LOGINKarios’s hands were still on her. His grip was firm—one hand wrapped around her waist, the other pressed against her ass.
Sorcha’s fingers remained on his crotch, twitching slightly. A slow, knowing smile curled her lips. Neither of them moved. Neither of them breathed. The air between them was thick and suffocating. Then, footsteps were heard approaching, and Karios’s jaw ticked. It was Elena. Sorcha must have realized it too because she let out a small, fake gasp and quickly pulled away—but it was too late. Elena entered the room just as Karios stepped back, her gaze flickering between them, eyebrows pulling together. “What’s going on?” Sorcha exhaled and said in an innocent voice, “I tripped.” Karios kept his voice unreadable. “She almost fell, so I caught her.” Which wasn’t a lie. Elena looked at them suspiciously, then brushed it off. “I’m done. We can go now.” As Karios turned to leave with her, Sorcha whispered just loud enough for him to hear as he passed her. "You liked it." His stomach tightened. But he said nothing. Nor did he reveal anything on his face. He wouldn’t let her win. --- The Next Day... Sorcha stretched lazily, her nails running over her exposed thigh as she lay sprawled on the couch, her mind on Karios as usual. Ava and Celeste sat beside her, flipping through magazines. They were the only best friends she had from university since she hated making friends. Her university was currently on a national holiday, which was why they were home. “I saw Karios’s name in the news again,” Ava smirked, tapping a headline. "Your daddy’s best friend is getting richer by the second." She was a blue-haired brunette, slim, sexy, and a party girl. Sorcha hummed as if uninterested. “Of course he is.” Celeste raised an eyebrow. “You talk about him a lot.” She had dark hair, was timid, and had a small stature—a typical bookworm. “And so?” Sorcha said, looking at them boredly. Ava grinned widely. “I think you have a little crush.” Sorcha tilted her head back, smiling. If only they knew. But she didn’t say anything. Ava nudged her. “Come on, let’s go out tonight. New club, VIP section, and hot guys everywhere.” Sorcha yawned. “Not interested.” Celeste laughed. “She’s not interested this time. Go alone.” Sorcha only smiled, swirling her drink in her glass. There was only one man she wanted. But he was off-limits. Well, not for long. --- Karios sat in his office chair, phone pressed to his ear. “Have the contracts reviewed by Monday,” he said, his voice firm. “I don’t want any mistakes.” “Yes, sir.” His assistant’s voice crackled through the line. He ended the call, exhaling slowly. For hours, he had been drowning himself in work—anything to keep his mind off her. But it wasn’t working. Still, he refused to let her get to him. There was too much at stake. His phone buzzed again. It was his wife, Elena, calling. He stared at the screen for a while, lost in thought, before answering. “Are you coming home for dinner?” she asked, her voice emotionless. “I have a dinner meeting.” There was a pause. Then a short, “Fine.” And the call went dead. Karios leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temple. His marriage had become nothing but mere formalities. And he didn’t have the energy to fix it. Not like they had married for love in the first place. It was a business marriage, after all. --- Late that night, asleep in bed, Sorcha shifted under the sheets, her breath coming faster, her skin burning. In her dream, Karios was on top of her. His hands gripped her thighs, his breath hot against her ear. She whimpered as he kissed her neck, holding her wrists up roughly, his voice deep and rough. "You wanted to be punished, didn’t you?" Her body arched against him, longing for more of what he had to offer. “Yes, Daddy…” He slowly slid down between her legs— And then his mouth was on her. Her moans filled the air, her nails digging into his back as she pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around his neck, her body shaking in pleasure. “Oh, fuck. Harder, Daddy. Deeper. Yes, right there. Yes, Daddy—” BANG. The door was pushed open. Sorcha’s eyes snapped open. Her heart pounded wildly. Who had pushed the door open this late at night? She sat up quickly, still breathless, her body still aching from the dream. A tall figure stood in the doorway. She squinted against the darkness. Her stomach knotted, fingers clenching the sheets as cold dread washed over her. She swallowed hard, heart hammering against her ribs. It was her father. “Daddy…” She called out hesitantly. Damien stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable. But the slight twitch in his jaw betrayed something. Was it… anger? How long had he been standing there? Had she moaned Karios’s name in her sleep? Her breath hitched as panic gripped her chest. His gaze swept over her. "You're awake." Sorcha forced a small, casual smile, ignoring the wild thumping of her heart. "Yes. Just woke up." A long pause. “Sorry for waking you up. I needed to discuss something with you.” Then he came to sit on the bed with her and narrowed his eyes. "You've been acting strange lately." Her stomach tightened in nerves. "What do you mean?" "You're not always around. You avoid conversations with me. And you’ve been too distracted lately. This is not like you." She swallowed hard. "I'm fine. Just been busy with school. But why do you suddenly seem to care? You never really had time for me. You’re always busy with work and barely home. And now you're asking me what's wrong? What changed?" She looked at him, waiting for an answer. "Sweetheart, you know how demanding my job is. Everything I do, I do for you—to give you a better life." Her father reached out to touch her, but she moved away. “You claim you’re doing this for me, but are you really?” “It’s as if I don’t have a father. I don’t feel any paternal love from you, Dad. You only keep giving me money. Money can’t buy everything, you know. And it definitely can’t buy the affection that I lack.” “Sorcha, I…” Her father tried explaining, but she didn’t give him a chance. “Just leave, Dad. I want to sleep.” For a moment, something flickered in Damien’s eyes. Regret? But just as quickly, it was gone—replaced by the same distant father she had always known. He remained silent for a minute, then sighed. "Fine. Get some rest." And just as he made to stand up, her phone buzzed with an incoming message. On the screen saver was Karios’s picture. Though it wasn’t showing his face. Her blood ran cold. And her father froze—still bent as if about to get up, eyes locked on the screen. His expression was neutral. But his eyes… They stayed on her phone too long. Scanning. Processing. A muscle in his cheek twitched—barely noticeable. But she saw it. And her stomach dropped.Sorcha lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, a faint smile playing on her lips as her thoughts drifted back to Karios. His voice. His hands. The way he had looked at her that afternoon, like she was the only thing anchoring him to the world. She hugged a pillow to her chest, imagining the life they had whispered about, the days ahead when no one could pull them apart again.Downstairs, the television volume suddenly spiked.