All Chapters of Sinfully Bound: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

The smell of warm bread and softly brewed tea reached Liara before she stepped into the sunlit room. She paused at the threshold. Three plates. Three chairs. And Celeste—already lounging barefoot on a cushioned bench, one leg tucked under the other, a strawberry between her fingers and a smirk on her lips. “Well, finally,” Celeste said. “I was starting to think you Kane boys don’t let your women eat.” Liara blinked. “You made this?” “I organized it.” She waved lazily. “I don’t do the slicing and frying—I delegate. That’s what power is for, darling.” Liara gave a small laugh. It slipped out before she could stop it. Celeste beamed, like she’d scored a point. “Come,” Celeste said, patting the empty chair beside her. “Before he gets here and ruins the mood.” Liara sat, still tense, but not as stiff as she would’ve been days ago. The plates were beautiful—soft gold rims, the food arranged like a painting. Fruit cut into perfect angles. Eggs warm and fluffy. Toast stacked

Liara hadn’t expected the halls of the Kane estate to feel this… still.The sun had barely risen. Pale light spilled through the tall windows, washing the dark marble floors in silver. Celeste had disappeared after breakfast, leaving only the faint scent of her jasmine perfume in the air. Asher had stepped out with a clenched jaw and silent rage coiled beneath his suit, offering no explanation, just a muttered, “I need a moment.”And now, Liara found herself wandering the quiet corridors alone, the silence stretching longer than she liked.She decided to step outside.The gardens were still wet with dew. Cool, fresh, and almost otherworldly, like something out of a forgotten fairytale. She walked slowly, barefoot on the grass, letting the morning hush settle over her nerves. It grounded her in a way the estate never could.Something that settled behind her ribs when Asher walked out that door.Maybe it was foolish to care that much. Maybe it was dangerous.But it was already done.She

The dining hall of the Kane estate was vast and dimly lit, all shadows and chandeliers.Liara sat beside Asher at one end of the long, cold-glass table, under a vaulted ceiling that made even silence echo. Around them, the rest of the Kane family filled the room — a sea of poised faces and calculating eyes. Uncles. Aunts. Cousins. Every one of them dressed like a threat, speaking like they were casting veiled spells.It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t welcoming.But it was powerful.The clink of silverware was rhythmic, disciplined — not a single scrape or clang out of place. Conversations were quiet, clipped, and deliberate. No one asked about feelings. Only alliances, shares, market shifts.Liara sat straight, trying not to fidget, every move calculated. She knew eyes were on her — assessing her, weighing her worth.Celeste lounged further down the table, a quiet grin curving her lips as she watched Liara like a cat at play.Vivienne, ever the queen of the room, lifted her glass slowly. “To