Chapter 2

The shock in me went down my spine

His words slid into my ear like smoke, hot and suffocating.

His body pinned me harder against the cold marble of the kitchen island, the sharp edge digging into my lower back. The city lights of London blurred behind him, turning the penthouse into a shining cage.

My breath ceased.

"Watching me? What the hell do you mean by that?

A low, dangerous chuckle resonated from his chest.

His storm-gray eyes - the same shade as Dan's, yet so much colder - darkened with raw hunger.

"That night in the club wasn't a chance, Judith.

I orchestrated it. I knew exactly who you were... the woman my brother ruined and left behind.

The mother of his hidden child."

Shock slammed into me like a wave.

I shoved at his chest again, but he didn't move.

His hands on my hips tightened, fingers pressing into the red fabric of my dress, pulling me close against the hard evidence of his arousal.

"You... you knew about Lily?"

My voice cracked, a mix of fury and fear forming inside me.

Lily - my four-year-old secret, the only light in my broken world.

The thought of Ethan knowing about her all along made my stomach stir.

"Oh, I knew everything," he murmured, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

His breath was warm, sending unwanted shivers racing down my spine.

"I made it my business to know.

While Dan was off playing the victim abroad, I kept tabs on you.

Your struggles.

Your mother's illness.

The debts swallowimg you whole.

You were desperate... perfect for my needs."

His hand slid up my side, slow and deliberate, tracing the curve of my waist through the thin silk.

The touch was possessive, almost reverent, but laced with control.

Heat bloomed under my skin despite the panic growing in my throat.

It had been so long since anyone touched me like this - with such intense, unyielding desire.

"Ethan, stop,"

I whispered, but my body betrayed me.

My nipples tightened against the fabric as his thigh nudged between my legs, parting them slightly.

A soft gasp escaped me before I could swallow it.

He noticed.

Of course he did.

That cruel smirk deepened.

"You say stop, but your body remembers what it's like to be wanted, doesn't it? Dan may have had you first, but I'll have you completely.

Mind, body... and that fire you try so hard to hide."

Emotions crashed over me in a storm. Anger at his manipulation. Shame that part of me - the lonely, starved part - responded to the heat radiating from him.

And beneath it all, a deep, aching longing for the man who had once made me feel alive.

Dan's face flashed in my mind - his tender eyes, the almost-kiss in the hallway. But here was Ethan, his twin, claiming what wasn't his to take.

"I signed the contract for the money," I said, my voice trembling as his lips grazed my neck.

"Not for this.

Not for you to... to use me."

Ethan pulled back just enough to lock eyes

with me.

His free hand cupped my jaw, thumb touching my lower lip with surprising gentleness.

For a split second, something vulnerable flickered in his gaze - a shadow of pain, quickly buried under layers of ice.

"You think this is just about using you?" His voice dropped, husky and rough with emotion he clearly didn't want to show.

"I've wanted you since the first time I saw your photo in Dan's old things.

The way you smiled in those pictures... It haunted me.

While my brother ran from responsibility, I built an empire.

But none of it filled the emptiness.

Then I found you - broken, fierce, raising his daughter alone.

You're not just a pawn, Judith.

You're the one thing that makes me feel something real."

His confession hit like a punch to the chest.

Tears formed in my eyes.

Was this the ruthless billionaire everyone feared, or a man twisted by years of rivalry with his twin? His body pressed closer, the hard length of him grinding slowly against my core through our clothes.

A moan slipped from my lips before I could stop it - low, needy.

"God, that sound," he groaned, his control eroding.

He captured my mouth in an intense kiss, not gentle like Dan's almost touch, but demanding and devouring.

His tongue moved in, tasting me with raw passion.

One hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head for deeper access, while the other roamed lower, slipping under the hem of my dress to caress the bare skin of my thigh.

Heat covered in between my legs.

My hands, meant to push him away, instead fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer.

Emotions grew stronger - betrayal, desire, confusion.

I hated how right it felt, how my body curved into his touch after years of loss of feelings.

His fingers inched higher, brushing the edge of my lace panties, teasing the sensitive flesh there.

"You're already wet for me," he whispered against my lips, voice thick with triumph and something softer - longing.

"Let me show you what it's like to be claimed by a man who won't run.

