Sinful, Secrets, Seduction And Snowflakes.

Chapter Four.

Mikhail's POV

Fate was a cruel, tricky thing. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The moment I saw Noelle standing in the doorway earlier, it was like I’d been slammed into a memory I’d tried to forget.

Five years ago, she was just a stranger at a bar. A beautiful, heartbroken stranger who tasted like whiskey and salt, whose moans still echoed in my head when I closed my eyes.

And now? She was standing in my house. My step-sister.

What were the odds? Out of all the people in the world, it had to be her. The universe had an awful sense of humor.

I sat in the library, swirling a glass of scotch in my hand.

The fire burned at the corner of the library, its flames casting shadows across the dark wood shelves. But even the warmth of the room couldn’t shake the cold knot in my chest.

I’d never forgotten her.

I’d tried, of course. After that night, I told myself it was just a fleeting connection, something born of desperation and loneliness. I didn’t even know her name back then, only the soft curves of her body and the tears she tried so hard to hide.

But no matter how many women I’d been with since, none of them came close to her.

Her touch, her taste, the way she whispered moans in my ears, like it was the only thing that mattered—all of it haunted me.

And now she was here, wearing that same guarded look she’d had back then. Like she’d built walls around herself, daring anyone to try and break them down.

I shouldn’t have stared at her so long earlier. I couldn’t help it. The way she avoided my eyes, the way her shoulders were stiff—it was like she was carrying the weight of the world, and for some reason, I wanted to help her carry it.

Get a hold of yourself Mikhail.

Even though I shouldn’t. Even though I couldn’t.

Noelle wasn’t just a stranger anymore. She was family now, tied to me by the strings of my father’s second marriage. It made what happened between us five years ago feel like something forbidden, something I should bury deep and never think about again.

But how was I supposed to forget when she was right here, just a few doors down the hall?

I tipped back the glass, letting the burn of the scotch chase away the thoughts threatening to drown me.

A soft knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I hissed, placing the glass carefully on the table.

The library used to be my favorite spot in the house..

The smell of books were a familiar comfort.

Reeding me of the loneliness I felt when I was younger.

My dad stepped inside, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression neutral but with a hint of impatience— as always. “Dinner’s ready,” he said.

I pushed the glass away from the table edge, standing up and straightening my sleeves. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

He lingered in the doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I need you to call Noelle. She’s in her room.”

For a moment, I just stared at him. The knot in my chest tightened. “Why me?”

“You’re closer. Just get her,” he said with a wave of his hand before walking away.

I let out a sharp breath, running a hand through my hair. Of course. Fate wasn’t done playing with me yet.

I made my way upstairs, my footsteps slow and deliberate. The hallway was quiet, the kind of silence that pressed in around you. Like in the movies, I could hear every sound and every movement.

Her door was slightly ajar, a soft glow of light spilling into the hallway. I paused just outside, hesitating.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to her. Or how I was supposed to act. Did she recognize me? Did she remember?

Hell, how could she not?

I still remembered every detail of that night. The way she’d looked at me, like I was the only person in the room. The way she’d fallen apart in my arms, as if she’d been holding herself together for far too long.

And the way she left before I even woke up, disappearing like a ghost.

I should have left, gone downstairs and sent someone else to get her. But I couldn’t.

Instead, I lifted my hand and knocked gently on the door.

“Noelle,” I said, my voice low.

There was a brief silence before she answered. “Yes?”

“Dinner’s ready,” I said. “Mr Volkov asked me to get you.”

I heard her shuffle around inside the room, and then the door opened slightly. She peeked out, her eyes wary. “I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, her words sounded calculated, like she was afraid of the slightest slip up.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

She looked the same and yet so different. Older, maybe. But her Features were the same, those perky breasts and fully rounded hips.

And her facial features were simply out of this world.

But she seemed more guarded. But the vulnerability I’d seen five years ago was still there, buried deep beneath the surface.

I wanted to say something—anything—but the words stuck in my throat.

“Okay,” I said finally, stepping back. “Don’t take too long.”

She nodded once before closing the door again, and I stood there for a moment, staring at the wood as if it might give me answers.

It didn’t.

With a frustrated sigh, I dragged my legs and rubbed them against the wooden floor boards as I headed back downstairs, bracing myself for the uneasiness that was sure to come at dinner.

I couldn't deny that since that night, I felt something else. Something I had spent years searching for in the numerous girls I had gone out with in the past years.

I should have dug more about the family my dad was getting into,maybe I would have avoided it. I wouldn't be in this turmoil.

Fate might be tricky, but it wasn’t done with me yet. That much was clear.