Chapter 2: Poisoned Honey and Forbidden Thrills

His eyes flickered. He knew it was an act—if she were truly afraid, she wouldn’t be here. But for some reason he couldn’t explain, he went along with it.

He let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed with himself for his own inexplicable decision. Before the door opened, he sat down on the bed, pulled the covers over himself, and casually picked up a book.

Lana entered, a gentle smile on her face. She wore a modest nightgown and carried a cup of fragrant herbal tea.

“You’re still awake?” She placed the tea on the nightstand, her eyes quickly scanning the room, lingering for a moment on the slightly disheveled bed. She asked, feigning nonchalance, “I was just looking for my niece, Zoe. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

Aaron leaned back against the headboard, his face an emotionless mask. “No.”

His coldness made Lana’s smile falter slightly. She knew this fiancé of hers wasn’t fond of her, but she was confident that no man could resist a woman as beautiful and accommodating as she was. It was only a matter of time.

“Oh, I see… That girl. She’s always running off somewhere, making me worry.” Lana moved closer. “This tea will help you relax. Drink some, it’ll help you sleep.”

Aaron didn’t even glance at her, his voice flat. “I don’t drink tea.”

Just as he finished speaking, he felt it… she was at it again.

A small, cold foot began to slide lightly up his calf.

Aaron’s eyelid twitched, but he gave no other reaction, his face remaining a stoic mask.

Lana, oblivious, continued her monologue. “My brother said you just returned from overseas. You’re probably having trouble adjusting. If you need anything at all, just call me…”

The foot didn’t stop. It crept up to his knee, the toes playfully starting to brush against his inner thigh.

Still, the man was like a statue, completely unmoved.

“I don’t.” Aaron’s patience was wearing thin. He cut her off. “You can go now.”

“Alright, then. I won’t disturb you.” Lana was disappointed but maintained her gentle facade. “Sleep well.”

She smiled, turned, and left, making sure to add one last thing. “If you happen to see Zoe, please tell her to come back to her room soon. I’m very worried.”

The moment the door clicked shut, the mischievous foot under the covers lost its patience. It shot up, kicking him squarely where it counted, even grinding against him for good measure.

Aaron remained motionless, calmly turning a page in his book.

An eternity of silence passed.

Zoe started to feel like something was wrong. She wiggled again, probing with her foot once more.

Still nothing.

The reaction she was expecting… was completely absent.

While she was still frozen in confusion, Aaron leaned down and ripped the covers away.

Zoe stared up at him, a mixture of shock and… a deep, existential bewilderment on her face.

“Looking for something?” He smirked, mocking her. “Need me to turn on a light so you can get a better look?”

Zoe blinked, her eyes darting down again. Still nothing. How was that possible? Was her technique flawed, or was… this man flawed?

She pursed her lips and clicked her tongue.

“Well… you really are hard, aren’t you…”

Hard as in, like a rock. Utterly and completely unmoved.

 ”My, my... you’re a tough nut to crack, aren’t you, Uncle?”

Aaron Kael didn’t spare a second for her teasing. His gaze remained cold, drifting indifferently over her shoulder. “That wound on your shoulder,” he asked, his voice flat. “How did it happen?”

The smile on Zoe Thorne’s lips faltered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly masked it with a shrug of calculated nonchalance. She traced the whip mark lightly with her fingertips.

“Just a little lesson from my elders. In the Thorne family, a disobedient niece earns her stripes. It’s practically tradition.”

Her tone was airy, as if she were discussing a common mosquito bite rather than a deep, jagged welt blooming on her skin.

“Was it Lana?” Aaron asked. He couldn’t quite place why he was curious, and the moment the question left his lips, a flicker of regret crossed his mind.

Zoe didn’t answer with words. Instead, she knelt on the bed and began to crawl toward him, slow and predatory.

“Are you worried about me?” She braced her hands on the mattress, bringing her face inches from his. That intoxicating scent of hers enveloped him once more. “Or is it… pity? Does the big, bad Aaron Kael have a soft spot for a broken doll?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Aaron replied, his voice like ice.

“Good. Because the only thing you should be pitying isn’t me.” Unexpectedly, Zoe reached out, her hand coming to rest over the solid muscle of his chest, right over his heart. “It’s this. Because very soon, it won’t belong to you anymore.”

Before he could react, she leaned down and pressed a ghost of a kiss against the scar on his chest.

It was a shallow kiss, nothing more than the brush of a feather, yet the contact sent a jolt through Aaron’s entire frame.

He gripped her shoulders and shoved her back, his eyes darkening with a frigid intensity. “What the hell do you want, Zoe?”

Zoe only smirked. Far from intimidated, she locked eyes with him. “I know you don’t love my aunt. I know you need a wife who fits the status quo. And I know... you aren’t particularly interested in anything at all. Men like you are the most ruthless kind.”

She straddled his lap, her question blunt and piercing: “If the person doesn’t matter, then why does the name? Why can’t it be me?”

Aaron let out a dry, short laugh, tilting his head back. A spark of genuine amusement flickered in his gut. He had met countless women—the sweet ones, the brilliant ones, the manipulative ones—but none had ever been this brazen.

“And what makes you think you’re qualified? You’re nothing but the Thorne family’s illegitimate secret.”

“Qualified? Illegitimate?” Zoe repeated the words like a mantra. She brushed a finger against his lips, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. “I’m qualified because... I can give you the one thing my aunt never could.”

“And what’s that?”

Zoe didn’t rush to answer. Her hand slid from his chest, trailing down the ridges of his abs until it hooked into the waistband of his lounge pants.

“The thrill.”

She quirked an eyebrow, then suddenly pressed her knee firmly against his heat.

A bolt of raw electricity surged up Aaron’s spine. His jaw tightened, his eyes turned obsidian, and his breath hitched, turning heavy and labored.

He reacted.

That was all Zoe needed to see.

She had successfully planted the seed of desire. That was enough for now.

Sensing the shift in his gaze, Zoe didn’t push her luck. She knew exactly when to stop. This game was only fun if played with precision; moving too fast would ruin the chase. She smiled and slowly withdrew her hand.

She took a step back, then another, deftly escaping the oppressive, heavy atmosphere radiating from him. She turned around with the poise of a woman who hadn’t just committed a scandalous act of provocation.

“It’s late. I’m going back to my room.”

Aaron remained motionless. He didn’t speak, didn’t try to stop her. He simply watched her every move in the shadows.

Just as Zoe reached for the doorknob, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder. The dim glow of the nightlight hit the side of her face, carving her features into a mask of mystery.

“Uncle...” she sang out, her voice sweet as poisoned honey. “Tonight was just the introduction.”

“We have plenty of time. I hope you find me just as fascinating as I find you.”

With that, Zoe opened the door and slipped out like a ghost in the night.

Aaron exhaled a long, heavy breath. He pressed a hand to his chest, right where her cold kiss still seemed to linger.

It had been years. This was the first time anything had piqued his interest besides... his criminal cases.

He truly wanted to see what she was capable of, and just how far she dared to go.

He wanted to peel back her mask and see what lay beneath.

But if the reality turned out to be boring once she was stripped bare... he would discard her without a second thought.