All Chapters of Forbidden Affairs : Chapter 301 - Chapter 310

The study smelled of smoke and old books. The fire was burning low in the hearth, casting long shadows across the shelves. The carved wooden chair she sat on felt far too small beneath her. Her palms rested on her lap, fingers curled tight to keep from shaking.She hadn’t seen him since the night he’d touched her. Since the way he had dragged her to the edge of herself with nothing more than his hand. Since the way he’d looked at her after, like he owned her.Now she waited, alone in his private study, the sound of her own heartbeat loud in her ears.The door opened without warning.He walked in wearing a dark waistcoat and white shirt, the sleeves rolled to his forearms. He closed the door quietly, like a man who knew silence held more power than noise. His boots clicked against the wood floor as he came toward her.“Good,” he said softly. “You came when I called.”She swallowed. “You said I was to read to you.”His lips curved faintly. “I did. And you will. But not in the way you th

The ballroom glimmered with chandeliers and gold. Silk gowns swept the marble floors, lace fans fluttered, and the music from the string quartet wove through the air like smoke. Nobles whispered behind masks, laughing into their champagne flutes. The Duke’s masquerade was infamous. No one left without a secret.She stood at the edge of the room, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. The dress he’d chosen for her was silk the color of blood, clinging to her body in ways that made her chest rise and fall too quickly. A thin black mask covered half her face. Everyone around her sparkled. She burned.She felt him before she saw him.The crowd seemed to part around him naturally, as though no one dared to stand too close. He wore a black mask, simple and sharp, and a suit cut to his form like it was made for sin itself. He didn’t smile. He didn’t need to. His gaze found her through the throng of people as if he’d been watching all along.Her breath hitched.He crossed the ballroom wit

The night smelled faintly of wet ash and engine oil when she arrived. The fire station loomed larger than she remembered from the orientation tour, its red brick walls soaked in mist and the quiet rumble of the waiting trucks settling like a heartbeat beneath the surface. Her boots thudded against the wet pavement as she crossed the lot, the oversized duffel sliding off her shoulder. She was early. Way too early. But anything felt better than waiting at home, pacing around and chewing her lip while imagining all the ways she could mess up tonight.The door creaked as she pushed it open, stepping into a hallway that hummed with low fluorescent light. Her eyes adjusted slowly, landing on the polished floor, the bulletin board plastered with calls, training schedules, shifts. It smelled like coffee, smoke, sweat, and something else that curled deep inside her chest. Heat. It was the kind of heat that didn’t just warm the air. It pressed against the skin. Claimed the breath. Burned someth

The sun was high and sharp that afternoon, baking the asphalt outside the training tower until the air itself shimmered. Sweat rolled down her spine beneath her T-shirt, her muscles already aching from hauling the hose up three flights of steel stairs. The tower stood like a beast waiting to be conquered, its charred interior used for every drill, every timed test, every brutal reminder that fire demanded everything.“Faster,” he barked from below. “You’re too soft on the line.”She clenched her jaw, refusing to look down. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was smirking. He loved doing this. Pushing her. Prodding at every weak spot until she either snapped or fought back harder. She dragged the thick hose another few feet, her boots clanging against the grated steps, her breath hot and ragged inside her chest.When she reached the top platform, she threw the nozzle down and leaned against the railing, panting. The city stretched out below, blinding and bright. Her gloves were

The station was silent again, that kind of heavy silence that only came just before dawn. The overhead lights were dimmed, the trucks gleaming softly in their bays, hoses coiled neatly on their racks, boots lined like soldiers against the walls. The world outside was still asleep, but inside the chief’s office, the air was thick and sharp with tension.She stood stiffly in front of the desk, her damp shirt clinging to her back, the hem of her jacket still streaked with soot. The alarm had gone off barely an hour ago, pulling everyone out to a small warehouse blaze. It wasn’t a complicated call, but it had been messy. She’d taken a risk—an unnecessary one—and the chief had seen it.He sat behind the desk, broad shoulders framed by the soft pool of yellow light from the lamp. His jacket hung on the back of the chair, sleeves rolled up, revealing the ink that curled along his forearms. His jaw was set, rough with the shadow of early morning stubble. The air in the room smelled like burnt