All Chapters of BEHIND THE MASK (DARK ROMANCE): Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Just then James called me over to the dining table to eat. I walked there absent-minded, my head full of questions that refused to settle. I sat down, staring at the food but not really tasting it. My eyes found James, and for the first time in weeks I looked at my husband’s face. It dawned on me that the change in him, in the way he touched me, the way he made love to me, hadn’t been in my head. Something had shifted and with how he was so accommodating of my changes too then I should have known.He was quieter now, his thrusts rougher but emptier,he did hints we never did before and now it’s like his mind was somewhere else while his body was just performing a duty. I chewed slowly, bitterness filling my mouth instead of food.I watched him eat, wondering how much of the man in front of me was mine, how much was left for me. My lips parted to finally ask him about the house, about the things I’d been avoiding but before I could speak, my phone buzzed on the table.A text.My pulse k

I didn’t let my emotions win. I smirked.“You’re not the only one with secrets. Be careful.”Her smile faltered for a second. Her hand clenched into a fist, and the sight made my chest tighten. Why had my words unsettled her? Was there more to this than she let on?I straightened, turned my back, and walked out without another glance. She’d stirred something dangerous, and now I needed leverage.The first person I called was the masked man. He was the only one who could put someone on her tail. I wanted Brenda—if that was even her name—watched.“Hey, little princess.” His voice slid through the line, making me swallow hard. I hadn’t even realized the call had already connected.“Could you assign someone to follow Brenda for me?” I asked, nervous, because he never gave without taking something in return.He laughed low, dark. “You want my men to work for you? Fine. But what will you do for me?”I closed my eyes. “Anything you want. Just get it done.”He didn’t answer, but I knew he was

Jessica froze as it seemed my words woke her up, but she was far gone because of what I slipped in her drinks. The wine hadn’t been poisoned, not in the way most people would think. I hadn’t slipped her a sedative, but something subtler, something that unraveled inhibition, peeled away her pride, and left her begging, whimpering like a needy slut wanting me to touch her.“You have to earn it,” I whispered, teasing her further.“H… How?” she slurred with her cheeks flushed red.“Suck my toes if you want to cum,” I commanded, my tone flat. I pulled away from her body, letting her hands fall uselessly against the sheets. I sat down at the edge of the bed, crossing one leg over the other, deliberately out of reach.Jessica crawled, whimpering, as her need took over her. She took my toes in her mouth, sucking on them, wetting me like it was the sweetest thing she’d ever tasted.“That’s it,” I breathed, watching her debase herself, her moans vibrating against my skin. I pressed harder, slid

The ballroom pulsed with lights, music, and laughter, but I felt none of it. My eyes were locked on him. I had glimpsed him before and how the woman danced against his body, making my heart twist with jealousy. I plotted how to get to him, but then the host stepped onto the stage, clearing his throat. The chatter went down instantly, and I felt the room shrink around me.“Tonight’s event is made possible thanks to one of our biggest sponsors…” His eyes scanned the crowd, and I felt them graze mine, fleetingly, as though he already knew I was watching. “Darius”The name landed in my chest like a jolt. “Darius.” My eyes followed who walked onto the stage, and it was him. His name was Darius. My pulse increased, and my breath caught. Every memory, every whisper of his breath, every teasing touch, every command, every look that had made me tremble surged through me. I hadn’t realized how much of him I carried inside me, how deep the lure still ran. My hips shifted almost unconsciously, be

They whispered as I walked past them, their eyes darting away the moment I looked up. I had never felt so naked without taking off a single piece of clothing. James was gone, Brenda in his arms, and all that remained of my composure was a smear of lipstick and the echo of my threat.I didn’t chase him. I didn’t apologize. I let the pity wash over me like rain, because pity was safer than respect.“You made quite a scene,” a voice murmured behind me. Darius. I didn’t have to turn to know; his scent always arrived before his hands.“You said you’d handle Jessica,” I said, still watching the door where James had disappeared.“I will.” He moved closer, his tone almost amused. “But you’ve already handled yourself. Everyone in that room saw the cracks. James’s perfect little wife just destroyed his façade.”I drew in a shaky breath, trying to steady my voice. “And what does that make me?”He brushed his knuckles along my wrist. “Free.”The word hit me harder than I expected. Free. As if fre