Dangerous temptation

Chapter 4

Ethan’s pov

I’d only met her yesterday, yet I couldn’t get her out of my head.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face the bruises, the scars, the way she flinched when someone raised their voice.

The thought of how Daniel had treated her these past two years made my blood boil.

Every mark on her skin was a reminder of his cruelty and every time I remembered her bruised lips, my hatred for him only grew darker.

I needed air.

Maybe if I left the mansion for a while, I could stop thinking about her.

But fate clearly had other plans.

Because the moment I stepped into the hallway, she came rushing around the corner and slammed right into me.

The impact was hard enough to make her stumble and fall to the ground.

She hit me so hard I almost lost balance.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she fell backward, landing with a soft thud on the floor

For a moment, she just sat there, dazed, her hair falling across her face.

“You,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “Shouldn’t you be in bed, resting?”

She looked at me and blinked, clearly caught off guard like her mind had frozen mid-thought. When she finally spoke, it was a small, broken whisper. “Sorry.”

I raised a brow, a hint of amusement tugging at my lips. “Sorry? For what?”

She opened her mouth but said nothing. The way she stood there vulnerable, exhausted, yet still holding her chin high it did something to me I didn’t like.

Realizing she was still on the floor, I exhaled and bent down slightly, stretching out my arm toward her.

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then placed her hand in mine. Her skin was soft too soft for someone who had clearly suffered this much.

I helped her up, and she quickly dusted off her clothes, avoiding my gaze like looking at me would burn her.

I wanted to say something else to ask why she was pushing herself when she was clearly in pain but I didn’t trust what might come out of my mouth.

So I turned away.

Every moment I spent in her presence made me lose control.

Her voice, her scent, the quiet strength behind her trembling hands.

I needed to get out.

Before I did something I couldn’t take back.

I walked deeper into the garden, hoping the night would clear my head. It didn’t. The farther I went, the more her face haunted me

I shouldn’t be thinking about her like this. She was his wife. My brother’s.

But hell, Daniel didn’t deserve her. He never deserved anything good.

The thought hit me harder than I expected. If things kept going this way, I might actually do something reckless something that would burn what’s left of this family to ashes.

A smirk tugged at my lips as a darker thought crossed my mind.

If I did take her away from him… if I made her mine… I could already imagine the dread on Daniel’s face when he realized.

That would be a sight worth staying for.

Seeing the stroll wasn’t helping. I went back to the mansion for dinner. The place felt even emptier without Grandfather he was off on one of his long vacations, trying to escape this family’s constant chaos. It seemed Dad and my little cousin had gone with him.

The moment I stepped in, I caught the aroma of roasted lamb and red wine sauce

Everyone was already seated… except Mara.

As I took my seat, my eyes met Nicolas’s. That smug look he always wore calm, calculated, like he was above everyone. Anger simmered beneath my skin, but I bit it back. This wasn’t the time.

Then I heard soft footsteps from the stairs.

She appeared.

Mara dressed neatly, her hair tied back, her face unreadable.

She sat across from me, not sparing me a glance. I tried not to stare, but it was damn near impossible. Every move she made the way she lifted the fork, the quiet grace in her hands it all pulled me in.

Dinner, as usual, was silent. Always had been. This family didn’t talk we observed, calculated, and waited for someone to fall. We didn’t eat food; we devoured each other.

Then Nicolas the snake, broke the silence.

“You almost killed my cousin,” he said with that smug smirk of his, leaning back in his chair.

I felt a wave of irritation shoot through me, but before I could open my mouth, Mara spoke

her voice steady, low, but sharp enough to cut through the tension.

“We all know you share no warmth for Daniel,” she said.

The corner of my lips twitched despite myself a ghost of a smirk.

Then grace spoke. “Mind the way you speak, you peasant.”

I could see Mara flinch just a small flicker in her eyes but it was enough.

“Have you no respect, Grace?” My voice came out lower than I intended, steady, cold.

She froze, the color draining from her face. Good. Someone needed to remind them I still existed.

“And Nicolas,” I continued, letting my eyes drift to my uncle, “you don’t give a damn about your brother. So why bother the pretty one?

The word pretty rolled off my tongue before I could stop it. I didn’t miss how she looked up when I said it.

Nicolas scowled but stayed quiet. Laura’s hand on his wrist kept him from doing something stupid. She’d always been the calm in his storm.

I leaned back in my chair, watching Mara. She wouldn’t meet my eyes now, pretending to focus on her plate then she looked up she had really pretty eyes they were blue and full of life.

“You should eat”I cleared my throat.

After dinner I went back to my room This family had always been a nest of vipers, but tonight, I realized just how deep the poison ran.

They were all schemers.

We were all schemers.

For a brief second, I wished I could see through every wall, watch them in their tiny corners, plotting, whispering, pretending. And then it hit me.

Three years ago, before I left this place, I had told James to install cameras around the mansion. A precaution. Back then, I didn’t trust anyone and I was right not to. I’d only checked them once or twice, never for anything serious. But now… I needed to know what kind of filth still lingered under this roof.

I walked over to the desk and flipped open my laptop. The screen lit up, humming softly as the feed connected.

Within seconds, a dozen small boxes appeared — hallways, living rooms, the garden, Daniel’s office, guest rooms. Everyone seemed normal. Too normal. No arguments, no whispers. Just silence.

Then my eyes landed on her.

Mara.

She had just entered the bedroom, a bottle of water in her hand. She moved quietly, slowly, like someone who’d learned to make herself invisible.

I shouldn’t have been watching her. I knew that. It was wrong. Unforgivable, even.

But something about her pulled me in

She sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her arm absentmindedly. Then she stood and reached for the lamp, dimming the light.

And before I could look away, she started unbuttoning her shirt.

My throat tightened. My fingers froze on the keyboard.

I didn’t mean to but my heart raced, and for a second, I forgot to breathe.

Then, realizing what I was doing, I cursed under my breath and clicked away anywhere, a random feed, the hallway, the study anything but that.

I slammed the laptop shut and leaned back, running a hand through my hair.

What the hell was I doing?

She wasn’t mine.

She was Daniel’s.