Semua Bab LOVE THY SISTER'S HUSBAND : Bab 31 - Bab 40

…RILEY…*****“No,” I admitted. “Honestly, I’m glad he bailed.”He glanced up at me, surprised. “Glad?”I nodded, still massaging gently. “Toby’s a jerk. You should hear how he talks to people. I was only going because—well, I don’t even know why anymore. He’s loud, full of himself, and thinks every woman in the room wants him.” I paused, swallowing. "Gotta… gotta get your other side,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathy.I moved to help him shift on the bench, my arm sliding around his waist to support him. The heat of his damp skin seeped through my soaked tank top. He winced again, a sharp hiss of pain, and his free hand came up to steady himself. It ‘slipped,’ landing high on my thigh, his fingers splaying wide over the wet denim of my shorts.He didn’t pull away. He squeezed. His fingers traced the inner seam, inching upward toward the hot, aching center of me. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat of yes, yes, yes.Soren’s lips curved slightly. “So you did

RILEY…*****“Nothing." Zayden muttered, lowering his eyes fearfully.I rolled my eyes in disbelief. Really, Cass??Cass exhaled sharply and picked up her fork again, stabbing a strawberry like it had personally offended her. “I have an announcement,” she said, her voice suddenly too bright, too sweet. “Since we’re all here—finally.”Soren sighed, rubbing his temples. “Go ahead.”She straightened in her chair, eyes gleaming. “As you all know, I’ve been very busy lately—working day and night, actually—on something that means a lot to me. And I’m proud to say it’s finally happening.”Oh boy. Here we go.“I’m launching my skincare brand,” she said dramatically, like she’d just cured cancer. “It’s called Cassidy Luxe. #GlowEssence! I’ve been developing it for months. I’ve already secured a supplier, packaging, labels—the whole production line. I’m even setting up pre-orders next week.”I stabbed a piece of pancake, trying not to roll my eyes so hard they’d fall out. Cassidy Luxe. The woma

…RILEY… ***** The sting on my cheek was a fucking firebrand. My vision flickered for a second, the world tilting on its axis. It was a nasty slap that seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the room. Well, this is new. My sister slapped me. That confirms it. She found out what happened during that breakfast. She'd been probably planning on what to do for days. Cassidy’s eyes were pure poison. “Don’t you ever say that to me! I’m the best mother this child will ever have, do you understand me? No one—no one—takes that from me! I saw you eyeing Soren this morning. You think you can steal my family? First you try to poison my girl, now you question my role as a mother?” she shoved me hard. My back hit the wall, the impact jarring my teeth. The push was so insane, so perfectly designed to wound, that for a heartbeat I couldn’t even breathe. I couldn't control the rage building up in me. Steal Soren? Guilty as charged. Oh, absolutely. I’ll steal him so quietly and efficient

…SOREN…*****The silence in the house was fucking oppressive once I returned. It was like a tomb. I’d been trying Riley’s phone for hours, every call going straight to a dead, robotic voicemail. Nothing. I dropped my suitcase in the foyer, the sound too loud in the stagnant air. I didn't even hear the kids laughing. Riley wasn't humming some off-key rock song from the kitchen.Everywhere was madly quiet.I took the stairs two at a time, an ominous feeling crawling up my spine. I pulled out my phone again, disturbed.Still switched off.Damn it, Riley.Maybe she was in her room. Maybe her phone broke. A dozen stupid, hopeful excuses ran through my head, all of them crumbling to dust when I pushed open the door to my bedroom. The sight made me freeze.Cassidy was there.In my room.Shit.The smell hit me first. Cheap, cloying perfume and the sharp tang of pinot grigio. She sat perched on the edge of my bed, a nearly empty wine glass dangling from her fingers. She was poured into a

…RILEY…****Once I stepped out from the building, I exhaled deeply. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed the smell of rain and asphalt until that moment. Fuck..I missed this.When Soren opened the car door for me, I hesitated for a brief second, feeling like an alien unsure of my surroundings, before sliding in.The leather seat felt too soft, too clean, too not a goddamn cell.I caught his reflection in the glass as we pulled away. His jaw was tight and his hands gripped the wheel like he was holding himself together by force. Neither of us spoke for a while. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to say. The thought of taking Cass’s place at the resort—just the two of us, with endlespossibilities—felt surprisingly refreshing.But then we pulled into a long, winding drive, and my breath caught.“Where the hell are we?” I asked, staring out at the building that rose before us. It was all glass and candlelight and serenity. A damn palace.Soren smirked. “Somewhere that doesn’t smell like