All Chapters of Teach me to desire : Chapter 71 - Chapter 75

The Phone TapThe Grand Ballroom was a magnificent, glittering stage, but to me, it was merely an operating theater. Every detail—the towering crystal centerpieces, the string quartet playing precise, gentle music, the strategic placement of the Vances next to the reporters' table—was designed for one purpose: to execute my vision for the Hayes empire. The announcement was minutes away, the culmination of a decade of ruthless maneuvering. Yet, my attention was entirely snagged by the weak link in my chain: Killian.He was standing beside Serena, his posture perfect in the custom tuxedo. He was the golden boy, the flawless symbol of my success. But I didn't see the heir; I saw the betrayal. I could sense the emotional tremor beneath his polished exterior. He was staring at the crowd, but his eyes were vacant.I knew the difference between nervousness and defiance. This was defiance. This was a son attempting to sabotage the legacy he was created to uphold.I took two steps away from th

Killian's Near MissMy bedroom in my father’s mansion was huge, but it felt smaller than a prison cell tonight. The walls were a cold, pale gray, and the furniture was all sharp angles and expensive stillness. I had just finished dressing. The tuxedo was now buttoned up, the white shirt starched to a painful stiffness, the bow tie cinched tight. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, seeing the finished product: the perfect son, ready for auction.The security detail my father had assigned to me—a massive, silent man named Hank—was waiting by the door, blocking the only exit. I knew Marcus’s men were everywhere, listening to every sound, watching every movement. The gilded cage had never felt so real, or so small.I needed one minute of reality before I walked onto the stage. One minute to remember why I was risking total ruin.I walked over to the dresser, my movements slow and deliberate, trying to look like I was just checking my watch. The watch—a family heirloom—felt heavy

Marcus's LeakThe Grand Ballroom felt like a mocking celebration, a giant, velvet-lined monument to everything I didn't have and Killian Hayes took for granted. I was squeezed into a rented tux, trying to look important while holding a cheap soda, feeling the scratchy lining of the jacket against my skin. The Hayes family had required every member of the starting football team to be here, a public display of Killian’s popularity and the robust future of the dynasty.I watched Killian on the elevated stage, a golden figurine next to the dazzling Serena Vance. He was pale, sure, and stiff, but he still looked every bit the conqueror. He was about to have everything—the empire, the woman, the respect.The resentment had been building inside me for years. We were both star quarterbacks, both driven, both athletes. But while I trained until my muscles screamed and fought for every yard, Killian simply coasted. His father bankrolled the team’s biggest boosters, his name guaranteed the best