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CHAPTER 8
publish date:
2026-04-18 13:42:26
Latest chapter
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 10
ELARA POVThe drive back from the estate was different. The silence wasn’t a battle anymore; it was heavy with the finality of what had just happened. I held the tin box of letters in my lap like it was made of glass. Alaric drove with his eyes fixed on the road, his grip on the steering wheel tight enough to make his knuckles white. When we entered the penthouse, the air-conditioned chill felt sharper than usual. Alaric went straight to the bar and poured himself a drink, the clinking of ice the only sound in the room. "I have a dinner meeting in an hour," he said, his back to me. "There’s a list of tutors for your economics course on the tablet. Pick one by tomorrow." I set the tin box on the coffee table. "I don't want a tutor, Alaric. I want to talk about what you said at the house." He took a long sip of his drink before turning around. "I said I didn't want you to watch it rot. It’s a practical stance, Elara. There’s nothing more to discuss." "You said you did it for me," I
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 9
ELARA POVThe following morning, the atmosphere in the penthouse was thick with the residue of the night before. Sarah’s interruption had been a bucket of ice water, snapping the tether that had briefly pulled us together. Alaric had buried himself in his study until the early hours, and I had retreated to my room, the heat of his hand still ghosting against my skin. I found him in the dining area, but he wasn’t alone. A man in a tailored grey suit was sitting across from him, sipping coffee while looking over a series of legal documents spread out on the table. "Elara, you’re up," Alaric said. His tone was clipped, stripped of the raw vulnerability he’d shown by the window. "This is Mr. Halloway. He’s the lead appraiser for the Thorne estate." I stopped at the edge of the rug, my hand gripping the strap of my bag. "The appraiser? Already?" Mr. Halloway looked up and offered a polite, professional smile. "Good morning, Ms. Thorne. We’re just finalizing the inventory for the auctio
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 8
ELARA POV Saturday morning arrived with a silence that felt like a physical weight. I stood in the kitchen, staring at the notification on my phone. The SAT prep course was scheduled for 9:00 AM. It was a clear, calculated move to keep my weekends occupied and my world small. Alaric was already at the breakfast bar, his shirt sleeves rolled up, looking through a stack of legal documents. He didn't look like he had slept much, but he still held that annoying air of being completely in control. "The car is waiting downstairs," he said, not lifting his gaze from the papers. "You have five minutes." "I’m not going," I said. I set my phone down on the marble counter with a sharp clink. Alaric paused, his pen hovering over a signature line. He slowly looked up, his eyes cool and level. "We discussed this last night, Elara." "You talked at me last night. That isn't a discussion. I’m already halfway through my junior year. I don't need a prep course to tell me how to take a test I’ve al
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 7
ELARA POVThe silence in the penthouse over the next few days was tactical. Alaric had successfully blocked my attempt at a job, and in return, I gave him nothing but cold efficiency. I followed his schedule. I was at the curb by four. I ate the meals his staff prepared. But I stopped speaking to him unless it was absolutely necessary. By Thursday evening, the tension had reached a boiling point. I was in the library, surrounded by open textbooks I wasn't actually reading, when the heavy glass door slid open. "The silent treatment is getting old, Elara," Alaric said. He wasn't wearing his jacket, and his tie was pulled loose. He looked exhausted, but his presence still commanded the room. I didn't look up from my psychology textbook. "I’m following your rules, Alaric. Rule number three was 'don't get in my way.' I’m staying out of your way." He walked over to the desk and leaned against the edge, forcing me to acknowledge him. "Following the rules doesn't mean you act like a ghost
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 6
ELARA POV The morning light in the penthouse was unforgiving. It hit the white marble floors and the glass walls with a brightness that made my head ache. I had spent most of the night staring at the door, half-expecting Alaric to walk in and apologize, or at least explain why he had almost kissed me before throwing my status back in my face. Neither happened. I walked into the kitchen, my footsteps sounding too loud in the quiet apartment. Alaric was already there. He was sitting at the breakfast bar, a tablet in one hand and a cup of black coffee in the other. He was already fully dressed—charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, tie perfectly knotted. He looked like the gala and the elevator ride hadn't happened at all. "There’s breakfast in the warmer," he said, not looking up from his screen. "And your schedule for the month is on the counter." I walked past the food and picked up the printed sheet. It was a rigorous block of time. Classes, library hours, gym sessions, and a strictl
Tempting Uncle Alaric CHAPTER 5
ELARA POV The elevator climbed in a silence so heavy it felt like the air had been sucked out of the small space. I watched the floor numbers flicker on the display—70, 71, 72—my heart thumping in time with the soft mechanical hum. Beside me, Alaric stood perfectly still. He had loosened his collar earlier, but he still looked like a man made of stone. The scent of his cologne, a mix of rain-soaked wood and expensive leather, filled the small space, making my head spin. Every time the elevator jolted slightly, our shoulders brushed, sending a jolt through my skin that had nothing to do with the gala. When the doors finally chimed and slid open into the penthouse, I stepped out quickly, needing the open space. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed the city lights stretching out like a sea of diamonds, but the apartment felt darker than usual. "Elara." I stopped in the middle of the living room and turned around. Alaric was right behind me. He hadn't turned on the lights. He stood in
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