A man who will burn the world for you and Lily."

Tears slipped down my cheeks even as pleasure built. "Ethan... please. I can't. Dan-"

At the mention of his brother's name, Ethan stiffened. He broke the kiss, forehead resting against mine, breathing ragged. His eyes burned with jealousy and raw pain.

"Dan doesn't get to have you again," he growled, but his touch gentled, thumb wiping away my tears.

"He left you bleeding.

I'm here.

I'll protect you both... but you have to be mine. Fully."

The tension hung thick in the air, our bodies still pressed together, hearts pounding in harmony.

I felt exposed, vulnerable - my dress hiked up, his arousal throbbing against me.

Part of me wanted to surrender, to let the fire consume the emptiness inside. Another part screamed that this was dangerous, a devil's bargain wrapped in passion.

Before I could decide.

Ethan's phone vibrated sharply on the counter. He ignored it at first, leaning in for another kiss, but it buzzed again.

With a curse, he pulled back slightly and glanced at the screen. His face hardened instantly, all desire vanishing into cold fury.

"It's Dan."

My heart staggered.

Dan - the man I once loved, the father of my child, the one whose touch had nearly shattered my resolve just hours ago.

Ethan answered on speaker, his arm still locked around my waist, keeping me trapped against him.

"What do you want, brother?" Ethan's voice was ready.

Dan's reply came through, raw and urgent. "Ethan, we need to talk. About Judith.

About the baby. I deserve answers. Meet me at the estate in thirty minutes. Alone."

Ethan's grip tightened possessively. "She's not your concern anymore."

But Dan's next words froze us both.

"I know the truth about Lily. And if you don't bring Judith, I'll tell everyone exactly what kind of monster you really are... including the secret you've been hiding from her."

The line went dead.

Ethan's eyes met mine, filled with rage and a flicker of fear.

His body was still hot against mine, the intense promise of more lingering in the air, but now a new shadow loomed.

"What secret?" I whispered, my voice barely audible, heart beating faster.

Chapter 3

"I need answers!"

"What secret?"

I whispered, my voice shaking. My heart beat so hard I thought Ethan could feel it against his chest.

Our bodies were still pressed together.

Ethan's gray eyes, dark with need, showed a quick flash of fear.

He kept me pinned against the kitchen island, his hard body tight against mine. My dress was still pushed up high on my thighs.

His fingers played with the edge of my panties, which were already wet from how much I wanted him.

He didn't speak at first. Instead, his thumb slowly brushed my bottom lip. Hot tears still stung my eyes.

Even now, with Dan's angry words ringing in my head, my body ached for Ethan.

My nipples were hard against my dress, and heat pulsed between my legs.

"Ethan," I breathed, my hands clutching his white shirt. "Tell me. What is Dan talking about?"

He pressed his forehead to mine.

"Not now, Judith. Not like this." His hand slid higher under my dress, fingers teasing the skin near my hip. The touch made me shake with need. I pressed against him without thinking.

"You're driving me crazy," he said, his voice rough.

His lips moved along my jaw and down to my neck, sucking lightly.

"Dan always ruins everything.

But he won't take you from me tonight."

Before I could push him away, he kissed me hard.

His tongue moved deep into my mouth.

One hand cupped my breast, his thumb rubbing my nipple until I moaned against his lips.

His other hand slipped inside my panties and found me wet and ready.

Two thick fingers slid between my folds and circled my swollen clit.

Pleasure hit me fast and strong.

"Ethan, ahh" My head fell back.

It had been so long since anyone touched me like this. Years of empty nights, and now his fingers were making me lose control.

"You're so wet for me," he groaned.

His fingers moved lower and pushed inside me.

"This tight pussy is begging for me, Judith. Tell me you want me. Tell me you need me to make you forget my brother."

I shook my head, but my legs opened wider. "We can't... Dan-"

"Dan is nothing," he said, his voice low and rough.

He pushed a second finger inside me and moved them in a steady rhythm, his thumb still rubbing my clit.

The wet sounds filled the kitchen as I rocked against his hand.

"Ethan... please..."

He kissed me again, biting my lip softly.

"Please what? Please make you come on my fingers? Or please tell you the truth that might make you run away?"

His fingers moved faster, hitting the right spot inside me. I was so close. My body shook as pleasure built higher.

