Sinful Obsession: My Billionaire Stepbrother

Already Crossed the Line

~Isabel~

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Chloe in the library, but I wasn't really reading about Law Ethics. My mind was stuck on that text message from earlier from William. A simple

“What's up?”

I had been looking for him the other day to talk about my transition to co-operate department so I texted him to know where he was since I didn't see him around the mansion and he had replied almost immediately that he was at the gym.

It shouldn't have surprised me; nobody gets shoulders that broad and muscles that lean just by sitting behind a desk.

I kept picturing him in that humid gym air, those biceps strained under weights, and honestly, the image was doing things to my heart rate that were definitely not helpful for my studies.

He looked dashing in a suit, like he was born to rule the world, but in a simple gym tee? That was a different kind of danger entirely.

By the time I got back to the mansion and finished some extra reading in my room, the sun had long since tucked itself away.

I was starving, so I finally decided to venture out. As I stepped into the hallway, I saw the butler, Mr. Robert, heading toward my mother’s wing with a stack of boxes.

He caught my eye and gave me a polite nod, telling me he was just about to come and knock on my door.

He mentioned that everyone was already downstairs for dinner and they’d started eating because they didn't want to wake me if I was napping.

I thanked him and started down the grand staircase, my hand trailing along the cold marble railing.

But halfway down, I froze.

Through the arched doorway of the dining room, I could see them.

Arthur was laughing at something, and my mother was smiling, but my eyes went straight to the person sitting opposite them.

William.

He was putting on a well-fitted black tee that clung to his chest and arms in a way that made my throat go dry.

I immediately felt like a deer caught in headlights. I hadn't seen him since the night of the kiss—the night I’d bolted like a thief.

My first instinct was to turn around and sneak back up the stairs. I wasn't ready to look him in the eye, not with my mother and Arthur sitting right there like everything was normal.

But just as I pivoted to make my escape, my mother’s voice rang out, warm and inviting.

"Bel? Is that you? Come join us for dinner, sweetheart!"

I closed my eyes for a second, cursed my timing, and forced a smile.

I walked into the room, feeling incredibly exposed in my short sleep gown that hit just above my knees.

It was comfortable for studying, but under William’s sudden, intense gaze, it felt far too short.

I watched his eyes drop, tracing the length of my legs before snapping back up to meet mine with a look that made my skin prickle.

"I'm not really hungry," I lied, my voice sounding a bit too high.

But as if on cue, my stomach let out a traitorous, loud growl that echoed in the quiet room. Arthur burst into a hearty laugh, shaking his head.

"Your stomach seems to disagree, Isabel! Sit down, the seafood rice is excellent tonight."

I felt the heat climb up my neck as I took the only available seat—right across from William.

The table was filled with a tempting spread of lemon-herb chicken, fresh seafood, and fragrant rice, but my appetite was fighting with the knots in my stomach.

I took a few small bites, trying to focus on my mother’s chatter about something about a Yacht, when the familiar vibration of my phone on the table made me jump.

I peeked at the screen. My heart nearly stopped.

William’s Message:

“You still haven't told me why you were asking for my whereabouts. Already missing my kisses?”

I almost choked on a piece of shrimp, my face exploding into a deep, rosy blush.

I gripped my water glass so hard I thought it might crack. Was he serious? Was he really doing this right now, while his father was sitting two feet away talking about property taxes?

I looked up at him, my eyes wide with shock. He looked completely innocent, calmly cutting into his chicken like he hadn't just dropped a bomb into my pocket.

But those whiskey-colored eyes of his were burning, watching my reaction with a dark, hidden amusement.

I looked at the breadth of his chest, the way his muscles moved under the thin fabric of his shirt, and I had to tighten my legs under the table to stop the sudden, heavy ache gathering in my lower body.

The room felt ten degrees hotter all of a sudden.

"Are you okay, Izzy? You look a bit flushed,"

Arthur asked, leaning forward with genuine concern.

Was I okay? Far from it. His son was literally torturing me from across the table, reminding me of the way his mouth felt on mine and the way I’d practically melted into his arms.

My head was suddenly a mess of images I shouldn't be seeing—the way he’d looked at me in the study, the way he’d groaned into the kiss, the way I wanted him to do it again.

"I... I think I'm just tired," I stammered, shoving my chair back so fast it screeched against the floor.

"Actually, I’m full. I should get back to my notes. Goodnight!"

I didn't wait for a response. I bolted from the room, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

I practically ran up the stairs and slammed my door shut, leaning against it as I tried to catch my breath.

We had crossed a line, and William wasn't just crossing it—he was erasing it entirely, and I had no idea how I was going to survive living under the same roof as him.