I've Coveted You Forever

Chapter 4 Tell You a Secret

I let out a sharp, startled cry, scrambling frantically for something to cover my bare skin, my face burning with humiliation as I fumbled in total disarray.

Every flustered, awkward move was watched closely by Finn.

Overwhelmed by shame and anger, I grabbed the dress shirt he'd tossed on the floor earlier and wrapped it around myself, only to find it far too small to cover me properly. It shielded my front but left my back and hips completely exposed, leaving me more vulnerable than if I'd worn nothing at all.

He chuckled lowly, stepping forward to rest his hands gently on my bare shoulders, forcing me to turn and face the floor-to-ceiling mirror beside us.

The reflection staring back at me made my breath catch—my skin was pale and flushed, the shirt hiding just enough to leave everything to the imagination, far more enticing than full nudity could ever be.

Finn murmured, his chin resting on my shoulder as he met my gaze in the mirror, his pretty eyes sharp and cunning like a fox, warm yet devilish, "Eleanor, look at us. From now on, you're mine. Only mine."

A wave of bitter, overwhelming sadness crashed over me as I stared at my half-covered reflection.

'I've been publicly abandoned by the older brother at my own engagement party that same day, only to be taken advantage of by his reckless younger brother that night. What have I, the heiress of the Sterling family, ever done to deserve such cruelty?'

I forced a few tears to well up in my eyes, letting them slide down my cheeks to make myself look small and broken.

It seemed tears were indeed a woman's most powerful weapon—Finn's hard expression softened immediately, and he pulled away from me at once.

After several long minutes of heavy silence, he draped his heavy coat over my shoulders, his tone calm and deliberate. "Eleanor, I have a trade for you. I'll tell you a secret."

"What secret?" I asked.

Finn disappeared upstairs and returned a moment later with a brand-new skirt set, the price tag still attached, holding it out to me. "Put this on first. Then I'll tell you everything."

I couldn't help but scoff internally.

'Clearly, Finn brings women to this villa all the time if he keeps brand-new female clothing here.'

Still, I had to admit the outfit fit me perfectly, as if it had been made just for my frame.

Once I was dressed, Finn led me to a flashy red sports car, far more attention-grabbing than his previous vehicle.

The night wind whipped through my hair as we sped down the highway, the ride feeling like a desperate, reckless escape from the world we'd left behind.

An hour later, the car pulled to a stop outside an underground bar named Crimson Veil.

I reached for the door handle, but Finn caught my wrist and held me back, his expression serious.

"This isn't a regular bar, Eleanor. You can't get in looking like that," he said firmly.

Before I could ask what he meant, he grabbed a long trench coat and a black wig from the backseat, holding them out to me. "Disguise yourself as a man. That's the only way I can take you inside."

It was only then that I noticed every person entering and exiting the bar was male, and a cold, sinking feeling settled in my chest.

'This is a gay bar?'

I realized with a jolt, and my suspicion was confirmed the second we stepped closer.

After I changed into the coat and wig in the car, Finn looped an arm around my waist possessively as we walked inside, his touch far too intimate for a simple disguise.

I had no doubt he'd planned this all along, relishing every second of keeping me close.

Finn kept me tucked tightly at his side, and it was clear he was on good terms with the bar owner—the bouncers at the door greeted him with wide, obsequious smiles and waved us inside without a second glance.

The bar was sleek and luxurious, with a dark, decadent atmosphere, and handsome young men cast flirty glances our way every few steps.

"Eyes forward, don't look around," Finn said, covering my eyes with his hand to shield me from the stares.

We walked for a few more minutes before settling into a private booth by the window, hidden from the rest of the crowd.

Finn lifted a finger and pointed toward the far corner of the room. "Look over there. That's the secret I promised you."

Curiosity overpowered my hesitation, and I pulled off my sunglasses, following his gaze to the corner booth.

What I saw there was a scene I would carry with me for the rest of my life, seared into my memory forever.

Julian sat slouched in the booth, relaxed and carefree in a way I'd never seen him, a soft, adoring smile on his face—a smile he'd never once directed at me.

Curled up in his lap was a young man in his mid-twenties, pale-skinned with a tiny, button nose, delicate and sweet like a figurine.

In the dim, private corner, the two were curled into each other, their faces so close their noses brushed. Before I could look away, Julian leaned in and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to the boy's lips, full of a tenderness he'd never shown me.