"I can't believe I can do this again with you. I've wanted this, but not with anyone. Just me."

"Again?"

I gasped, even as my body tightened around his fingers.

Ethan's eyes grew darker.

His thumb pressed harder on my clit.

"The secret isn't just mine or Dan's. It's ours.

That night six years ago-the night you thought was only with him? We shared everything back then. Everything. Including you."

The words hit me like a slap.

Shared? Did they both sleep with me that night? My mind spun with shock and hurt.

Pain cut through my chest as the betrayal sank in.

How could they do this to me? I felt used, like a toy they passed between them

without caring how it would break me later. Anger rose fast, mixing with a deep disappointment that made my eyes sting with fresh tears.

Before I could pull away, his fingers moved faster.

The pleasure crashed over me.

I came hard, my body shaking against him, a loud cry tearing from my throat.

Waves of heat rolled through me again and again until I felt weak and breathless.

Even after I finished, his fingers kept moving slowly, drawing out every last tremble.

Finally, he pulled them out, eyes locked on mine. "Still so sweet," he murmured.

I sagged against him, legs still shaking.

The pleasure faded fast, replaced by cold anger.

"What do you mean we shared everything? Ethan, explain right now-"

He kissed me again, letting me taste myself on his tongue.

When he pulled back, I felt tears burning my eyes.

My heart felt shattered into pieces.

The man I was starting to trust had just admitted he and his brother had tricked me years ago.

Disappointment flooded me, heavy and sharp.

How many lies had they built around me and our daughter? The thought made my chest ache with fresh pain.

The soft chime of the private elevator sounded.

Ethan quickly pulled my dress and stepped back.

I turned away from him, my heart shattered.

How could he hide something like that? How long had they been playing games with me?

Disappointment and fury burned in my chest.

I needed to leave.

I needed air.

My legs felt weak as I rushed toward the elevator, tears threatening to spill.

The betrayal felt too deep, like everything good between us was now poisoned.

I could barely breathe through the hurt.

I reached the elevator just as the doors opened.

A tall, elegant woman stepped out, almost bumping into me. She wore a sharp designer suit, her dark hair in a perfect bun.

She held a tablet and looked surprised to see me standing there flushed and upset.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice cool and smooth.

Her sharp blue eyes moved over my messy hair, swollen lips, and the marks on my neck. A small, knowing smile touched her lips. "You must be Judith."

I nodded, still trying to steady my breathing.

"I'm Elena Voss, Mr. Blackwood's personal assistant." She glanced past me toward the kitchen where Ethan stood. "I came for the Tokyo merger files. He wasn't answering his messages."

She looked back at me, her eyes cold and calculating.

"I've heard a lot about you over the years.

It's nice to finally meet the woman who has Mr. Blackwood so distracted from me."

Her tone was polite, but the words carried a sting.

"Though I must say, relationships like this often complicate his very busy life. I've always made sure nothing gets in the way of his work.

Personal distractions can damage everything he's built."

My stomach twisted. The way she said it made me feel cheap, like I was just another problem she would soon remove.

Her words added to the pain already crushing my chest.

Was I really just a distraction?

But what does she mean by distracted from me?

The question made the hurt inside me grow even sharper.

Ethan's voice came from behind me, sharp.

"Elena, leave the files and go."

Elena placed the tablet on the nearest table but didn't move right away.

Her eyes stayed on me. "Of course, sir. But some secrets have a way of coming out at the worst times, don't they?"

She gave me one last look, full of quiet warning.

"Enjoy your evening, Judith."

She turned and walked back to the elevator. The doors closed behind her with a soft click.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding.

Ethan's confession still rang in my ears.

They had shared me like a piece of cake.

How could you, Dan? How was that possible? Was I drugged? The pain cut deep.

This new start with Ethan felt just as broken.

Tears filled my eyes as the full weight of the betrayal settled in.

How could I ever trust him again?

I turned to face him, anger and hurt mixing together.

"How could you-"

Before I could finish, Ethan's phone buzzed loudly on the counter.

He picked it up, and his face went pale.

It was Dan.

"I warned you, brother. Elena already

knows too much. If you don't tell Judith everything tonight, I will. Starting with the photos from that night years ago".