FORBIDDEN ECSTASY: Step-Siblings

CHAPTER ELEVEN - The ride home

It had been a long day.

Not the kind that passed quickly.

The kind that stretched.

Dragged.

Stayed.

By the time the office began to empty, one by one, Cassie was still seated at her desk, her eyes scanning the same line for what felt like the hundredth time. The numbers blurred slightly, not from confusion—but from exhaustion.

She leaned back slowly, pressing her fingers lightly against her temple.

Silence had taken over the floor.

Most of the lights were dimmed now, leaving only a soft glow from a few offices still in use. The steady hum of the building had softened into something distant, almost comforting.

Cassie exhaled and closed the file in front of her.

“Enough”…she said to herself.

She had done enough for one day.

Standing up, she gathered her things, slipping her phone into her bag before taking one last glance around the office.

She didn’t bother checking the time,She could feel it,it was late….very late

The hallway felt different at this hour. It was very quiet and cold.

Her heels echoed softly against the polished floor as she made her way toward the elevator, her steps slower now, her energy finally catching up with her.

It had been a day of adjustments…Of tension, of learning things she didn’t ask to learn.

And through it all…..Him.

Cassie pressed her lips together slightly, pushing the thought away.

She wasn’t doing this tonight.

Not again.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and she stepped inside, leaning back lightly against the wall as it descended.

The ride was silent just like her thoughts now.

By the time she stepped out of the building, the night air greeted her with a cool breeze, brushing softly against her skin.

For a brief second……She just stood there.

Breathing and letting the weight of the day slip off her shoulders, even if only a little.

Then she reached for her phone, her ride was just around the corner

“Hello? Yeah… I’m ready,” she said quietly. “You can come around.”

She slipped the phone back into her bag, stepping slightly toward the curb as she waited.

The street was quiet, but she didn’t mind it.

“Leaving already?”

The voice came from behind her.

Cassie stilled just for a second…..Then she exhaled quietly and turned.

Ronald Of course.

He stood a few steps away, his suit jacket gone now, sleeves rolled slightly, his posture more relaxed than earlier—but his presence? Still the same as always

Cassie didn’t respond.

Not immediately.

She simply looked at him, her expression unreadable before turning her gaze away again.

That alone said enough.

Ronald noticed.

Of course he did.

“You’re ignoring me now?” he asked, his tone calm, almost neutral.

Cassie didn’t look back at him.

“I’m going home,” she said instead, her voice flat.

A pause.

Then….“So am I.”

She said nothing.

Her jaw tightened just slightly.

Before she could move further, the sound of a car pulling up cut through the quiet.

Cassie glanced toward it instinctively—

But Ronald spoke first.

“That won’t be necessary.”

She frowned, turning back to him.

“What?”

“I’ve already given instructions,” he said. “One driver will take you anywhere no more rides from strangers.”

Cassie blinked.

“…Excuse me?”

“Our driver will take us both.”

Her expression hardened immediately.

“I didn’t agree to that.”

“You don’t need to.”

The words were calm it Effortless And that only made it worse.

Cassie let out a small, disbelieving breath.

“I already called for a car.”

“It’s been dismissed.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“You what?”

Ronald held her gaze, unbothered.

“You’re not taking separate cars or rather just any car.”

“And why exactly not?” she shot back.

A brief pause.

Then…

“Because I said so.”, There was a sharp silence between them.

Cassie stared at him, disbelief flickering across her face before settling into something firmer and Stubborn.

“You don’t get to make decisions for me,” she said, her voice low but steady.

Ronald didn’t move and Didn’t react.

“You’re getting in the car, Cassie.”

The way he said her name, it was calm

Left very little room for argument.

For a moment, it looked like she might push back again.

Walk away, maybe call another driver or do something… anything

But the car was already there.

Waiting.

And deep down, she knew this wouldn’t turn into a battle she could win tonight.

Cassie exhaled sharply, turning without another word and walking toward the car.

Ronald followed.

And they both got into the car. The ride was silent.

Not the comfortable or the peaceful kind either but the kind that sat between two people who had too much to say and refused to say any of it.

Cassie kept her gaze fixed on the window, watching the city lights blur past, her expression calm but distant.

Beside her, Ronald said nothing.

Did nothing.

But his presence filled the space anyway.

It was Heavy and unavoidable, and the tension from earlier hadn’t disappeared.

It hadn’t even faded.

It had just…Changed.

Settled into something quieter and something deeper.

Something that didn’t need words to exist.

Neither of them noticed how long the drive took.

Or maybe—

They did.

And simply chose not to acknowledge it.

**********

By the time the car pulled into the driveway, the mansion was already lit.

Warm lights spilt from the windows, giving the illusion of calm—of normalcy.

Cassie stepped out first, not waiting, not looking back. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and walked straight inside, her heels echoing faintly against the marble floors.

Behind her, Ronald followed at his usual pace seeming unbothered

Like the silence in the car hadn’t meant anything at all.

They didn’t speak as they headed upstairs.

Cassie moved straight to her room, dropping her bag on the bed and letting out a long breath. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at nothing.

Then she shook her head lightly.

“Get it together,” she muttered.

A quick change, a splash of water on her face—

And she was out again.

Dinner was already set when they arrived.

Mr Walton sat at the head of the table, relaxed, composed as always, while her mother sat beside him, her expression warm as she looked up.

“There you both are,” she said with a smile. “We were starting to think work had swallowed you whole.”

Cassie forced a small smile as she took her seat.

“Almost did,” she replied lightly.

Ronald sat across from her, silent as ever.

Dinner began smoothly.

