Semua Bab Bound by Sin: My Stepbrother’s Obsession: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Sage.The mansion was enormous. Too enormous. Every hallway seemed to stretch forever, every door hiding secrets I wasn’t sure I was ready to uncover. My heart was still thinking about that slight second touch of our fingers, but I needed to forget about that, get it completely off my mind. I needed air. I needed space to breathe, to gather my thoughts. Slowly, carefully, I crept down the hallway, avoiding the sound of my own shoes on the marble floors. My fingers brushed along the polished railing, trying to anchor myself to something real.The sliding doors to the backyard were framed in glass, sunlight spilling through, beckoning me like a siren. I hesitated just a moment, wondering if this was really a good idea, maybe I should just stay in my room and unpack. But the fresh air called to me louder than fear. I pushed the door open and stepped outside.The backyard was another world entirely. Lush green grass stretched under the glaring sun, the air smelled faintly of chlorine f

Sage.It had been a while since I went out at night, my mother was always against it and Nick never really liked me taking, he said it was beneath me. But tonight, I wanted it all, the experience. The night was alive, pulsing with bass and flashing lights as I pushed my way through the crowd. My heels clicked against the sticky floor, the heat of the packed club pressing against me from every side. Smoke curled around my head, mingling with the scent of perfume, sweat, and alcohol.Nick had been waiting for me near the bar when I arrived, a crooked smile on his face that made my stomach knot. “Finally,” he said, pulling me in for a quick hug that lingered just a second too long. “I missed you so much.”I tried to steady my nerves, tried to remind myself why I was here, but the memory of Andre in the backyard, the way he looked at me, the way my body had betrayed me, was still burning in my mind. Nick noticed, of course. He always did. And that was the problem. He knew me too well.

Sage. The water is the first thing that makes my body unclench.Not the heat, not the lavender foam, not the soft piano playlist humming through the tiny Bluetooth speaker on the counter, just the silence. The kind of silence that feels earned. The kind that feels like I ran through hell and finally found a door to close behind me.My knees break the surface of the water as I sigh deeper into the tub. I slide my hands over my thighs, feeling the warmth loosen everything that has been wound too tight for too long. My hair is piled on top of my head, a few curls spilling out, dampening against my neck. Candlelight flickers off every surface, my one pathetic attempt at romance for myself.I’m not expecting anyone.And I’m definitely not expecting him.I let my eyes fall shut, sinking an inch lower. “Finally,” I whisper to myself. “Just peace.”But peace lasts maybe thirty seconds before the door opens.I don’t hear the knob. I don’t hear footsteps. I just feel him. A shift in air. A

Sage.The entire car feels too small for the both of us. It's too filled with the weight of everything we aren’t talking about.Andre’s hands grip the steering wheel with that effortless command only he has, veins flexing, jaw tight, eyes pinned to the road as if the highway personally offended him.Meanwhile, I’m suffocating in the passenger seat.The city rushes past us in quick flashes, neon signs, tall buildings, people who look like their lives make sense. Unlike mine.I clear my throat for the fourth time, shifting in my seat. “You really don’t have to do this.”He doesn’t look at me. “Do what?”“This.” I gesture vaguely. “Drive me to the city. Take me shopping. Play chauffeur. Whatever.”A muscle ticks in his cheek. “I’m not playing anything.”“That’s not what I meant,” I mutter, picking at the hem of my dress. “You clearly don’t want to be here. Mom forced you.”His fingers tighten on the wheel.“I didn’t say that.”“You didn’t have to,” I whisper. "I can tell." He does not s

AndreIf hell had a dress code, it would look exactly like this.Crystal chandeliers dripping light like judgment. Soft jazz humming beneath conversations sharp enough to cut skin. Men in tailored suits pretending to be polite while measuring each other’s worth in numbers, women smiling with teeth sharpened by ambition.And Sage standing at the top of the stairs in that red dress like she was never meant to exist in this world, and yet somehow commanding it.The room shifts when she appears. I feel it before I see it. A subtle pause. A recalibration of attention. Heads turn. Voices dip. The air tightens and my chest tightens Picking red was a mistake.The dress hugs her in a way that should be illegal, not vulgar, not loud. Just honest. Soft fabric clinging to her waist, falling just high enough on her thighs to draw eyes without screaming for them. Her hair is loose, curls brushing her shoulders like she hasn’t yet learned how dangerous she looks.She’s nervous. I can tell. Her shou