Chapter 3

The morning sun shone through the large windows of the Vivian family's magnificent residence, but its warmth was unable to dispel the chill that crept up my neck. My footsteps felt heavy as I descended the stairs. Each step seemed to remind me of every lie I had told the night before in the bridal bed.

At the bottom of the stairs, a man stood casually, sipping his black coffee while staring straight at me. Davian. He was still wearing his loose-fitting shirt, but his aura was still intimidating. As I passed him, he deliberately shifted, narrowing the space until our shoulders touched.

"Well, Dewangga? Were you able to satisfy Vivian last night?" he whispered right into my ear. His voice was low, hoarse, and full of a sickening tone of victory.

I gasped, stopping in my tracks for a moment. That question was an insult. He knew exactly what had happened in the dressing room before the blessing; he knew that he was the one who held the key to my passion, not my wife. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the rage and shame that burned my face.

"Of course. I'm a normal man, Davian. Don't doubt my abilities," I replied coldly, trying to build a solid wall of defense.

Davian laughed briefly. It was a laugh that sounded like a mockery of my masculinity. "Normal? We both know 'normal' is just a mask you wear to please your parents, brother-in-law."

"Dewangga! Come down, breakfast is ready!" Vivian's cheerful voice broke the tension between us. She appeared from the dining room with a big smile, looking radiant—a painful contrast to the storm raging inside me.

We sat at a long dining table filled with luxurious dishes. I sat next to Vivian, while Davian was directly across from me. On the surface, we looked like a harmonious family. My father-in-law was busy talking about business expansion, while Vivian occasionally rested her head on my shoulder. However, under the table, a dangerous game began.

I felt the tip of Davian's leather shoe start to creep up my calf. He played with it in a rhythmic motion, pressing slowly on sensitive spots. I choked on my coffee, my face flushing. I glared at Davian, begging him to stop, but he just returned my gaze with an innocent smile while continuing to eat his breakfast. He seemed to be enjoying this painful love triangle, in which Vivian was completely unaware that her husband was being mentally and physically abused by his own brother.

After breakfast, Vivian's father gave me instructions that made my heart skip a beat. "Davian, take Dewangga on a tour of our plantation project in the village across the river. He needs to start learning how to manage our family's assets."

I wanted to refuse, but I had no logical reason to do so. 

So here I am now, sitting in the passenger seat of Davian's luxury SUV. 

We drove away from the noise of the city towards a quiet rural area. The asphalt road turned into a dusty dirt road, surrounded by silent green fields. There were no other vehicles, no witnesses there.

Suddenly, Davian turned the steering wheel toward a more hidden path under the canopy of large trees. He stopped the car abruptly. Silence enveloped us.

"Why did you stop?" I asked, trying to hide my nervousness.

Davian didn't answer. He pressed the button to lock all the doors and made sure the car's very dark windows were tightly closed. The outside world was now completely cut off from us.

"You've been silent all this time, Dewangga. You know what? Your silence makes me fall even more in love with you. You look so miserable, and that's very 

exciting," he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

He moved swiftly, straddling the space between the driver's seat and mine. Before I could protest, his lips were already on mine. 

His kiss was not gentle; it was a fierce attack, full of hunger and a claim of ownership. 

I tried to resist, but my body betrayed me again. His strong masculine scent triggered those forbidden memories to return.

"I know you can't react to Vivian, Dewangga. Your body can't lie. So, let me satisfy you, as I should," he whispered between ragged breaths.

Davian moved with undeniable dominance. He began to give me sensations that made my logic fly into space. 

I closed my eyes, clutching the back of the chair until my nails turned white. The pleasure he created was so intense, so real, that I forgot this man was my brother-in-law.

"Keep going, Davian... do it harder," I moaned unconsciously. I had lost. I surrendered to this darkness.

However, at the peak of the pleasure I was about to reach, the loud ringtone of my cell phone broke the silence of the car. The bright light from the cell phone screen placed on the dashboard blinded my eyes.

Video Call: Vivian.

The world seemed to stop spinning. Davian stopped his movements, but he didn't move away. Instead, he stared at the phone screen with a devilish grin, then looked at me, who was covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Answer it, Dewangga. Don't make your wife suspicious," Davian challenged softly.

With trembling hands and a heart that felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, I grabbed the phone. 

I tried to compose my expression, erasing any remaining traces of passion.

 I pressed the green button.

Vivian's face appeared on the screen, looking cheerful but a little curious. "Honey! What are you doing? Why did it take you so long to answer?"