Chapter 3: Secrets in the Thermal Pool

The next morning, Vivian woke wrapped in silk sheets in Arthur’s master suite. The bed still smelled of him—cedarwood and raw sex. She smiled, a deep, primal satisfaction settling into her bones. But as she sat up, the reality of the situation rushed back.

​She put on a plush robe and walked down to the library to continue working on the cipher. But as she approached, she heard voices.

​"She’s getting too close, Arthur," a cold, sharp voice said. It was Victor, Arthur’s trusted security chief and a longtime associate of her father. "If she decodes those coordinates, she’ll realize what her father was actually doing. She’ll realize we were the ones who authorized the transfers."

​"I am handling her, Victor," Arthur’s voice replied, cold and detached. "She trusts me. She’s currently in my bed. Once she decrypts the final location of the ledger, I will take care of the rest. Keep your men ready."

​Vivian’s heart stopped. Her blood turned to ice in her veins.

​Handling her. In my bed. Take care of the rest.

​The passionate night, the whispered declarations, the worshipful touches... all of it was a lie. Arthur was using her to find the ledger her father had hidden, the ledger that presumably held the evidence of their financial crimes and her father's murder.

​Tears of betrayal pricked her eyes, but she forced them back, replaced by a cold, burning rage. She quietly slipped back to her room, her mind racing. She had to decode the final coordinate herself, find the ledger, and get out of this house.

​By afternoon, Arthur found her by the indoor thermal pool—a massive, subterranean grotto of black stone, heated by natural hot springs and surrounded by lush, tropical ferns. The air was thick with warm steam, creating an ethereal, private sanctuary.

​Vivian was sitting on the edge of the pool, her legs dangling in the turquoise water, wearing a tiny, emerald-green bikini that left little to the imagination. She had to play the part. She had to make him believe she was still entirely under his spell.

​"You look deep in thought," Arthur said, walking out of the steam. He wore only a black silk robe, loosely tied, revealing his hard, chiseled chest.

​"Just thinking about last night," Vivian said, forcing a sultry smile to her lips, though her heart was hammering with fear and anger. "It felt... forbidden. But perfect."

​Arthur walked up behind her, kneeling to press a hot kiss to the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. "There is nothing forbidden about us, Vivian. Not anymore."

​He untied his robe, letting it pool on the stone floor, and slid into the warm water. He swam to her, his massive hands finding her waist and pulling her down into the water with him.

​The contrast of the cool air and the hot water was intoxicating, but nothing compared to the heat of Arthur’s body pressing against hers. He pulled her flush against him, his hard erection pressing against her belly through her thin bikini.

​"You decrypted another section of the journal today, didn't you?" Arthur asked softly, his fingers tracing her spine.

​"I did," she lied smoothly, her hands wrapping around his neck. "The ledger is hidden in the old chapel on the edge of the estate. But we need to wait for the equinox—the alignment of the sun through the stained glass reveals the exact brick."

​"Fascinating," Arthur murmured, his eyes locking onto her lips. "Your father was always a theatrical man."

​He leaned in, kissing her with a slow, seductive passion that made Vivian’s resolve tremble. Despite what she had heard, her body betrayed her, aching for his touch, desperate for the illusion of his love.

​Arthur’s hands slid down to the ties of her bikini top, pulling them free. The fabric floated away, exposing her breasts to the warm water and his burning gaze.

​"You are a drug to me, Vivian," he growled, his mouth descending on her breast. He sucked her wet nipple, his hand sliding down to slip inside her bikini bottoms.

​He found her already dripping wet, her body reacting to him with a primal urgency she couldn't control. He lifted her, placing her on the edge of the submerged stone bench. He stripped her bottoms away, his gaze drinking in her fully exposed, slick beauty.

​"Arthur," she whimpered, half in pleasure, half in agony at the betrayal.

​He positioned himself, lifting her hips, and plunged deep inside her. The sensation of his thick, hot length entering her in the warm water was mind-shattering. Vivian let out a loud, echoing cry, her head falling back against the wet stone wall as Arthur began to pump inside her with a fierce, desperate rhythm.

​The water sloshed over them, lubricating their joined bodies, making every thrust slick and incredibly deep. Arthur gripped her hips, his thrusts violent and possessive, driving her closer and closer to the edge.

​"Tell me you love me, Vivian," Arthur growled, his face tight with pleasure as he stared down at her. "Say it."

​"I... I love you, Arthur," she sobbed, the truth of it tearing through her chest even as she knew he was her enemy.

​With a loud growl, Arthur thrust deep, sending her over the edge into a violent, shaking climax. He followed her instantly, his body rigid as he came deep inside her, his hot release mixing with the warm water of the pool.