“Sorcha!”Her father’s voice cut through the house, sharp and thunderous.She jolted upright, her heart leaping into her throat. Fear crawled up her spine as she swung her legs off the bed. Something was wrong. She hadn’t heard him shout like that since the night he grounded her.Her phone buzzed on the bedside table but she didn’t see it.“Sorcha! Get down here now!”She hurried out of her room and down the stairs, stopping short when she reached the living room. Damien stood rigid in front of the television, his face drained of color, his fists clenched so tigh
Sorcha stood frozen for a moment, watching Karios like she was afraid he might disappear if she blinked. Tears slid freely down her cheeks. He looked thinner, rougher, like the weight of the world had settled into his bones. The sight of him shattered what little strength she had left. She crossed the distance between them in a rush and threw herself into his arms.Karios caught her tightly, as if his body had been waiting for hers. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in like oxygen. His arms locked around her, crushing her to his chest, afraid that if he loosened his grip she would be taken from him again. The days without her had been unbearable, long nights soaked in alcohol and regret, mornings that felt pointless. Holding her now felt like coming back to life.Neither of them noticed the man sitting in the far corner of the café, his phone lifted just enough to catch the angle. The soft click of the camera went unnoticed. Outside, across the street, Elena leaned against
The house was silent when they returned.Damien didn’t say another word after dragging Sorcha inside. He led her straight down the hallway, past the framed family photos and the staircase she had grown up running down barefoot, and stopped in front of her bedroom door.“Go in,” he said, his voice hard.Sorcha stood frozen, her eyes swollen, her face streaked with tears. “Dad, please. Just let me explain.”“There’s nothing to explain,” he replied without looking at her. “Go in.”She stepped inside on shaking legs. Before she could turn back, the door shut behind her with a sharp click. Moments later, she heard the lock slide into place.Her chest tightened.“Dad?” she called, rushing to the door and rattling the handle. “Dad, please don’t do this.”There was no answer.Heavy footsteps moved away.Panic surged through her. She ran to the window and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. The handle had been locked too. She pressed her forehead against the glass, staring down at the dar
After Karios left Sorcha’s father’s house, he drove aimlessly through the streets, his mind a tangled mess.He didn’t understand why he felt so torn. It wasn’t as if he loved Elena—the woman he loved was Sorcha. Yet he had pushed her away and driven off without a word.Damien had been his best friend since childhood. Elena had been his wife for over ten years.The betrayal cut deeper than he could put into words.The thought that Damien could laugh with him, drink with him, and still sleep with his wife made his chest tighten painfully. But the bitterness didn’t stop there. He wasn’t innocent either. He had crossed an unforgivable line by falling in love with his best friend’s daughter.Everything felt wrong.He couldn’t continue being friends with Damien after this. He couldn’t stay married to Elena either. Their marriage had been arranged, built on convenience and benefit, not love.But if he cut ties with them, he would lose Sorcha too.The thought alone made his hands tighten arou
Damien looked at Sorcha with clear disappointment etched across his face.“What do you mean you love him?” he demanded. “He’s years older than you, Sorcha. He’s my best friend. How could you fall in love with him?”His voice rose, sharp and unfamiliar. It was the first time in a long while he had spoken to her like this.Beside him, Elena stood quietly, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she watched the exchange between father and daughter unfold.Sorcha stood frozen in front of her father, her gaze fixed on the floor.“I’m sorry, Dad,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t control my heart. But I love him, and I’m not ready to let him go.”Her hands trembled at her sides as she spoke, fear curling in her chest, but she forced the words out anyway. She had to make her stance clear.“You—” Damien raised his hand.Time seemed to freeze.Sorcha’s breath caught. Elena stiffened, shock flashing across her face. Neither of them had expected it. Damien had never raised a hand to S
Karios stood frozen in the doorway, his hand still gripping the doorframe as if it were the only thing keeping him upright. The sight before him refused to make sense, even though every detail was painfully clear. The tangled sheets. Elena scrambling to cover herself. Damien standing bare-chested beside the bed, his face draining of color.For a moment, no one spoke.“Elena…” Karios said finally, his voice low and disbelieving.She gasped, clutching the sheet to her chest. “Karios, wait—please, this isn’t—”Damien moved first. He stepped forward quickly, hands raised in a helpless gesture. “Listen to me. I can explain. Just give me a second, please.”Karios took a step into the room. Then another. His gaze never left Damien’s face. “Explain what?” he asked quietly. “Explain why you’re in my bed with my wife?”Elena shook her head frantically. “Karios, don’t listen—”The punch came fast and brutal. Damien didn’t even have time to react before Karios’s fist slammed into his jaw, sending







