Chapter Twenty-oneMaisieMy blood rustled against my skin, a cocktail of anger, betrayal, and something far more painful than I wanted to admit. I had already begun my journey of revenge, already crossed lines that couldn’t be undone—but seeing him walk in with her?It cut deeper than I expected.I thought I wouldn’t care about anything he did again, I thought his actions wouldn’t have any effect on me again, but it did. It hurt.I stood there with my legs rooted to the floor, trying not to let the chaos inside me show on my face. I was supposed to be the one doing the betraying now, one that would cut deeper than this. I was supposed to be in control. But here I was, watching Finn parade another woman beside him—smiling, laughing, his hand brushing hers as he led her in. That smile, that genuine, charming smile—I barely saw it on his face.Then came the introductions, like knives slipping through my skin.“This is Vivienne, you can call her Vivi,” he said, his voice light and proud
Chapter TwentyMaisieI couldn’t move at first.I just lay there, my body trembling, my breath still shallow and rough. My thighs were sticky with him, with me, with us—a mess I didn’t want to clean just yet. Not when every inch of my skin still remembered his touch, every inch of me still craved his touch, every part of my body still hummed with the echo of his name.Rafael.God, what am I even doing?What had I done?And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to regret a single second of it.It should’ve been wrong. It was wrong. It was all shades of wrong. He was Finn’s father. My fiancé’s father. He was the father of a man I was going to be married to in a few days. But none of that mattered in those moments when he touched me like I was the most precious thing he had ever held. Hell, none of it mattered when he fucked me like it was going to be his last. None of it mattered when he looked at me like I belonged to him. Because I did.In that moment, I didn’t want to be anyone else’s, but h
Chapter NineteenRafael CarusoMaisie stepped back from me slowly, her eyes never leaving mine as she moved to the center of the room. It was like my eyes on her made her even wetter, I could see her panties sticking to her body like a second skin. She picked up her bag from the bedside and pulled out her phone, she scrolled through it for a few minutes until she started playing a song. Then, with one soft roll of her hips, she started.God, the way she moved—graceful, teasing, like she knew exactly what she was doing to me. She ran her hands over her own body, gliding them down those sexy, hot curves, over the swell of her luscious boobs, to the dip of her waist and hips, before turning around and arching her back so perfectly I clenched my fists just to stay still.Hell, it took every damn control not to go to her and take her right there.Maisie’s ass swayed side to side in slow, teasing circles, begging for my hands, my grip, my bite. She turned again, her fingers slipping under
Chapter Eighteen Rafael CarusoMaisie was now an obsession.My obsession, and there wasn’t a shred of guilt in admitting that. She was mine, and I wanted to keep her with me—by my side—until I had savored every single moment of her.She had become the escape I desperately needed from the thoughts in my head and the heaviness in my heart. Evie, my wife, died years ago. I had to raise a daughter and a son on my own. Even with the help of our family’s housekeeper, Ruby, it never felt the same.Evie was everything to me. My first love. I had gone through hell and back to be with her. I had fought the world—fought battles most wouldn’t survive—just to call her mine. Our life was perfect. We were a beautiful family, and friends like Holden and Isla only made it better. We had looked forward to the day we would welcome our daughter with smiles on our faces, counting down the moments to add another member to our home. We were proud and excited—we even named her before she was born.I had pro
Chapter SeventeenMaisieAfter what felt like an endless ride, the car finally rolled to a stop in front of the mall’s massive garage. I stepped out, grateful to breathe in something that wasn’t the heavy air between Finn and me. The silence we shared wasn’t the peaceful kind—it was dense, suffocating. Like being trapped under water with no hope of coming up for air.And then he did it again.His hand slid over mine, casual but lingering, like he was still that man who used to care—like he was some kind of gentle lover who meant well. And maybe once, I would’ve believed it. Hell, I did believe it, more times than I should’ve. I let gestures like that convince me he loved me. That I was safe with him. Wanted. Chosen.But it was all in my head.The love I thought we shared? Imagined.The trust? One-sided.The loyalty? Never real.I had built my world around illusions and held onto them like they were oxygen. Like they were the only things keeping me afloat through the wreckage that was
Chapter SixteenMaisieI couldn’t remember ever seeing Mr. Caruso before that night at the hotel. That was the first time our paths had crossed—at least, as far as I knew. He hadn’t looked familiar, not even a little spark of recognition. I didn’t even know he was my father-in-law. Which could only mean one thing: he wasn’t connected to my parents. Not as a friend. Not as someone from the past. If anything, it pointed to something darker. He was probably one of them—the people who wanted us gone. One of our enemies.But then again… was he really?Was Rafael Caruso the kind of man who’d be after my brother and me? To hurt us? To finish what someone else had started? God, I hoped not. We hadn’t done anything wrong. The only crime Nash and I had ever committed was being born to the wrong people. The only mistake we made was being loved by two good souls who had the misfortune of crossing the wrong line.And even after they were gone—ripped from us—we still couldn’t get a moment’s peace.
Chapter FifteenMaisie My mind was clouded with doubt and confusion. Who exactly was this man and why was he looking for my bother and me? What does he have to do with us? Why was finding us so important to him? No matter how hard I tried to think about it, I just couldn’t figure it out. I picked up the photograph again, but it slipped from my trembling fingers and fluttered to the desk. My hands were shaking too much to hold it, and my breathing came in uneven gasps. My younger self stared back at me from the glossy paper, alongside Nash, his arm slung protectively over my shoulders. The photo was from years ago, long before we became who we are now. Back when we had different names. Back when our life was perfect. Back when our parents were still alive. Back when our family was the picture of a perfect family.I blinked rapidly, willing the image to make sense, but it didn’t. Nothing made sense.My eyes darted toward Mr. Caruso’s office, where he was seated in his chair, calm and
Chapter FourteenMaisieWhen I opened my eyes, it was like I was in the middle of nowhere, but with a beautiful view. The room was unfamiliar, yet it radiated a quiet luxury that made me pause. The large windows framed a golden sunrise spilling over an expansive view of the countryside. The bed beneath me was far too soft, the sheets too crisp and luxurious. For a moment, I wondered if I was still dreaming.Then it hit me: Mr. Caruso. The pleasure. The pain. The pleasure den. The raw intimacy of the day before. My body still hummed faintly from the memory of his touch, my pussy tingling with the memories of his body, and I let out a shaky breath. But this room…this wasn’t where we’d been yesterday. It was different.I blinked a few times, trying to sharpen my blurry visions, and as I sat up, my eyes landed on a figure near the door. A woman—mid-thirties, probably, dressed professionally, with dark hair neatly pinned back—stood quietly, her hands clasped in front of her. Her presence s
Chapter ThirteenRafael CarusoMaisie didn’t say a word as I carried her through the hallway. She didn’t even ask where we were going, though I could feel the question burning behind her silence. She trusted me—or at least, she wanted to.When we stopped in front of a door, I slid my hand into my pocket, pulling out a key. The lock clicked, and I pushed the heavy door open, revealing the room I’d spent years perfecting even before meeting her. The lighting was low, casting deep shadows against dark wood panels. Leather straps and polished steel hung on the walls, a stark contrast to the plush velvet chaise in the corner. The scent of cedar and faint leather filled the air.I dropped her, closing the door behind us.Maisie stepped inside cautiously, her eyes moving through every detail—the cuffs bolted to the ceiling, the padded bench near the wall, the designed plush chair in the center.If she could read minds, she’d know how hard I wanted to take her using each of these instruments.