Lahat ng Kabanata ng Craving Forbidden Pleasures : Kabanata 221 - Kabanata 230

Time lost all meaning.The penthouse became their sanctuary, their prison, their battlefield. Days folded into nights, marked only by the rise and fall of Ava’s breath beneath Dominic’s body.She woke with his hands already on her, half-asleep murmurs turning into gasps as he coaxed her back into the fire. They ate between kisses, drank between rounds, showered only to find themselves tangled against the glass wall, steam blurring the skyline as his mouth devoured her neck.The world outside ceased to exist.Dominic had abandoned his schedule. Calls went unanswered, meetings rescheduled without explanation. His assistant stopped knocking on the penthouse door after the third time he barked at her to go away.Ava should have been terrified of what they were sacrificing. But instead she craved more.Every brush of his fingers, every bruise he left on her skin, tightened the chain around her heart. She no longer counted the marks he gave her; she sought them, adored them. The ache betwee

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb lingering against her cheek. “I did what was necessary. I protected you. Protected us.”She stared at him, torn between awe and fear. The man before her wasn’t just her lover. He was a storm wrapped in human skin, capable of wiping out anyone who threatened what was his.A shiver ran through her. “You terrify me sometimes.”His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her gently toward him. “Good,” he murmured against her lips. “That means you understand what I’ll do for you.”And when he kissed her, Ava let herself drown in it — even as the unease curled tighter in her chest. Because Dominic hadn’t just killed the scandal. He had declared war on the world for her.And wars always had casualties.*****. Ava couldn’t sleep.The city glittered beyond the penthouse windows, each light a reminder of the millions of eyes that might have seen her face, her name, her humiliation. She lay on her side in the massive bed, staring at the sk

Dominic never showed weakness.That was the myth, the persona, the carefully curated storm he wore like a tailored suit. But tonight, in the quiet of his office, Ava saw the slightest falter. A hesitation in his step, a flicker of tension in his jaw that didn’t vanish.The phone had rung twice before he finally answered, his voice clipped, practiced. “Hale Industries.”She hovered near the doorframe, watching him, noting how even his posture seemed to scream control—but how it trembled imperceptibly as he listened.A rival, no doubt. Or worse—a board member emboldened by yesterday’s scandal.By the time Dominic hung up, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins stood stark against his skin. His chest rose and fell in a rhythm Ava hadn’t seen before—impatient, furious, but not entirely composed.“What happened?” she asked softly.He didn’t answer at once. He only ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands with a tension that made her stomach twist.“They called me about the

The glass doors of Hale Industries’ boardroom gleamed like a battlefield, reflecting the tension that simmered inside. Dominic stood at the head of the table, the edges of his tailored suit crisp, his eyes smoldering with the dark, magnetic authority that had earned him both fear and desire. Investors, board members, and lawyers filled the room, whispering, shifting, nervously tapping pens against the mahogany table. Ava stood slightly behind him, dressed in a fitted blazer and pencil skirt, hair pulled back—a vision of professional elegance—but Dominic could feel the faint tremor beneath her poised exterior.Langford’s latest maneuver had escalated beyond whispers and leaks. He had secretly lobbied the board, planting doubt, questioning Dominic’s leadership, dangling the scandal like a blade over their empire. And now, they were here.“Dominic,” one senior board member began, voice clipped, trying to mask uncertainty, “we’ve received reports—rumors, really—about Ms. Taylor’s involvem

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, golden light glinting across the silk sheets and polished surfaces. Outside, the city had awoken, unaware that Dominic Hale and Ava Taylor had survived the storm of scandal, rivals, and obsession the night before.Ava stirred, tangled in the sheets, the faint sheen of yesterday’s fire still clinging to her skin. Her body ached in delicious memory, and yet her mind was sharp, focused. Dominic lay beside her, half-naked, one arm draped possessively over her waist, the other tracing slow, teasing circles across her back. Even in sleep, his dominance was absolute.She traced his jawline with a finger, marveling at the curve, the strength, the ferocity that had defined every moment of their shared obsession. He shifted, eyes opening—dark, smoldering, impossibly magnetic. That look alone could command obedience, inspire desire, and enforce loyalty all at once.“Morning,” he murmured, voice low, hoarse from their