His parents had helped him set up the whole operation.Malvin smirked as he paced around.He had not used his legs in days because of his act.“Yesss… I told you. Sophia sees me differently now. Her mother practically adores me.”Henry’s tone dropped, every word deliberate. “Then make sure you take as much as you can from them. Don’t waste this chance, son.”Cecilia stepped closer, her voice low and urgent. “And once you marry into their family, you must penetrate their business. You know how our family company is failing. If you don’t do something, we’ll be bankrupt in weeks.”Malvin straightened his back, looking between his parents with calm assurance. “Relax. I’m going to do exactly that. Once I’m in, their wealth is ours. Their business… ours. I’ll bleed them without them even realizing it.”Malvin was still convinced that he had Rowan's full trust.But Malvin didn’t care.Sarah completely believed in him.And that was all he needed.That afternoon, he arrived at the Aldrige esta

She had been standing there for five minutes watching her type and retype a message to Adrian.She could not help but frown, she thought she would have forgotten about him by now, and focus on the son-in-law she wanted for her- Malvin.“Mom!” Sophia exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to her chest. “You scared me.”Sarah smiled faintly, leaning on the open window frame. “I was watching you from upstairs. You’ve been sitting here for over twenty minutes, just… staring.”Sophia’s brows furrowed. “I was just… thinking.” She quickly grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car, brushing past the topic before her mother could probe deeper.She hoped her mother was not standing there for too long and had not seen her typing and retyping a message like a girl trying so hard to get the attention of her crush.They walked side by side toward the tall double doors of the Aldridge mansion.Inside, Sophia slipped off her heels with a quiet sigh and called out, “Can I get someth

Sophia descended the grand staircase with her bag slung over one shoulder.Before stepping out, she paused in the foyer where Sarah was sipping tea at the dining table.“Mom,” Sophia said sharply, “warn your daughter to stay out of my room.”Sarah’s brows knit, and her eyes flicked to Elena, who was calmly eating breakfast.The glare Sarah sent her was sharp enough to cut glass, but she didn’t speak a word.Elena simply lowered her gaze to her plate, chewing slowly as though nothing had happened.Then, without missing a beat, she looked back up at Sophia.“Have a nice day,” she said with a faint smile. “And don’t forget the package… please, handle it with care.”“I won’t,” Sophia muttered, adjusting her bag. Moments later, her car rolled out of the Aldridge estate gates.Later that eveningSophia’s GPS pinged the location Sarah had given her. The sun had already dipped low, casting long shadows across the road.She slowed her car as the building came into view.It was a new building

Malvin’s grin widened as he angled the phone, the little red recording light began to blink.Sophia’s body betrayed her, her hands moving against her will, a heat rising inside her that made her want to crawl out of her own skin. Her breath came out in ragged bursts, laughter spilling into groans as she fought for control.Malvin leaned back in his chair, savoring it.“Magnificent,” he whispered, watching through the screen as though she were no longer a woman, but a performance made for his pleasure.Sophia has no idea how much effort he put into getting her.But it seemed every time, something always ruined his plans, Adrian always got in the way.First, Sophia was supposed to wander into his room on the cruise ship, but somehow ended up in that bastard's room.He posed as her grandfather and brought Dr. Aldric to save him, so that he would be impressed and hand Sophia over to marry him.But as usual, Adrian ruined everything and saved him, and now Rowan feels indebted to Adrian.Bu

Sophia’s breath came in jagged sobs as her body trembled on the bed.“Please… Malvin, don’t…” Her voice cracked as tears spilled from her eyes. “Please…”But her pleas only seemed to fuel him.Malvin reached for the wine bottle sitting on the nightstand. With deliberate calm, he uncorked it, the soft pop echoing in the room.Sophia’s eyes widened in horror as he tilted the bottle over her. The liquid splashed across her chest and stomach, seeping into the fabric of her dress, staining it dark. She flinched but Malvin's grin grew wider as he emptied the bottle even more.“Our first night has to be perfect, don't you think?” he purred, his eyes filled with lust.From the dresser, he plucked a handful of rose petals.He sprinkled the flower over her.The petals clung to the damp fabric of her dress, sticking against her skin.He stood back for a moment, admiring her like some Thanksgiving turkey he was about to devour.“Ohh what I'm going to do to you...." He purred.Sophia's lips tremb