Semua Bab Bound By Blood: The Step-Brothers' Temptation: Bab 61 - Bab 70

_Amelie’s POV_The floor was cold. Way too cold but I welcomed it.It reminded me I was still alive.Still here.Santiago’s men had thrown me into my room,Not bothering to see if I survived the throw or not.My ears rang, my head throbbing but I made no effort to leave the flood and go to bed.The door creaked open behind me. I didn’t lift my head, didn't bother to finf out who had stepped in..Not until I heard the slow, deliberate footsteps. The sound of ice clinking in a glass.A scent I knew too well—expensive cologne and something fouler beneath it.Something I had perceived way too much since I came back home.Dante.I dragged my eyes up, finding him framed in the doorway, glass in hand, dressed like he hadn’t just orchestrated my betrayal.“Still breathing,” he said smoothly, voice like poisoned honey. “Color me impressed.”I made an effort to roll my eyes, showing him just how much I didn't care.He shut the door with a click. No guards. No warning. Just him.But I had no rea

Amelie’s POVThe next morning was too quiet.It wasn’t just the stillness of the house. That, I was used to. This was something deeper. A kind of silence that hummed under the floorboards, waiting to crack. A storm on pause.That was because I knew what I had done, and I knew the consequences of doing that.I hadn’t slept well — barely at all. My eyes felt gritty, my limbs too stiff. Every sound in the hallway felt amplified. Footsteps. Doors closing. Even the distant clink of glass downstairs sent a jolt through my spine.Simply put? I was alert.Scared might be a better way to put it, but alert seems to be more like itI rolled over and checked under the mattress. The burner was still there, tucked tight against the slats. No new messages. The triplets had gone silent.I would have appreciated a better response. Like where I could take this file.Somewhere far away from me for example.Santiago was going to blow up when he realized that the file was gone.And the file? Still hidden.

_Amelie’s POV_There was no such thing as rest anymore.Even with the file gone. Even with the guards fooled. Even with the triplets’ message telling me “We have it. You’re welcome.”—I didn’t feel safe.If anything, I felt worse.Way worse than I should be feeling. They’d been in my room. Quiet, unseen, undetected. Took the file right out from under me and didn’t say a word until it was already done.It was probably taken the moment I had gone for breakfast, I couldn't think of any other time.Which meant I’d been watched.Closely. Intimately. Like a puppet with strings, I didn’t know I had.The triplets had asked whoever it was to retrieve the file when I wasn't aware. What if I had opened my mouth to confess and then it wouldn't have been found..They had a backup. A shadow inside these walls. And I was just a decoy.Whoever it was knew of everything I was doing.I’d barely slept after that morning. Every noise made me flinch.The guards pacing. The creak of pipes in the walls. Ev

Amelie’s POVThe sun hadn’t risen yet. Santiago never called for anyone this early unless something was bleeding—or about to be.A maid knocked on my door shortly after five, voice trembling as she whispered, “He wants to see you. Now.”So here I was, walking through cold hallways that felt more like a museum than a home, the chill of marble beneath my bare feet biting through my skin.It was too early for me to be awake. Too early to go seeing that man’s face. But I couldn't exactly say no to him, could I?When I stepped into his study, Santiago didn’t look up. He didn't even to acknowledge my presence.He sat behind his desk, perfectly still, swirling a dark drink in a crystal glass like it was the blood of someone who’d disappointed him.I wouldn't be surprised if that was what it actually was.So I stood in the doorway, silent as I waited for him to decide he wanted to speak to me.He shouldn't have called for me if he wasn't going to. I tried my best to hide the annoyanve I felt

_Amelie’s POV_I stood in the mirrored hallway outside Victor Delgado’s office, the hem of my slate-blue dress brushing against my heels like a whisper. I don't remember the last time I had dressed up like this, since I was constantly being moved like a chess piece.The neckline dipped slightly—elegant, not suggestive. Santiago had insisted I dress the part. I was to pose as someone’s fiancee and spy on him, wouldn't be the first time I would be used as a bride.Except I wasn't sure if I was supposed to get married to this one this time. Santiago had repeatedly said the words to me.You’re not a soldier today. You’re the bride.Bride.The word left a sour taste in my mouth, though my face remained impassive. I adjusted my diamond earring, more out of habit than need. I was already flawless. That was the point. Victor Delgado, Santiago’s most valuable ally in the northern territories, was about to meet his future wife—and she would not falter.How fun, I thought as I rolled my eye