Chapter 12

"Be rest assured, I’ll assist with everything, Master Eden. She won’t set foot outside this room again," Camilla whispered. The middle-aged maid kept her eyes glued to the floor, her voice a mixture of professional duty and practiced fear.

"Good."

Eden stepped back into the room, the heavy oak door clicking shut with a finality that made the air feel still. He turned his gaze toward the bed. Anna looked peaceful, her breathing rhythmic and slow—but he knew her better than that. She was a terrible liar.

He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the mattress, the weight of his body dipping the silk sheets. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he allowed himself to touch her. His thumb traced the line of her jaw before settling on her bottom lip, dragging slowly across the plush skin.

Her brows furrowed, and her dark lashes trembled against her cheeks. Eden’s lips pulled into a dark, knowing smirk. He leaned down until his breath fanned across her face, hot and smelling of expensive tequila.

"I know you're awake, Teacup," he murmured, his voice a low vibration.

He began to tease her, his nose brushing against hers as his hand slid beneath the hem of her top. His fingertips danced over the soft skin of her stomach, circling higher and higher. Anna let out a tiny, involuntary hitched breath. When his lips finally landed on her cheek, she flushed a deep, dusty rose.

Then he shifted, his mouth finding the sensitive shell of her ear. He didn't just kiss it; he drew the lobe into his mouth, his tongue swirling in a slow, agonizing rhythm.

"Eden... stop," she whispered. She tried to sound angry, but the words came out as a breathless, squeaky plea. Her body was betraying her, arching toward him, her mind screaming: Don't stop. Do that everywhere.

"I assumed you were asleep," he rasped into her ear, his teeth grazing her skin.

"You’re disturbing my peace, Mr. Vilonia," she panted, her eyes finally fluttering open to meet his dark, predatory gaze.

"Look at you," he chuckled, his hand moving higher. "Look how I make you feel. Admit it... you missed me."

The arrogance in his voice stung. She had missed him—missed the way his kiss made the world tilt. But he had also spent weeks ignoring her, treating her like a ghost in her own life. Before she could snap back, Eden moved with the fluid grace of a panther, rolling her over until she was pinned beneath his heavy frame.

He grinned, clearly proud of the effect he had on her.

"You ignored me for days after that night," she accused, her voice trembling. "Why?"

The grin vanished. Eden sat upright, pulling her with him so she was straddled across his lap, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He cupped her face, and she couldn't help but lean into the warmth of his palm.

"I’m going to hurt you, Hale," he said, his voice suddenly grave. "If we keep doing this... if I keep letting myself want you like this, you’ll get caught in the crossfire. I don't want that."

Her heart hammered against her ribs. "Is this about Jennie?"

He let out a dark, dry chuckle. "I’ll burn that bitch to ash if she ever touches you again. That’s not what I mean." He leaned in, his eyes burning. "I’m a dangerous man. Once I bite, I leave a permanent mark. My silence was a warning. But something about you makes me want to keep you by my side forever."

"Then keep me," she challenged, the words escaping before she could stop them.

He shook his head, a smirk returning to his lips. "I’m danger, Anna."

"I love danger," she breathed, her voice shaky but determined.

Eden didn't hesitate. He crashed his mouth against hers, a collision of vanilla and strawberry from her lips and the smoke and tequila from his. It was a hungry, desperate thing. He gripped the back of her head, tilting it to give him total access to the column of her throat.

His teeth sank into the junction of her shoulder and neck, biting just hard enough to make her gasp before he sucked the skin into a dark, bruised mark. Anna let out a low moan, her fingers tangling in his hair as she began to grind her hips against the hard, demanding length of him.

"Oh, Anna..." he groaned against her skin.

He reached for the hem of her top, ripping it over her head in one swift motion. He froze for a second, his eyes traveling over her  big chest, her nipples bright pink and hardened by the moment, taking in the sight of her breathing heavily, her skin flushed and beckoning.

"Damn, you’re beautiful," he rasped, his voice thick with lust. "No wonder Ethan can't stay away."

He pressed her back into the pillows, hovering over her as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, his eyes locked on hers, watching her touch her hardened pink nipples. He was leaning down to claim her mouth again when the door didn't just open—it shattered the silence as it hit the wall.

Anna froze, pulling the sheets up to her chin in a blind panic. Eden didn't even flinch. He slowly turned his head toward the door, his eyes cold as ice as he looked at the man standing in the frame,  then he took in Anna's mouth while staring at his mirrored twin. 

Anna pushed him off covering herself to be ..... Decent.

"You seem to love interrupting me, dear brother," Eden drawled.

Ethan stood there, his face a mask of pale fury. His eyes weren't on Eden; they were fixed on Anna, and the look in them was a jagged mix of disappointment, betrayal, and raw pain.

"Father wishes for us to come home," Ethan said, his voice clipped and robotic. "And for you to let the girl go."

"She’s still recovering, and—"

"It seems she’s fully recovered," Ethan interrupted, his eyes raking over the disheveled bed and Anna’s flushed face. "As I have just witnessed."

Something inside Anna broke. She felt a wave of crushing guilt, as if she had been caught cheating, even though she and Ethan were nothing. The coldness in his voice was worse than Eden's rage.

"Tell Dad she isn't recovered," Eden said mockingly, running his fingers through Anna’s hair. "Go on, Anna. Tell him."

Anna looked down, her face burning with shame, unable to find her voice.

"I’ve delivered the message," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a whisper that felt like a blade. "Father is waiting. Miss Hale, you start work tomorrow. 9:00 AM sharp."

Their eyes met for a fleeting second. She gave a small, jerky nod. Without another word, Ethan turned on his heel and walked out.

Eden leaned in, trying to tilt her chin up for a kiss. "You want me to drop you off?"

"No," she snapped, scrambling off the bed. She didn't look at him as she bolted for the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her lips were swollen, her neck was marked, and her eyes were brimming with tears. She leaned against the sink and cried silently, wondering why her heart was hurting for the twin who had just walked out, while her body was still humming from the one still in her bed.

Was she falling for both Vilonia brothers? Or was the obsession finally starting to destroy her?