LOGINIRIS The expensive, linen texture of the letter resting between my trembling fingers felt like an impossible piece of a fairy tale.I slipped quietly into the dim privacy of my small servant’s quarters, locking the wooden door behind me with a faint click. My heart was thumping wildly against my ribs, a nervous beat that made my breath come in short, shallow gasps. I looked down at the blood-red wax seal pressed into the back flap of the envelope. A coiled viper wrapped around a crown. It looked grand, luxurious, and completely out of place against the faded, threadbare fabric of my bedsheet.Carefully, using the sharp tip of my small pocket knife, I sliced through the thick wax and unfolded the soft cream paper.The handwriting inside was unmistakably Joseph’s. The round, neat loops of my younger brother’s penmanship filled the page, but the spirit behind the words was transformed. The sad, hopeless tone that usually soaked through his letters from the damp, freezing walls of Saint
IRIS The dizzying sensation of Eli’s ring-adorned hand resting on my left hip while Liam’s clinical fingers traced my right jawline simultaneously made the air vanish from my lungs.We were still sitting closely at the wide, round table in the middle of the locked study, wrapped in the thick silk blanket. My skin burned everywhere they touched. The initial terror that had consumed me was slowly giving way to a strange, complex sense of security. Eli’s broad frame beside me felt like an impenetrable fortress, his deep voice declaring a shield around me, while Liam’s lighter, playful touch offered a sweet, addicting escape."Button your shirt, Iris," Eli murmured softly, his thumb rubbing a slow, possessive circle over my hip before his hand finally slid away.My fingers were still numb and trembling as I tucked the blank check deep inside the hidden lining of my apron. I fumbled with the buttons of my blue uniform, my breath hitching. Liam leaned in closer, gently taking my hands in h
IRIS The door handle turned, and the doors pushed open without a single knock.Liam stood in the threshold. His eyes dropped instantly to his father's broad, calloused hand still heavily cupping my bare breast, my blue uniform unbuttoned to reveal my thin cotton bra. My head was tilted back against Eli's shoulder, my chest heaving in tiny gasps as the lingering heat of his rough touch burned across my skin.A chilling, eerie stillness filled the room.I gasped, my hands flying up to pull the edges of my open shirt together, every drop of blood draining from my face. I tried to twist away from the desk, but Eli didn't move. His hand remained firmly pressed over my tits for one long, deliberate second, his storm-grey eyes meeting his son's blue ones across the expanse of the dark study without a single hint of surprise or guilt.Liam didn't shout. He didn't rush forward or throw a punch.Instead, a slow, fascinated smile spread across his handsome face. He stepped fully into the study,
IRIS Eli’s loud footsteps faded down the grand corridor, leaving an eerie silence in his wake.The moment his dark shadow disappeared around the corner of the staircase, I gasped for air, my whole body trembling beyond control. The weight of his gaze had left my blood running cold, and I immediately pulled back, trying to slip out of Liam’s grip."Liam, let me go," I begged in a harsh, panicked whisper, my hands pushing against his chest. "Please! He saw us. He knows I was standing at your door."Liam didn't let go instantly. His long fingers tightened around my waist, keeping me pinned against the warm silk of his robe. He didn't look scared or bothered by his father's presence at all. Instead, he leaned down, cupping the back of my neck with his warm palm, and brought his mouth down onto mine in a deep, possessive kiss. It was slow, intense, and filled with a quiet promise that made my head spin despite the terror clawing at my throat.He pulled back just an inch, his blue eyes sea
ELII stopped dead in my tracks at the end of the grand corridor. The heavy stack of business ledgers tucked beneath my arm suddenly felt way much heavier than they were, but my grip on them tightened until my knuckles turned stark white.My eyes locked onto Iris standing right on the threshold of my son's private room.It was barely past sunrise. She was in her blue servant uniform, her hair pinned back, looking small and fragile in the morning light—yet she was standing less than an inch away from Liam. He had his hand wrapped firmly around her wrist. His silk robe was loose across his chest, his hair tousled, and he was leaning down toward her with a look I had never seen on his face before.A dark, violent surge of heat slammed straight into my chest, hot and uninvited.I had spent my entire life controlling everything around me—my company, my estate, my family, my own emotions. I was a man of logic, a man who never let personal desire cloud his judgment. But looking at her standi
LIAMI hadn't slept a single minute, and I had never felt more alive.Standing by the grand arched window of my suite, watching the gray morning light bleed across the estate grounds, my blood was still singing. Every inch of my skin felt charged, keyed up on the unforgettable, intoxicating memory of last night.Iris.Just thinking her name brought the thrilling heat rushing back to my gut. God, she was incredible. I’d had my share of women—spoiled, polished heiresses who moved like choreographed dancers and expected everything to be neat and polite—but none of them had ever undone me like she did.Iris was pure, unfiltered magic wrapped in a plain maid’s dress.My mind kept replaying the exact moment I had her pressed against the wall of that narrow hallway, her small hands clutching my shoulders while her body surrendered to mine. She was built like a secret. Underneath those uniform dresses she wore to hide herself from the world, she had the most unbelievable curves. Lush, wide hi
IRISI try so hard to blink my facial features to normal as an elegant woman walked into the parlor. She wore a tailored, expensive emerald dress that hugged her curves perfectly, her diamond jewelry catching the light. Her beautiful face twisted into immediate disgust the moment her eyes landed on
IRISA loud, aggressive banging on the door jarred me out of sleep. I groaned, dragging myself up to sit as Agatha’s sharp voice cut straight through the wood."Get up! Come out here right now, Iris!"My mind scrambled for a second before reality hit me. I wasn't at the orphanage anymore. I jumped
IRISThe engine roared, cutting off whatever sound I thought I heard behind me. I watched the car speed down the driveway and turn onto the private narrow road.My heart sank. Eli was gone, and I hadn't even got to look at his face.What is wrong with you? I mentally scolded myself, my face heating
IRISThe heavy iron gates of St. Luke’s Orphanage screeched as they swung open. For twenty years, that sound meant someone else was leaving. Today, it was for me.I clutched my small canvas bag against my chest, the fabric rough against my palms. Inside were three plain dresses, two pairs of worn s







