All Chapters of Forbidden taste of pleasure: A taboo collection : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Elena stared at Adrian, her body paralyzed as the devastating confession hung between them in the dark, velvety luxury of the car. Isabella was alive. The woman Adrian had mourned for six agonizing years, the phantom whose memory had cast a long, cold shadow over their marriage, had survived. She wasn’t just alive; she was under the protection of Victor Hale, the ruthless mastermind who had systematically dismantled both their families. Are you sure? Elena whispered, her voice a fragile, breathy thread. Adrian nodded slowly, his jaw set in a hard, flexed line. A communication had been intercepted merely ten minutes ago; his operative had spotted Isabella slipping into Victor’s secluded estate. Heat flared beneath Elena’s skin, a chaotic mix of jealousy, terror, and raw adrenaline. Why was Isabella with him? Adrian’s eyes burned with cold, lethal intent; he was going to find out. He commanded the driver to pivot, abandoning the route to her father’s estate and heading back into the

The message remained pinned to the screen of Adrian’s phone, burning itself into my vision until the black text blurred into a dark, jagged smudge. Now ask Adrian who your mother is. My heart thundered against my ribs, each frantic beat sending a wave of heat through my body. My chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths as I slowly lifted my eyes from the glowing screen to the man standing motionless before me. The silence stretching between us was suffocating, thick with years of hidden truths, unspoken promises, and the overwhelming, dangerous pull he had always had over me. Who is my mother? I asked. Adrian didn’t answer. The formidable Alpha, a man who could command an entire room with a single glance and whose name was enough to make powerful men hesitate, suddenly looked stripped of every layer of control. He lowered his phone with agonizing slowness. His broad chest expanded as he drew in a heavy breath, but the effortless composure he always wore like armor was gone.Adri

The gunshot echoed through the building, followed by the sharp sound of glass breaking somewhere below us. I barely had time to breathe before Adrian pulled me firmly against him, one arm wrapping around my waist while his other hand held his weapon. His body became a shield between me and the darkness, every muscle tense and ready. Stay behind me, he whispered. I pressed my palms against his back, my heart hammering. Adrian, my mother whispered from behind us. He glanced over his shoulder. There is another exit? She nodded quickly. Through the room behind you. There is a staircase leading to the back Passage. Adrian looked at me. Stay close. I nodded. We moved through the darkness, Adrian keeping one arm around me as we hurried toward the back of the building. Every few seconds, he glanced behind us, listening for footsteps. His protective grip never loosened. We reached the hidden staircase, but before we could descend, footsteps thundered from the hallway. They’re here, my

I stared at the photograph on Adrian’s phone until the words seemed to burn themselves into my mind. She was never meant to marry Adrian, She was meant to kill him. My fingers went cold. I slowly lifted my eyes to Adrian, searching his face for some sign that this was another lie, another carefully constructed manipulation designed to keep me trapped in a life I no longer understood. But there was nothing calculated in his expression. He looked genuinely shaken, his dark eyes fixed on the message while his jaw remained locked in tension. I didn’t know, he said quietly. You expect me to believe that? My voice trembled with anger. Yes. After everything? He finally looked at me. I know how it sounds. It sounds like I was brought into your life for a reason. I took a step toward him, my anger making me reckless. It sounds like my marriage to you was planned before I was even old enough to know your name. Adrian’s gaze followed me. Maybe it was, The answer stole my brea

The photograph remained on my phone my mother bound to a chair, my sister standing silently behind her. I could barely breathe as I stared at the screen, searching for any sign that she was alive. Victor had finally stopped hiding in the shadows, taking my mother because he knew it was the one lever that would force my hand. Come alone, Elena. Or your mother dies. Adrian read the message, his jaw clenching as his expression hardened into stone. He took the phone from my trembling hands, his dark eyes scanning the image before fixing on me. "You are not going anywhere alone," he said, his voice flat, absolute. "I have to go," I whispered, shaking my head. "No." "Adrian, she’s my mother!" "And you’re his daughter." He stepped closer, the tight control in his voice cracking to reveal the raw panic underneath. "Victor wants you separated from me because he knows you’re vulnerable without my protection." I closed the distance between us, placing my hands flat against the steady, be