At first.

“So,” Mr Walton said, glancing toward Cassie, “first day at the company. How was it?”

Cassie paused mid-motion, her fork hovering slightly above her plate.

“It was…” she searched for the right word, then gave a small shrug, “…eventful.”

Her mother smiled. “That sounds like a good thing.”

Cassie let out a soft breath. “Depends on your definition of good.”

A faint chuckle came from Mr Walton.

“I assume Ronald didn’t go easy on you.”

Cassie glanced up briefly, looking at Ronald but his expression was unreadable at the moment

She looked back at her plate.

“No,” she said simply. “He didn’t.”

Her mother gave Ronald a look. “You could’ve at least let her settle in.”

“She’s not there to settle,” Ronald replied calmly. “She’s there to work.”

Cassie’s grip tightened slightly around her fork.

Of course he’d say that.

Mr Walton nodded slowly, clearly approving. “That’s the right mindset.”

Cassie raised a brow slightly, glancing between them.

“Of course it is,” she murmured under her breath.

Her mother hid a small smile.

“What was the most challenging part?” she asked gently.

Cassie let out a quiet laugh.

“Figuring out what I’m actually supposed to be doing,” she said. “Apparently, I’m expected to understand everything without anyone explaining anything.”

Mr Walton chuckled again.

“That’s how you learn fastest.”

Cassie looked at him.

“I’m starting to notice a pattern in this family.”

Her mother laughed softly this time.

Ronald, however, remained still.

Dinner continued, the conversation shifting between light business talk and small family remarks, but the tension never fully left the table.

It lingered and there was something unspoken

Then….

Mr Walton set his glass down.

“Your mother and I will be leaving tomorrow,” he said casually.

Cassie looked up.

“So soon?”

Her mother smiled warmly. “It’s just for a few days.”

“Where to?” Cassie asked.

Mr Walton leaned back slightly, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

“The Maldives.”

Cassie blinked.

“And not just anywhere,” her mother added softly, clearly excited. “We’ll be staying at the Soneva Jani Resort.”

Cassie froze for a second.

The Maldives?

Soneva Jani?

That wasn’t just a vacation.

That was… luxury on another level.

“Wow,” she said, forcing a small smile. “That’s… amazing.”

“It is,” her mother said, reaching for her hand briefly. “You’ll be fine here.”

Cassie nodded.

“Of course.”

But inside?

Her thoughts were anything but calm.

You’ll be fine here.

Her eyes flickered, just for a second, toward Ronald.

He didn’t look at her and Didn’t even react, and somehow that made it worse.

Dinner ended not long after.

Everyone excused themselves, the night settling back into its usual quiet.

But Cassie wasn’t ready to go to her room.

Not yet.

***********

The garden was calm, the night air settling softly against Cassie’s skin as she stepped outside. The faint ripple of water from the pool broke the silence, reflecting the soft lights into something almost unreal. She exhaled slowly, folding her arms loosely as she tried to let the weight of the day slip off her shoulders.

Then a quiet splash pulled her attention.

Her gaze shifted—and stilled.

Ronald.

He was in the pool, moving with an ease that felt almost deliberate, like the world around him had slowed down. The tension she was used to seeing in him was gone, replaced by something calmer, quieter. A version of him she hadn’t seen often.

Cassie didn’t realise she was staring.

Didn’t realise how still she had become, her thoughts drifting somewhere she didn’t want to fully acknowledge.

Ronald reached the edge of the pool and pulled himself out, water trailing down his skin as he ran a hand through his hair. He grabbed a towel, dabbing it across his shoulders, completely unaware—or unconcerned—that he was being watched.

Cassie blinked suddenly, snapping out of it.

“What am I doing…” she muttered under her breath, turning away quickly.

Without another glance, she headed back inside.

The kitchen lights were still on. Cassie walked in quietly, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. The coolness steadied her slightly as she leaned against the counter, taking a slow sip.

Her thoughts were still unsettled.

Still circling about the whole information at dinner

A sudden presence behind her.

Before she could react, a hand came down beside her on the counter, another against the wall, blocking her in.

Cassie froze, her breath catching as she looked up.

Ronald, she gasped ad he was close to her

Water still clung faintly to him, the scent of it mixing with something warmer, something that made her senses sharpen instantly. Her grip tightened slightly around the glass.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice steady—just enough.

Ronald didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at her, his gaze slow, deliberate, like he was trying to read something beneath the surface.

Then a faint smirk touched his lips.

“Why are you so stubborn?”

His voice was low, almost teasing.

Cassie’s brows lifted slightly, but she didn’t move, didn’t step back.

“If you’re expecting me not to be,” she replied calmly, “then you don’t know me very well… brother.”

The word lingered, intentional, but her tone carried something softer beneath it.

Ronald’s smirk deepened, his eyes holding hers without wavering. For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them felt tighter, heavier, charged in a way neither of them acknowledged out loud.

Cassie held his gaze, refusing to look away, even as her heartbeat picked up, even as her thoughts threatened to slip again.

Then Ronald straightened.

Just like that.

The tension snapped, subtle but undeniable.

He stepped back, running a hand through his damp hair.

“Nothing,” he said casually.

Cassie blinked. “What?”

“I just came to say goodnight.”

The words were simple. Too simple.

And before she could respond, he turned and walked out, leaving her standing there, glass still in her hand, heart still unsteady.

For a moment, she didn’t move.

Didn’t think.

Then she exhaled slowly, her grip loosening slightly around the glass.

“Right…” she murmured to herself.

But even as she said it, she knew….That wasn’t all.