Page 1 of Sinful Pleasure

CHAPTER1

ALLYN

“I don’t need a fucking bodyguard.”

I glare at my mother from across the dining table in our home.

The house is enormous, too big, really—but for the two of us, it feels suffocating empty.

She remains unfazed, gracefully slicing into her steak, her deliberate calmness fueling my frustration.

“It doesn’t matter what you want, Allyn.’’ She said. ‘’Sir Angelo has sent one of his most trusted men to look after you. We expect him to arrive tomorrow at the latest.”

Her tone is clipped and final. Each word lands like a blade, carving into the raw reminder that I have no control over my life—not even over the people forced into it. Heat floods my cheeks.

“I don’t care what he says!” My voice rises, drawing the attention of the maids who have just poured our wine.

Without a word, my mother shoots them a sharp glance, and they quickly retreat. She’s terrifyingly efficient at ensuring no one dares cross her.

My mother’s eyes narrow, her cold gaze locking onto mine— the same glare that makes even our most experienced staff cower. But unlike them, I’m not afraid.

She can try to silence me with her icy stare all she wants. I won’t stop fighting for what little freedom I have left.

“Sir Angelo is your future husband, and you will speak of him withrespect.”

She rises from her seat with the lethal grace she always carries, every movement is deliberate and precise. Stopping next to my chair, she looms over me. Her face is void of emotion, her cold demeanor as if she’s addressing a stranger rather than her own daughter.

“Did I make myself clear, Allyn?”

“I don’t want to marry him,” I say, my voice trembling as I plead with my eyes.

Somewhere deep inside, I hope the last remnants of her humanity will see reason and end this madness. But my hope is fleeting I don’t want this. I don’t want to marry this man. The very thought churns my stomach with nausea. I can’t understand how my mother could so easily toss me into the arms of a man society paints as an arrogant prick.

Angelo King.I’ve seen him only a few times when we were kids, but that was more than enough to know I want him as far away from me as possible.

The King family is infamous in our world, a dynasty cloaked in shadows. They rule this city from behind the scenes, and the stories—the legends— I’ve heard about them are anything but comforting.All of them are terrifying. Terrifying enough to send shivers of dread through even the bravest hearts.

Wasn’t losing my father enough of a punishment for me? Why do I now have to endure the nightmare of marrying this man?

“I know, sweetheart—”

Her hand brushed against my cheek, wiping away a tear I hadn’t even noticed slipping down. Her touch was cold and mechanical, just like the grimace she wore in place of compassion.

“But you have to do this. For the good of our family.”

“For your good, not for our family,” I shot back, the words spilling out before I had a chance to think.

I regretted them instantly.

Her expression shifted as if something dark and unrecognizable had overtaken her.The slap came out of nowhere, sharp and stinging, leaving a burning imprint on my cheek. Tears streamed down my face, one after another, no longer unnoticed.

“You were promised to Sir Angelo King before you turned eighteen,” she said, her voice calm but edged with menace. “You are twenty now. Learnto embrace the opportunities this marriage will bring you.”

I slowly turned to face her, my cheek throbbing from the slap.

Her features betrayed no trace of remorse, no acknowledgment of what she had just done. It was as if the slap hadn’t happened at all.

“If you want to be angry, direct it at your father,” she continued coldly. “He’s the one who signed the contract.”

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