FORBIDDEN ECSTASY: Step-Siblings

CHAPTER TWO - Beneath the Chandeliers

Evening came, Cassie barely remembered the rest of the conversation in the living room and she was exhausted.

Her mind was still spinning from the moment Ronald walked out of the house as if nothing had happened.

Like six months ago meant nothing.

“Cassie?” Her mother’s voice pulled her back to reality.

She blinked.

“Yes?”

“You look pale, sweetheart. Are you alright?” Elena asked gently.

Cassie forced a small smile.

“I’m fine. Just… tired from the drive.”

Mr Walton nodded understandingly.

“That makes sense”, Why don’t you rest for a bit? One of the maids can show you to your room.”

Almost immediately, a young maid stepped forward.

“This way, miss.”

Cassie followed her up the wide staircase.

The same staircase Ronald had walked down minutes earlier.

Her stomach tightened at the memory,She still couldn’t believe this was happening.

Of all the people in the world…Ronald Dinker had to be her stepbrother.

The maid opened a large white door at the end of the hallway.

“This is your room.”

Cassie stepped inside, her eyes widened, the room was enormous.

A king-sized bed sat in the centre with silk sheets. There was a private balcony overlooking the garden, a walk-in closet bigger than her old bedroom, and a marble bathroom attached to the side.

Cassie slowly walked further into the room.

“This is… mine?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, miss.”

The maid smiled politely before leaving. Cassie stood there for a moment in silence.

Then she exhaled slowly and sat on the edge of the bed. This place didn’t feel real. Nothing about today felt real.

First, her mother marrying a billionaire, then moving into a mansion, and now…Ronald.

Cassie groaned softly and covered her face with her hands.“Of all people…”

She stood up and walked toward the balcony doors, pushing them open.

Cool evening air brushed against her skin.

The mansion grounds stretched far beyond what she could see—gardens, a pool, and a long driveway leading to the iron gates.

That’s when she heard it. A car engine.

Cassie leaned slightly over the balcony railing.

Down below, near the entrance of the mansion, a sleek black car had just pulled up.

Two men stepped out.

They were dressed in dark suits.

One of them opened the back door.

Ronald stepped out.

Even from this distance, Cassie could recognise him instantly.

He spoke briefly with the two men. His posture was relaxed, but something about the scene felt… wrong.

The men nodded quickly while Ronald spoke. One of them even looked nervous.

Cassie frowned.

“What was all that about”, Cassie said to herself

Ronald suddenly looked up, straight toward the balcony.

Cassie’s breath caught as she noticed and their eyes met.

Even from across the distance, the intensity of his gaze made her heart skip.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Ronald slowly smirked, as if he had caught her doing something she shouldn’t.

Cassie immediately stepped back from the railing, her heart was racing again.

Why did he always look at her like that?, Like he knew exactly what she was thinking, as if he could see right through her.

Cassie closed the balcony doors and leaned against them.

“What was that…” she murmured under her breath.

She walked toward the mirror and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she hated that she knew exactly why.

Why did he look at her like that?

And worse… why had she looked back?

A soft knock sounded on the door.

Cassie turned.

“Yes?”

The door opened slightly as one of the housemaids stepped inside.

“Miss Cassie, dinner is ready downstairs.”

Cassie nodded politely. “Alright. I’ll be down shortly.”

The maid gave a small bow before leaving the room.

Cassie turned back to the mirror and exhaled slowly. She opened her suitcase and pulled out a simple satin dress the colour of deep midnight blue. The fabric rested softly against her skin as she changed, the smooth material falling just above her knees.

It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it looked elegant enough.

She brushed her hair once more and slipped a small bracelet around her wrist.

“Relax,” she whispered to herself, It was just dinner and nothing more, yet somehow her heart refused to calm down.

A few minutes later Cassie stepped out of her room and made her way toward the grand staircase. The mansion felt quieter now, the soft glow of chandeliers lighting the long hallway.

As she walked down the staircase, voices drifted from the dining room.

Her stepfather’s voice and another familiar one

Cassie’s fingers tightened slightly around the railing.

She stepped into the dining room.

The long table was already set with plates and glasses, candles flickering gently along the centre. Mr Walton looked up immediately and smiled warmly.

“Cassie, there you are.”

“Sorry,” she said politely. “I didn’t realise dinner had already started.”

“No problem at all. Come sit.”

Cassie walked toward the table and took the empty seat across from Ronald.

The moment she sat down, she felt it again, his gaze and She looked up. Ronald was already watching her.

His dark eyes slowly moved over her dress before returning to her face.

“You look different from earlier,” he said calmly.

Cassie blinked slightly.

“Oh?”

“More pleasant.”

Mr Walton laughed lightly.

“Well, that’s quite the compliment.”

Cassie forced a small smile, though she wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

Dinner began soon after. Plates were served and the quiet clinking of silverware filled the room. Daniel spoke about business and upcoming plans, but Cassie barely heard most of it.

Because every few moments she felt Ronald’s eyes on her, just watching and studying her.

Finally she looked up again and their gazes locked.

Ronald raised one eyebrow slightly, almost amused.

Cassie set her fork down.

“What?” she asked quietly.

“You tell me.”

“You’re the one staring.”

A faint smirk touched his lips.

“You noticed.”

Cassie felt warmth creep up her neck and quickly reached for her glass of water.

Across the table Me Walton continued talking to Cassie’s mom, completely unaware of the quiet exchange happening between them.

