All Chapters of Forbidden Desires : the step brother who ruined me .: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

Chapter 12 Harlan Marriott Power isn’t taken. It’s inherited, then collected back with interest. I was ten when my father told me that, standing over my mother’s grave while Elias Carter’s lawyers took our house. Took our name. Took everything except the ledger in my head. Now I’m fifty-two, and I’m balancing it. One share at a time. 6:42 AM, Manhattan. My office faces east. I like watching the sunrise hit Carter Holdings. Gold light on stolen glass. My father built that tower. Elias bled it. His son runs it with broken knuckles and worse judgment. Vers sets coffee on the desk, black, no suger ."Carter holdings opened at 142.3," she says " down two point from yesterday." “Start phase one,” I tell her. “Shell companies. Small buys. Nothing over half a percent. I want to be smoke before I’m fire.” She nods and leaves. Loyal and Expensive. I pull up the feed from last night. The Carter house. Porch cam. Lia leaves at 10:14 PM. One suitcase, . Rubben stands in the doorwa

Chapter 14*Lia* The coffee was hot, I held it anyway with both hands, my palms went red, good at least I felt something.Daniel’s place was spotless, gray couch, white walls, plants that weren’t dead.He moved around the kitchen like I’d bolt if he stepped wrong, he didn’t know I was already gone, I was just a body sitting here, he put a plate down, eggs, toast, strawberries cut into hearts, who does that, “Eat,” he said, pushed the plate, “Please, Lia,” His voice was soft, everything about him was soft, I picked up the fork, put it down, my phone was on the table, black no messages, no calls, nothing, he let me walk out, that was it, I pressed my hand to my ribs, like I could hold the ache in, “You’re shaking,” Daniel said, frowning, “I’m fine,” I said,Lie.....I wasn’t fine, I was pissed, at me, for giving a damn about someone who didn’t give a damn back, I drank the coffee, it burned my tongue but I didn’t care, He sat across from me, he didn't eat either he say ther

Chapter 16 Lia pov I got back from Daniel's house later that evening, I needed home..even if home doesn't want me. Mom and Mr. Carter weren't back yet , their flight was suppose to land by evening, company thing, some big project launch tomorrow a corporate showcase, mom’s words fancier, same as hell. When I came in, the house was dark except the living room, Rubben was on the couch, hoodie up, face buried on his phone the light on his jaw, on the scar near his left eye, he didn’t look up when I dropped my bag,he only muttered hi, that was it....that was all he said. Fine I thought, if that's how he wanted it fine I went to the kitchen, opened the fridge mom would be tired later, she always was after flights, I could cook, at least I wasn’t useless. I made pasta, simple garlic, oil, chilli the way he used to eat it at 2 and when we were...... stop. I shook my head, and set the table. He walked in when the water was boiling , still no words he just stood there leaned on the co

Chapter 18*Lia* My wrist was burning from his touch, I sat in back of Daniels car and pressed my thumb against the red marks Rubben had left there. The skin was tender, the marks were faint, four small ovals where his fingers had dug in, one larger smudge from his thumb. They looked like nothing. But felt like everything. The alcove had been dark and quiet. The party noise had faded to a dull hum behind the marble pillar. His eyes had not been kind. His voice had not been gentle. Take it off. his grip had been desperation dressed as anger. “Did someone hurt you?” Daniel asked. I dropped my hand into my lap like I had been caught stealing. “What?” He was watching me in the rearview mirror. His doctor eyes missed nothing. Cuts, bruises, flinches. He was trained to see pain. “Your wrist,” he said. “It’s red. Did you bump it?” I forced a laugh and it sounded wrong to my own ears. “Yeah. The pillar. I was backing up and I hit it. I’m clumsy.” Daniel frowned. He reached acros