His Little Temptress

Lila Sinclair stepped into her godfather’s villa, the click of her heels echoing softly against polished marble floors. The house smelled faintly of fresh flowers and aged wood, with carved pillars and tall arched windows that reached toward the ceiling.The villa had the warmth and quiet elegance of a rich old Italian home, the kind built in another era but still breathing with life.Sunlight poured through the tall arched windows, painting golden patterns across the entrance hall but it was her radiant smile that seemed to light up the space. She held her suitcase in one hand, her posture relaxed, her eyes bright with what looked like excitement.“Look who we finally have here.”Lila heard his voice, smooth and unmistakably familiar, and her smile widened as she turned around. He was descending the grand staircase, every step as confident and elegant as she remembered.“Uncle,” she called out. Dropping her suitcase without a second thought, she hurried over and wrapped her arms arou

Damien inhaled from his cigarette and let the smoke drift out through his nostrils. He rolled the butt between his fingers, then flicked it once with his thumb before letting it fall into the ashtray resting on the bonnet of his car. An iPad was in his other hand as he waited for the call to connect.As soon as it did, his friend’s worried face filled the screen.“Why are you calling so early, Wolfe? Is there a problem? Do you think she can’t stay with you?” Lucien asked, his voice matching the concern in his expression.Damien scoffed and tilted his head back, eyes on the sky before returning his gaze to the only person he could call his brother and best friend.“Listen to me, Lucien,” he began, his tone firm but not as cold as usual. “Tell me the truth about that woman. Sorry, I mean the girl you brought here for me to look after.”He licked his lower lip and went on. “Are you telling me the same girl you took in seventeen or eighteen years ago—”“Twenty,” Lucien cut in.Damien’s ey

“Call your boss before I can step out of this place?” she repeated, her face twisting into a frown.The men nodded, and Lila scoffed.“I don’t have his phone number,” she said through clenched teeth, her nose flaring.“Then that’s it, ma’am. I’m coming with you. Let me go get the car keys,” Graves replied and jogged into the house.Lila seethed. Her hands curled so tightly her nails nearly pierced her palms, but she didn’t even realize the pain.Thorne watched her, then let out a quiet huff.“I’ll come with you too,” he said as soon as Graves returned with the keys.“What do you mean? The boss assigned me to follow her around, not you,” Graves shot back.“There’s nothing wrong with both of us going, Graves. Or do you have any ulterior motives?” Thorne asked, his voice low and tense, anger flickering in his eyes.Without warning, Graves sent a punch to Thorne’s jaw. “I’m not like you, asshole,” he gritted out. Thorne slowly ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and gave Graves

Damien muttered a string of curses under his breath, then suddenly seized Yelena’s hands in one strong grip and glared down at her.“Stop acting like a fucking bitch, Yelena. Just stop, It doesn’t suit you,” he said through clenched teeth, his voice low as if he didn’t want Lila to hear. “I told you from the start that I can’t fucking love you. So what is it now? Are you doing this to win Makaim’s favor again?”Yelena sniffled. “My uncle has turned his back on me all because of you, Wolfe!” she shrieked.Damien quickly clamped a firm hand over her mouth, stealing another glance in Lila’s direction.Yelena flinched, surprised by the sudden move. She turned her head toward where he was looking and saw Lila. She stood a few feet away in the hallway, dressed in black running shorts and a white tank top. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, yet she looked effortlessly beautiful, as if she didn’t even try.Yelena as a girl admitted to herself that the young girl was more beautiful than she

The following morning, Lila sat alone in the dining room, quietly picking at her breakfast. Her expression was distant, and there was a heaviness in her eyes that made her look far away. She hadn’t slept a wink at all.All night, she had been caught in her thoughts, trying to figure out how to get through to Damien. The idea of drawing him in felt impossible, but it was the only chance she had. The only way to get close to him. However, he had only seemed more distant, slipping further out of reach no matter how she tried.The night before, when Damien hadn’t come down for dinner and Anya, the housekeeper, had left for an urgent matter after finishing the cooking, Lila decided to take the initiative. She brought dinner to Damien’s doorstep, hoping to see him. But he refused to come out, saying he wasn’t hungry. Feeling disheartened, Lila stood there for a moment, then turned away without seeing him.Sighing, Lila set her spoon down and sat up straighter as the sound of footsteps appro