Chapter 5: Affair

 Jia's POV

The cold brick wall of the back alley scraped against my bare arms. I was gasping for air. My chest moved up and down so fast it physically hurt. The loud music from the grand ballroom inside the hotel was a dull thump, thump, thump against my ringing ears.

Tonight was Liam's big Vice President promotion ceremony. I wore a beautiful dress. I was ready to support him and smile for the cameras. But instead of walking the red carpet, I spent the last two hours locked inside a dirty storage room near the kitchens. Mia had pushed me inside and locked the heavy door from the outside.

When I finally found a way to call Liam for help, his cold words broke whatever was left of my bleeding heart.

"Stay in there, Jia," Liam had said over the phone, sounding completely bored. "The guests are calling you a charity case. You do not belong in this high society. If you come out to the party, I will only feel deeply embarrassed by you. It is better that you stay locked up."

I eventually broke the old door handle with a metal pipe and ran out the back exit. Now, I was having a massive panic attack in the dark alley alone.

"Jia."

A deep, calm voice cut through the dark. I jumped, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Marcus stepped out of the shadows. He looked incredibly handsome in his black tailored suit. His dark eyes locked onto my shaking body.

"Breathe," Marcus ordered gently, walking closer to me. "Look at me, Jia. Just breathe."

"He left me," I cried wildly, unable to catch my breath. "He left me in a closet. He hates me."

Marcus did not say another word. He closed the distance between us in two large steps. He grabbed my face with his large, warm hands, tilted my head up, and pressed his lips firmly against mine.

I froze. My panic stopped instantly. His kiss was deep, demanding, and completely tasted like dark whiskey and cedarwood. The exact same taste from the pitch-black hotel room two nights ago.

He pulled back slowly. He looked deeply into my wide, shocked eyes.

"It was you," I whispered, my voice shaking for a completely different reason now. "At the hotel... the dark room..."

"Yes," Marcus said flatly. His voice was rough. "It was me, Jia."

My legs went weak. He caught me by the waist, pulling my body flush against his hard chest. He was my husband's older brother. This was completely wrong. But as his strong arms wrapped around me, I felt truly safe for the very first time in years.

Looking up at his handsome, mature face, a deep memory hit my chest. Before my parents died, Marcus was my secret first love. He was the strong, powerful man who always checked on my family. When I was young, I dreamed of a man just like him. When he arranged the marriage between me and his younger brother, I buried those feelings deep down. I agreed to marry Liam because I stupidly thought he would be just like Marcus.

But Liam was not even one percent like Marcus. Liam was weak, cruel, and selfish. My feelings for love had completely died inside that terrible marriage. But right now, feeling Marcus's chest rise and fall against mine, I felt that old, buried love rushing back into my blood like hot fire.

"I will not let anyone hurt you ever again," Marcus said, holding me protectively. But his face quickly changed back to his normal, cold mask. He kept his emotional restraint perfectly. "Not while I am still alive. Come. I am taking you home."

He walked me to his black luxury car. The ride was totally silent. He did not take me back to Liam's penthouse. He brought me to his own massive private estate.

When we walked inside the grand foyer, I stopped at the bottom of the large winding staircase. Marcus stood on the step above me. He looked down at my face. The dim hall light hit the fading bruise on my cheek.

His hand slowly reached out. He almost touched my skin. I held my breath, waiting for his warm fingers. But he stopped. He pulled his hand back quickly and put his cold, emotionless mask firmly back in place.

"It is late," Marcus said, his voice completely empty of the heat from the alley. "If you want to talk about things, you can come up to my room. Goodnight, Jia."

He turned around and walked up the stairs, leaving me alone in the quiet hallway.

I walked into the guest bedroom on the first floor. I sat on the edge of the large bed, staring at the wall. My mind was a complete mess. Just as I started to take off my high heels, my phone buzzed brightly on the nightstand.

I picked it up. It was a text message from Liam.

I am spending the night at Mia's apartment. Everyone at the party already knows. Don't bother waiting up for me, and don't call my phone.

I stared at the glowing screen. He was openly spending the night with his brother's wife. He was flaunting it to the world. He was treating me like absolute garbage.

Something inside my chest finally snapped. It was not a sad break. It was a violent, angry release.

Why was I sitting here crying? Why was I being a loyal, good wife to a man who literally threw me in a closet?

I stood up. I wiped the dry tears off my cheeks. I was done. I was completely done being the good, quiet, worthless girl.

I walked out of the guest room and marched directly up the large staircase. I did not knock on Marcus's door. I just turned the gold handle and pushed it open.

Marcus was standing near the large window. He had taken off his suit jacket and his tie. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top. He turned around, looking surprised to see me.

Before he could even open his mouth to speak, I walked straight up to him, grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him down, and kissed him hard.

He stood frozen for a second. Then, his large hands grabbed my shoulders and firmly pushed me back.

"Jia, stop," Marcus said, his chest rising and falling heavily. "This is not right. We are not doing this."

"Why not?" I asked, looking him right in the eyes.

"Because I am your husband's brother," he said strictly, his jaw tight. "We were both very drunk the other night. We both made a huge mistake. It was a one-time thing. It is not right to do it again."

"A mistake?" I let out a dry, bitter laugh. "You want to talk about what is right? What am I supposed to do, Marcus? Tell me! What do I do when my husband does not love me? What do I do when he insults me every single day, locks me in closets, and sleeps with his brother's wife openly?"

Marcus clenched his hands into fists. "Jia..."

"I am done," I interrupted him, stepping closer so our chests almost touched. "I am done feeling worthless and ugly. He makes me want to die. But you... you are the only one who is making me feel alive. You did it in that hotel room, and you did it in the alley."

Marcus swallowed hard. His dark eyes dropped down to my lips. His self-control was cracking, but he still held on.

"You are angry right now," Marcus warned me, his voice dropping an octave, becoming dark and rough. "You are just trying to get back at Liam. If you walk through this door and get into my bed, there is no going back, Jia. I am not a man who shares what is his."

"I don't want you to share me," I whispered, reaching my hands up to touch his strong, warm neck. "I am choosing you. I am not doing this for revenge against Liam. I am doing this for my own survival. I need you."

I stepped onto my toes and kissed his jaw. "Have an affair with me, Marcus," I proposed boldly.

That was the absolute breaking point.

Marcus's strict restraint completely shattered into a million pieces.

He let out a deep, wild growl. His large hands gripped my waist so hard it almost bruised my skin. He backed me up until my spine hit the heavy wooden door, slamming it shut behind me.

"You asked for this," Marcus breathed heavily against my lips, his eyes burning with dark fire.

"Show me," I teased, my blood running hot. "Show me I made the right choice."

He captured my lips in a punishing, wet kiss. He tasted like pure dominance and raw desire. It was hot, desperate, and so incredibly demanding. He lifted me by my thighs, and I quickly wrapped my legs tightly around his narrow waist.

He carried me to the center of the room and dropped me onto the massive king-sized bed. He followed me down instantly, covering my body with his heavy, muscular frame.

He tore the strap of my nightgown. The silk ripped like paper. His mouth found my neck and his teeth dragged across my skin.

"Tell me how badly you want this." His voice was dark and teasing. His thumbs traced burning circles on my bare waist.

"I am shaking, Marcus." I arched into him. "Can you not feel how badly I want this?"

"I can feel it." He groaned, pulling me harder against him. "But I want to hear you say it."

"I want you to ruin me for every other man alive." I whispered directly into his ear.