Page 168 of Sinful Pleasure

His words stung, deeper than anything I’d expected. It wasn’t just his accusation—it was the deliberate malice in his tone, the way he knew his words would break me. And they did. His words felt like a slap, but it was the truth that burned worse than the lie.

“Do you want me to prove it to you?” he said with a cruel edge, his voice a low growl.

He was seething, veins popping on his forehead as his anger grew.

“Because if I order his chains to be removed and lock you in a room with him, the next time I open that door, you’ll be lying on the ground, dead by the hand of the man you believed was doing everything to protect you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The disgust in his voice made my stomach turn, and I felt my throat tighten as I choked on my own saliva.

“Get your shit together, Allyn. Stop being stupid,” Mikael scolded, his voice cold, as he wiped the tear from my face that I hadn’t even realized was there. His touch was so detached, so cruel.

“He’ll be better off dead,just like his whole family.”

I yanked his hand away from my face, my eyes shooting up to meet his, fury and defiance burning in my chest.

“I won’t let you hurt him again, Mikael,” I spat, my voice trembling with anger.

I wasn’t just angry—I was terrified, terrified of how far he’d go to destroy Maddox, terrified of what my father was capable of.

He took a few steps back, distancing himself from me.

“We will have this conversation later,” he muttered, avoiding my gaze entirely. “Now we have more important things to do. Since you’re here, you will take part in the next meeting.”

‘‘What meeting?’’ I narrowed my eyes.

“The Stone Family is here,” he replied, his tone flat as he looked down. “I believe they have information that would be useful to us.”

Before I could respond, one of the servants burst through the glass doors, followed by two men who seemed to fill the space with their presence. Their eyes scanned the large garden with interest, but once they spotted us, their attention locked in.

I instantly recognized the older man—the one I had seen during the last meeting. Garrett Stone.

I still remember the disgust on his face when he saw me, the contempt in his voice as he told me that women had no place at their table.

Now, here he was—on my territory, acting as though he belonged. His presence only solidified everything I had said about men like him.

No dignity. No respect.

Just arrogant power— given to them by their family name.

Next to Garrett walked a man, probably around my age. He looked like a younger version of him— both dressed in suits that screamed power.

My father greeted them with a smile, shaking hands with both men, but when it was my turn and Garrett extended his hand toward me, I refused to take it. There was no way in hell I was going to shake his hand after how he treated me at the meeting.

Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m going to bow down to his disgusting behavior.

No chance in Hell.

I could feel my father’s judgmental gaze burning into me, but I refused to let it break my resolve. I didn’t take my eyes off the two men in front of me.

Mikael, however, wasted no time in rectifying the situation, his smilenow polished as he invited them to sit at the large table in front of the pool, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of food.

They took their seats on one side of the table, while Mikael and I sat across from them.The servants swiftly brought over plates and glasses, only to disappear again as quickly as they arrived. My father and Garrett began a small, meaningless conversation—something about business deals and investment opportunities. The guy sitting next to Garrett, Theo Stone, didn’t seem too interested, just like me.

Yet, despite his apparent disinterest, I caught him sneaking glances at me when he thought I wasn’t looking.

Bored and uninterested in their conversation, I let my gaze wander, focusing on the younger Stone. His messy, dirty blond hair reached almost to his shoulders—longer than most men, but somehow it suited him. His eyes were a striking blue, and he had a slightly bushy blond beard, which gave him a rugged look.

He seemed like the type of guy who liked to pretend he was above everyone else, though I had no doubt his personality matched his father’s in the most disgusting ways possible.

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