Chapter Five: The Weight of Sin

I barely made it back to the room before I slammed the door behind me, the quiet click of the lock echoing in the stillness.

My chest heaved, lungs burning as I leaned against the door, trying to regain control.

But it was harder than I thought. Far harder.

Every breath was a reminder of what I had just done, what I had let happen.

I ran a hand through my hair, pushing back the tangled mess of emotions threatening to consume me. But no matter how many times I tried to shake it off, one thought kept forcing its way into my mind.

Ivy.

Goddamn Ivy.

I knew I was spinning the moment I stepped off that private jet. I knew I was losing control.

But I never thought I would lose this much.

Sleeping with Victor’s fiancée.

Twice.

I couldn’t get her out of my head, the feel of her body crushed against mine, the heat of her skin, the desperate way she kissed me back.

And that look in her eyes… raw, uncertain, but filled with unmistakable want.

She wasn’t just some conquest. She was something else.

Something I shouldn’t even want.

I had never believed in love. Never believed in marriage or family.

Sex was all I offered, and I offered it well.

But Ivy… Ivy was different.

I never craved a woman’s body the way I craved hers.

And I never, never fucked the same woman twice in twenty-four hours.

I cursed under my breath, pushing off the door and striding toward the window.

The city lights twinkled below, mocking me.

I pressed my hand against the cold glass, trying to steady my racing pulse.

I’d made a mistake.

A huge one.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the need to have her again.

But she wasn’t mine to take.

She was Victor’s fiancée.

Victor, the golden boy. The marriageable one.

And me? I was the bad boy. The broken one. The one who ruined everything he touched.

I had crossed a line.

But fuck, it felt so good.

I turned away from the window, trying to focus on anything else. But the darkness of the room only made it worse.

Every thought circled back to her.

To the way she let me in without hesitation.

I grabbed the glass of whiskey from the side table, taking a long, steady sip.

The burn down my throat was the only thing that dulled the fire raging under my skin.

I couldn’t believe I let it happen.

Couldn’t believe she did, too.

There was no undoing it.

No pretending it didn’t happen.

The damage was done.

And now, there was only one option, distance myself.

Push the memory of Ivy Lancaster out of my mind.

I had to.

For both our sakes.

But even as I told myself that, deep down, I knew the truth:

I didn’t want to stay away.

Not after the way she made me feel.

I took another drink, trying to wash away the ache tightening in my chest, but it clung to me.

The damn ache didn’t fade, and neither did the thought of her.

I paced the room, frustration burning through my veins.

She was supposed to be off-limits.

She was Victor’s.

And Victor, sweet little Victor, was more dangerous than anyone knew.

Just like Father.

If he ever found out about us, he wouldn’t just punish me.

He would punish Ivy.

He would make her pay every single day for what we did.

I slammed the glass down, my fists clenching at my sides.

I couldn’t touch her again.

I wouldn’t.

Not because I didn’t want her.

But because I couldn’t damn her to a lifetime of Victor’s cruelty.

Because no matter how badly I craved Ivy Lancaster,

I knew if Victor ever found out…

He’d destroy her.

And I couldn’t…wouldn’t…let that happen.