Page 103 of Sinful Pleasure

She hugged me back just astightly.

‘‘I’m so sorry, Lara,” I mumbled through teary eyes, holding her close. “I’m so deeply sorry.”

“You’re the first person I’ve ever told this to,” she sobbed into my shoulder, her voice trembling. “I miss them so much. They were all I had, and I watched them die in front of me. I couldn’t do anything.”

Oh My God.

My heart sank, a heavy weight settling in my chest. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the fear she felt, what it must have been like to watch her parents die helplessly.

“It’s not your fault, Lara. It’s not,” I whispered, gently stroking her hair. “It’s not your fault we live in such a cruel world.”

I pulled back to meet her tearful eyes, brushing her cheeks with my thumb. “I’m here, okay? You’ll never be alone again. I’m here for you.”

And I meant it.

“Thank you, Allyn.”

Even with all the pain she carried, she managed to smile—despite the tears.

“Go rest and I’ll finish here, okay?” I said, gesturing to the mess I was cleaning.

“No, I’m good. I’ll help you.”

“Lara, please, go and rest. Do it for me.”

A few seconds passed before she sighed in defeat, seeing I wouldn’t back down.I gently took the rag from her hands and hugged her once more before she headed to her room.

I went back to cleaning the hallway, but my thoughts were still tangled in the conversation I had with Lara.

And here I was, complaining about my miserable life.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

A cold, deep voice cut through my thoughts. Maddox stood in the doorway, glaring at me.

“Cleaning,” I said, gesturing to my dirty clothes. “Something you’ve probably never done in your life.”

“I don’t recall your duties as Angelo’s fiancée, including cleaning the house,” he muttered as he stepped closer. “Where’s Lara?”

“I don’t have any duties as Angelo’s fiancée, except to look pretty and do as I’m told, right?”

I forced a smile, but he stayed silent, acknowledging that I was right without saying a word.

“I gave Lara a rest day. She needs it.”

To my surprise, he didn’t argue, simply nodding with a faint, amused smile.

“If Angelo sees you like this, he’ll have my head,” he said, watching my every move like it was the first time he’d ever seen anyone clean a floor.

“He will have more than enough reason to kill you, don’t you think?”

His expression changed, and I knew he understood exactly what I was talking about. But he didn’t seem to care. He just shrugged.

“Now, can you leave?”

“Fine,” he said. “We’re leaving tonight. You remember, right?”

“How could I forget?” I replied sarcastically. “Can I at least take a walk to the nearby lake when I’m done here?”

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