Chapter Two

My stomach dropped. I forced my shoulders straight, swallowing hard as I made my way toward the bedroom.

"It was fine," I said, my voice thin. "Just really loud. I'm going to take a shower."

"Don't sleep the whole day away," Arthur called out, not looking up. "Emergency board meeting at headquarters at ten. I need you there."

I spent an hour in the shower scrubbing my skin, trying to wash away the memory of what happened, but it stayed stuck beneath my flesh. Panic cleared the worst of my hangover by nine. I put on a tailored suit, pulled my hair back into a tight bun, held on to my corporate bag, and put on my glasses, focusing on looking like the collected wife Arthur expected.

The executive meeting was already under way when I arrived. Holding my head high, I slipped quietly into the back of the conference room just as Arthur finished speaking at the head of the table.

"And so," Arthur said, his voice echoing across the room, "it is my privilege to announce the new Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Global."

I took an empty seat near the front, giving Arthur an encouraging nod and a practiced smile. But as he turned toward the side door, my chest tightened. It felt like the floor dropped out from under me.

"My son," Arthur said. "Stefan Sterling."

The room broke into applause as a man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped through the door. My hands went cold. Completely rattled, I forced myself to stand up with the rest of the board to clap.

It was the man from the club.

He looked around the room, scanning faces until his eyes stopped on me. For a second, his professional expression broke—his eyes widening just enough for me to know he recognized me—before he pulled his composure back. He walked toward Arthur, pulled his father into a brief hug, and took his place at the head of the table without missing a beat.

He was my husband’s estranged son. My stepson.

He stared at me through the entire meeting, making it impossible for me to sit comfortably. The dark, knowing look in his eyes told me everything. He was remembering last night—the wild shift in energy the second the private room door had locked, the way I was riding on him, the way I had pressed my finger to his lips to keep him quiet while he moaned heavily, begging me not to stop. Sitting across from me now in a sterile corporate room, watching me play the submissive wife to his own father, his eyes practically burned with hot, unspoken amusement.

When the meeting ended, I headed straight for the private garage, desperate to get out of the building. I got into my car, set my bag on the passenger seat, and reached for the ignition.

Before I could shift into drive, a hand caught the open driver-side window.

Stefan leaned down, looking through the glass with an easy grin. "Hi. I'm Stefan. Nice to meet you formally."

I swallowed hard, my fingers locking around the steering wheel in total silence.

He looked at my rigid posture, his smile turning slightly amused. "I was told we should coordinate on the foundation budget, but I don't think this is a great time. I'll see you at dinner tonight."

He patted the roof of the car twice and stepped back. I pulled out of the garage immediately, driving off like I was running from a ghost.

By eight that evening, I was standing by the penthouse window, staring out at the city lights with a glass of water when the front door unlocked.

Arthur walked in carrying a small jewelry box. His white hair was neatly trimmed, and beneath his suit was a surprisingly fit frame for his age. The scent of rich, smooth tobacco clung to him. He was the kind of man who carried authority without saying a word, and despite everything, I had once fallen for that quiet power.

"I owe you an apology, darling," Arthur said, looking down at me with a soft smile. "Springing the CEO announcement on you at the last minute wasn't fair. I should have told you earlier."

I opened the box, keeping my eyes fixed on the glittering bracelet inside while my mind spun elsewhere. "It's beautiful, Arthur," I said quietly.

"You deserve it," he said, setting his drink down. He came up behind me, sliding his hands over my shoulders and turning me around to kiss my neck before leading me toward the bedroom.

As Arthur undressed me and pushed me back against the sheets, I closed my eyes, trying to focus on my husband. But as his hands moved over my skin, my thoughts drifted right back to the night before.

I didn't feel a thing as I pretended to moan. All I could feel was the rough grip of Stefan from the club, and all I could taste was the whisky on his mouth.

Arthur had preferences in bed that often left me wondering where a man his age found the stamina. Our time together always started slow and steady, but it inevitably turned into something painful. Even though he always asked for my consent, I decided to bite the bullet. The experience was always something I just endured and couldn't wait to end.

He put on a mask while keeping me blindfolded, a tight collar restricting my airflow and a gag muffling my voice. Watching me plead to be released, he snapped the chain on my nipple clamps as he fucked me. With the shackles on my wrists and ankles restraining my every struggle and shuddered breath, I squeezed my eyes shut behind the blindfold, forcing myself to mentally escape the pain.

Instead of focusing on the moment, I let my mind wander back to that one memorable night in my life. The thought of that night was a salve to my soul, leaving me no choice but to submit.