All Chapters of Corrupt Temptation: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

It was nearly midnight when I added the final stroke. My hands trembled, not with exhaustion, but with the cold that has been living in my bones nowadays. The kind brought by hunger, by fear, and by the unanswered question that haunted me: Is Willa still alive?The warehouse-studio reeked of turpentine and desperation. Faint light from a single standing lamp stretched shadows high against the concrete walls. My canvas, a tempest of ivory and crimson, wrapped around the outline of a quivering female form still glistened wet. My fingers were clotted with pigment and despair.I hadn’t slept in two days. I’d lost interest in food about a week ago. And Willa? My seventeen year old sister hadn't returned my call in five.I placed the heel of my hand against my chest, attempting to soothe the thunder pounding beneath my ribs. No credit card transaction history, no leads, she just… disappeared.Suddenly, rhe phone rang, disruption the queit of the night and cutting my train of thoughts. 12:0

Hours passed but I could not sleep.His fingertips were like ghost fire on my skin, but beneath the churning tension there was more—questions. This wall housed so many secrets. That woman at the ritual had trusted her handler absolutely. What would cause someone to give over so completely?I had no clue. But I was determined to find out.Slipping out of bed, I wrapped a cashmere shawl around my shoulders and padded barefoot down the hall. The house was quiet, but I could feel it waiting. Far in its bones, this house was alive.I found the study two doors down. Unlocked.There were floor-to-ceiling books along the walls inside. A glass tray had a half-full decanter of amber whiskey. The fireplace was cold but there was still the scent of burnt cedar in the air. I ran my fingers along a row of spines, titles in Latin, philosophy, eroticism, war. One book had a hidden cutout in the middle. A flash drive inside. I removed it.Behind the desk, I saw a framed photo.Two men.One was Sloan—

IVYAn ache was the first sensation that registered. It was a deep all-encompassing throb that settled in every muscle and joint rather than a sharp incapacitating pain. My body felt like it had been used as an especially strenuous jump rope after running a marathon. My eyelids fluttered open blinking against the soft diffused sunlight that painted the opulent room in shades of gold and shadow as it streamed through the heavy drapes. Who knew obedience was such a workout? I got up and stirred the silky sheets tangled around my legs. A brief moment of light vertigo brought on by the sudden movement caused my head to swim but it was soon over. My cheeks flushed from the mild smell of him that was still permeating the air and the warmth that was still on my skin. My mind was filled with vivid unfiltered memories of the previous evening. Sloan. His hand. What he said. His complete and terrifying dominance. My lips formed a tiny uncontrollable smile that was a peculiar combination of l

IVY.Oh boy.Sloans cryptic statement lingered in the air leaving me both completely perplexed and oddly fascinated. My entire body felt like a live wire still tingling from his touch and the echo of his possessive words. The vases broken state on the floor was evidence of my awkward listening. However the immediate danger had subsided. With Sloan gone and the guards gone I was left alone in the large quiet foyer still holding onto the blanket covering my nudity. After the initial shock I immediately wanted to run. Where though? Going back to the room where he had just. . . claimed me or going farther into the mansion and running the risk of running into a silent guard or a fragile priceless artifact again? Retrenchment was the best course of action the most sensible choice and the least embarrassing. I wasnt going to stray and end up in another off-limits area. My immediate plan was to return to my room. I padded swiftly and soundlessly back up the grand staircase and down the we

IVY.Sloan's booming had caused the dining room to fall silent. There was an unsaid tension in the air that was thick enough to choke on. Although Alissa the fiery redhead was clearly agitated and her eyes were still blazing she closed her mouth tightly her disobedience simmering beneath the surface. With her cold eyes the woman in black just watched a barely noticeable smirk on her lips. Both the man who resembled Sloan and the thin man with the lethal expression remained unmoving. For my part all I wanted to do was sink into my chairs luxurious velvet. Moments before my food had been perfectly edible but now it tasted like ash. The remainder of breakfast was spent in awkward silence. The only sounds were Sloans sporadic almost exaggerated chewing and the faint clinking of silverware. Nobody was willing to speak. I the unexpected visitor was the main attraction during this master class in awkward dining. My stomach was churning instead of being hungry when I tried to eat. Every q