My legs tremble as I brace myself for the inevitable. He reaches my side and grabs my arm, his grip like iron, yanking me back toward him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growls, pulling me back down the hallway toward my room. I try to dig my heels in, but it's useless. His strength overpowers me, making any resistance futile.

"Let me go!" I demand, wriggling in his grasp. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Yet here we are," he retorts smugly.

As he continues to drag me, Lev's cock accidentally grazes my ass. A thrill shoots down my spine, and I hate myself for feeling anything other than anger toward this man. But even as I struggle against him, I can't deny the way my body responds to his touch.

"Stop fighting, Pippa," he warns, his eyes darkening. "You're only making this harder on yourself."

"Like hell I will," I spit back, defiance surging through me.

“Fine then,” he sniggers. “You do you, Love.”

Love. The way he says it sends a heat creeping down my spine.

We reach my room, and he shoves me inside. I turn to say more, but something catches my eye. A mysterious man stands behind Lev, his stoic face giving away nothing. He watches our interaction with an unreadable expression, leaving me to wonder who he is and what his connection to Lev could be.

The door begins to close.

“Le—” I try to speak.

But it slams shut in my face.

Chapter 5 - Lev

As I close the door and turn around, the air feels heavier in the hallway. My brother Damien stands there in all his fury, eyes boring into mine with an intensity only surpassed by the wrath of God himself. I notice the way his jaw clenches as he waits for me to speak.

"Lev," he grits out between clenched teeth. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Nice of you to be concerned, Damien. I’ve been having migraines recently," I shrug and place a hand on my forehead, pressing into it. I attempt a humorous tone, but the tension in the room is palpable, and even my usual sarcasm falls flat.

"Cut the bullshit. I'm not in the mood for it." His voice is ice cold, and I know better than to keep pushing him. Damien's usually the calm one, so when he's this furious, it's best to tread carefully.

"Fine," I sigh, running a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "We've got a problem. A big one."

“Your office, now,” he snaps before turning on his heels.

I sigh and follow, dreading the conversation that’s about to take place.

Once inside, I find Damien ending the conference call we have on hold. He wastes no time in wrapping up the meeting, glaring at the screen as if he'd rather be anywhere but here right now. I can't say I blame him. “Family emergency, gentlemen,” he says before turning off the screen.

I shut the door and lean against it, feeling the weight of his furious stare. I know I have to explain myself, but there's a part of me that wishes I could just avoid this conversation altogether.

Damien sits on my chair and swivels the seat to face me. I walk over and drop into the seat opposite his.

“Begin talking. Now!” He points a finger at me.

“Well, you should know it’s a serious matter,” I begin.

"Clearly," he snaps, his patience wearing thin. "You wouldn't have brought her here if it wasn't serious. Now get to the details that matter, Lev."

"Alright, alright," I mutter, deciding it's best to just get it over with. "You remember Lenny, right?”

"Of course I remember Lenny," Damien growls, clearly annoyed that I'm not getting to the point fast enough. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Alright," I start, trying to gather my thoughts. "You know how Lenny was handling our finances?" Damien nods, his expression tense, and I continue. "Well, turns out he wasn't as trustworthy as we thought."