Page 167 of Sinful Pleasure

My feet were moving before my brain can catch up, leading me throughthe halls to the garden. The heavy beat of my heart was all I can hear in my ears as I make my way to the large round pool, my mind racing with too many questions.

I slide open the glass door to the garden.

I spot my father, surrounded by his partners, engaged in a meeting. But none of that matters right now. I needed the truth.

I walked into the scene, ignoring the murmurs from his men. Some of them smile at me, some offer polite greetings, while others remained silent—most likely still resentful that my father made me the heir to The Family.

It’s not a secret that men like them don’t respect women, especially ones who hold power. Not that it mattered right now.

I focused on Mikael, locking eyes with him. He knew me well enough by now to see the storm in my gaze. When he sees my face, something in him clicks.

Mikael sighed, his gaze already distant, dismissing the men who were still lingering around him. With a simple wave of his hand, they scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving us alone.

Once the garden cleared, Mikael turned his attention to me, and I could feel the weight of his disapproval. He didn’t even try to hide the irritation in his eyes.

“What now, Allyn?” he asked, his voice dripping with fatigue.His posture shifted as he leaned back in his chair. His sunglasses remained firmly in place, blocking any attempt to read his emotions.

‘“You lied to me, didn’t you?’’

“I don’t remember doing such a thing.’’

“You told me that the whole King family had a part in my abduction,” I shot back, my anger rising. “But that’s not the truth, is it, Mikael?”

“That’s not a lie,” he said with a casual shrug, his tone almost bored as he took another sip of his expensive champagne. “It’s a different point of view.”

And just like that, everything Maddox had said to me—the truth that had felt so real, collapsed in a matter of seconds.

The facade I’d tried to believe in, the belief that my father was the only one who had the answers, shattered into pieces.

Mikael was a liar, just like the rest of them.

“You’re unbelievable,” I laughed, the sound hollow, bitter. “You turned me against them. You wanted me to hate them. You wanted revenge on the whole King family for something they never even did!”

“You’re missing the point, Allyn,” Mikael’s voice turned cold, his patience wearing thin. “They’re still a King. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”

“Just because they’re Kings doesn’t mean they’re like their sick father,” I hissed, my fists clenched at my sides. “Just like I’m nothing like you.”

The words stung him. I could see the shift in his eyes, the flicker of rage that flashed behind his calm exterior.

He clenched his jaw, trying to hide how much my words had cut him. I didn’t care. He deserved it.

The man I thought I knew, the man who was supposed to protect me, had been playing me like a pawn in his game all along. And I had been blind to it. It was all a lie.

Mikael’s voice was like steel as he warned me, “Watch your mouth, young lady.” His finger pointed accusingly at me, and his eyes darkened with warning. “You’re overstepping my kindness.”

“I don’t care, Mikael,” I shot back, my voice growing louder. The anger bubbling inside me refused to be contained any longer. “Maddox is serving the consequences of his father’s actions. He didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

“I told you to stay away from that bastard,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

“That bastard is the only person who has never lied to me in my entire life,” I yelled, unable to hold back my rage any longer.

I shoved his expensive bottle of champagne to the ground, watching as it shattered into a thousand pieces, just like he shattered the bond between us.

“Maddox was doing everything to protect me while you were doing everything to hide the truth from me.”

Mikael’s laugh was cruel, taunting. He made no attempt to hide the amusement in his voice as he circled the table, approaching me with a cold, mocking expression.

“You think he was protecting you?” he sneered, raising an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “He used you, and you were naive enough to fall for his games.”

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