Ronald leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping low enough that only Cassie could hear.

“You shouldn’t challenge people like that.”

Cassie frowned.

“Like what?”

“Looking back.”

Her heart skipped.

“I wasn’t challenging you.”

Ronald’s smirk deepened.

“Then what were you doing?”

Cassie didn’t answer.

Before she could think of a response, Mr Walton’s phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen and stood up.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

He stepped out of the dining room to take the call and at the same time Cassie’s mom went into the kitchen to get something.

The moment they both disappeared down the hallway, silence settled over the room.

Cassie focused on her plate, pretending to eat.

But she could feel Ronald’s presence like a shadow beside her.

Then the chair across from her scraped softly against the floor.

She looked up.

Ronald was standing.

Slowly he walked around the table until he stopped beside her chair.

Cassie’s heart began to pound.

“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.

Ronald leaned slightly closer.

“You were watching me earlier.”

Her breath caught.

“I wasn’t—”

“On the balcony,” he continued calmly. “Remember?”

Cassie stared at him.

“…How long were you standing there?”

Ronald’s gaze darkened slightly.

“Long enough.”

Cassie quickly pushed her chair back and stood.

“I think I’m done with dinner.”

But as she turned to leave, Ronald’s hand rested against the table beside her, blocking her path.

Not touching her,Just close enough.

“You keep trying to run,” he said softly.

“I’m not running,” Cassie replied. “I’m leaving.”

Ronald studied her for a moment before stepping back.

Just then Daniel’s footsteps echoed from the hallway as he returned to the dining room.

Ronald straightened instantly, his expression calm again.

Cassie picked up her glass quickly, trying to steady her breathing.

Mr Walton sat back down. “Sorry about that.”

Ronald casually took a sip of his drink before speaking again.

“Thank you for dinner dad, goodnight.”

“Okay son”

Ronald left the dinning to his room and Cassie was still eating her food but was a bit tensed up with everything.

After a while dinner was done, the maids did the cleaning and everyone retired to their rooms.

Cassie stepped inside her room finally, she kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the bed, grabbing her phone almost immediately.

Her screen lit up with several messages from her best friend Lia

Cassie sighed in relief and opened the chat.

Lia: “Did you survive dinner???”

Cassie smiled faintly and typed back.

Cassie: “Barely”.

The reply came almost instantly.

Lia: “Girl don’t play with me”.

How is the massive mansion??

Cassie glanced around her massive room — the silk sheets, the balcony doors, the walk-in closet bigger than her old bedroom.

Cassie: “It’s ridiculous unbelievable Like living inside a magazine”.

Lia: “And the new stepdad??”

Cassie: “Nice enough”.

Lia: “Okay but what about his kids??”

Cassie froze and her thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

For a second, Ronald’s face flashed through her mind. The intensity in his eyes earlier, the tension at dinner.

The way everything between them suddenly became forbidden the moment their parents got married.

Cassie quickly typed something safe.

Cassie: “He’s… quite the businessman”.

Lia: “I mean it’s expected”.

Cassie huffed out a small laugh but She didn’t mention that she already knew Ronald, she didn’t mention the history between them that happened few months ago before finding out he is the son to Mr Dinker.

She didn’t mention that being in this house with him felt like a disaster waiting to happen.

After a while the conversation slowed, Lia eventually sent one last message.

Lia: “Call me tomorrow. I want the mansion tour gossip”.

Cassie smiled faintly.

Cassie: “Deal”

She locked her phone and tossed it beside her, she then sat up, suddenly realising how thirsty she was.

“Great,” she muttered.

She slipped off the bed and quietly opened her door, the hallway lights were dim and obviously everyone was asleep.

Cassie walked toward the staircase and made her way down to the kitchen, her footsteps soft against the marble floor.

But the moment she stepped inside she stopped and saw that Ronald was already there leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of water in his hand and he saw her from act and neither of them spoke to each other, neither did Ronald moved an inch from where he was,Cassie hadn’t expected to see him again tonight.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked. his voice was calm.

Cassie walked slowly toward the fridge, trying to ignore the tension filling the room.

“Something like that.”

She grabbed a bottle of water and closed the fridge door. Now they were standing only a few feet apart and Silence settled between them again which was getting awkward

Cassie opened the bottle and took a sip just to give herself something to do.

“So…” she muttered. “Nice kitchen.”

Ronald let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

“You’ve been here all day.”

Cassie rolled her eyes slightly.

“You know what I mean.”

Ronald studied her face carefully and just gave a smirk and continued what he was doing paying less attention.

Cassie was about to say something but suddenly Ronald’s phone began vibrating loudly on the counter, So he glanced down.

His expression changed instantly, the relaxed look disappeared.

Cassie watched as he picked up the phone. The name on the screen clearly meant something serious.

He answered without hesitation.

“Yes.” There was a pause, Ronald’s eyes hardened slightly.

“Who did it?”

Cassie felt a chill run down her spine and gulped the water inside her throat and there was another pause.

Ronald’s voice dropped lower, “I’ll handle it.”He ended the call and set the phone down slowly.

The kitchen suddenly felt colder.

Cassie frowned. “Everything okay?”

Ronald looked at her for a long moment. His expression had completely changed, Like the man standing in front of her now was very different from the one at dinner.

Then he spoke quietly.

“Cassie.”

“Yes?”

Ronald grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair beside the kitchen counter.“You should go back to your room.” He said and left Cassie with no explanation of where he ran off to at this time of the night.