that right, Sean?”
Sean’s expression shifted, his lips curling into a sneer as he straightened his shirt. “Yeah. She’s been asking for it.”
My stomach dropped.
“How dare you!” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. “I didn’t do anything—”
“Save it,” Nathan cut me off, his tone dismissive. He turned to Sean, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go. We’ll deal with her later.”
Sean hesitated for a moment, his eyes lingering on me with a mix of disdain and something darker. Then he smirked, following Nathan out the door.
“We’ll be back, stepsister,” Sean said over his shoulder, his voice taunting. “Don’t miss us too much.”
The door slammed shut behind them, leaving me alone with Xavier.
I turned to him, my heart pounding in my chest, but the look on his face made me freeze. His dark eyes were cold, filled with contempt as he stared at me like I was something filthy, something beneath him.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he spat, his voice sharp enough to cut.
“What?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
CHAPTER 14
+25 BONUS
“You heard me,” he snapped, taking a step closer. “What kind of game are you playing, Mia? First Nathan, now Sean? How many more of my brothers are you going to throw yourself at?”
I shook my head, my tears falling freely now. “I didn’t… I didn’t do anything. They-
”
“Save it!” he barked, his voice echoing through the room. “I’m not stupid, Mia. I see the way you look at them. The way you act around them. Don’t think for a second that I’m falling for this innocent act.”
“I swear,” I said, my voice breaking. “I didn’t-”
“Enough!” he roared, his face inches from mine now. “You’re nothing but a slut, just like your mother. You’re pathetic, Mia. Stay away from my brothers, or so help me-
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. The venom in his words was enough to shatter whatever strength I had left.
I watched as he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the room, leaving me alone with the silence and the weight of his words.
I sank to the floor, my knees hitting the carpet as sobs wracked my body. My chest ached, my throat raw from crying, but the pain inside me was far worse than anything physical.
Why didn’t he believe me? Why did they all assume the worst of me?
I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth as I tried to make sense of everything. The room felt colder now, emptier, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was completely alone in this.
No one would believe me. No one would help me.
Morning came too quickly, the sunlight feeling like a mockery after the nightmare of last night. My body ached from sleeping curled in a tight ball, afraid to stretch out in my own bed. Every noise made me flinch, every shadow held potential threats.
I couldn’t tell Diego. The thought of making things worse, of what they might do if I spoke up… No, I had to keep quiet. Survive however I could.
When I finally gathered the courage to leave my room, Rolex was waiting in the kitchen. His cold eyes swept over me, taking in my disheveled appearance.
“I’m not taking you to school today,” he said flatly. “Or any other day. Figure it out yourself.”
My heart sank. “But it’s a two–hour walk-”
“Not my problem.” He turned away, dismissing me entirely. “You’re not worth the trouble.”
The kitchen was empty again, no breakfast in sight. My stomach cramped painfully, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. They were really going to starve me out.
I grabbed my bag with trembling hands and headed out. The morning air was crisp, but I barely felt it through the numbness that had settled over me. One foot in front of the other, that’s all I could focus on.
Tears blurred my vision as I walked. Why me? What had I done to deserve this? My own mates hated me, tormented me, me. All because of who my mother was.
My legs shook with exhaustion, hunger making me dizzy. I hadn’t walked this far in ages, and without food…
starved
I didn’t see the car until its horn blasted through my thoughts. Bright lights filled my vision as I stumbled backward. ine world tilted sideways, darkness creeping in at the edges.
The last thing I heard was the screech of brakes and someone shouting my name.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER 15
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.