Page 29 of His Temptation

Siobhan let out a quiet, humorless laugh, her fingers tracing the rim of her wineglass. “He was a man who played a game he couldn’t win.”

Daragh remained silent, waiting.

She sighed, shaking her head. “My father, Robert Harrington, was a brilliant man in many ways. But he was arrogant, reckless. He built an empire on ambition and charm, but when it all came crashing down…” Her throat worked as she swallowed. “He didn’t survive it.”

Daragh had already known about the scandal. The whispers of embezzlement, fraud. The suicide that followed. But hearing her say it, seeing the flicker of something close to pain in her gaze, made it real in a way the reports never had.

“When he died,” Siobhan continued, voice steadier now, “everything went with him. The money. The properties. Theinfluence. His death left me with nothing but a name, worthless at best and a liability at worst.”

She reached for her wine, taking a sip before setting it down with a little more force than necessary. “That’s when Sebastian found me.”

Daragh’s fingers tightened around his glass.

“He was charming at first,” she murmured. “Kind. He told me I was safe with him, that he would take care of me.” A bitter smile curled her lips. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that ‘taking care of me’ meant owning me.”

Daragh’s blood ran cold.

Siobhan met his gaze, unflinching. “He controlled everything. What I wore, where I went, who I spoke to. At first, I thought it was protectiveness. I was young. Stupid.” Her voice darkened. “But then I saw what he was doing. The kind of business he was involved in.”

Daragh didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t push. He let her tell it in her own time.

She took another sip of wine, exhaling slowly. “I thought I could get out. That if I went to MI5, if I helped them, they would protect me. That I could disappear.”

Daragh let out a quiet breath. “And they betrayed you as well.”

Siobhan gave a short, sharp nod. “They wanted to use me. Keep me on a leash. Just like Sebastian.”

He set his glass down with a decisive clink, leaning forward. “That’s why he wants you back,” he said, his voice quiet but certain. “It’s not just about control. You know things. Things that could ruin him.” Her lips pressed together, but she didn’t deny it. Daragh tilted his head, watching her closely. “And MI5? They want you just as bad.”

A muscle in her jaw twitched. “They think I still have value... that I can be coerced.”

Daragh ran a hand over his jaw, processing everything she had just told him.

Sebastian Wolfe wanted her either chained to him or dead. MI5 wanted her as a tool, a pawn in their endless games. Neither of them would get her. Because she belonged to him now. He let the thought settle in his chest, solid and immovable.

“You don’t have to worry about them anymore,” he said, his voice final.

Siobhan scoffed. “Because you’ve married me? Because you put a ring on my finger?” She glared at him, her frustration curling around every syllable. “That doesn’t mean I’m safe, Daragh.”

His eyes darkened. “It does.”

Siobhan let out a sharp laugh, pushing back her chair. “And if I don’t want any of this?”

Daragh rose smoothly, rounding the table, stalking toward her until she was forced to tilt her head up to keep his gaze. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and gleaming. The delicate iron and diamond collar.

She inhaled sharply, her body going still.

Daragh lifted the collar, letting it dangle from his fingers, letting her see exactly what she was up against. “Then I’ll have to put this on you.” His voice was velvet over steel, utterly merciless. “And you’ll learn what it means to truly belong to me.”

Siobhan’s breath came faster, her pupils dilating. But she didn’t back away. Didn’t flinch.

A slow, dangerous smile curved Daragh’s lips. “You can fight me all you want, kitten,” he murmured, trailing the collar down the line of her arm. “But you’ll never be free of me.”

Something flickered in her eyes, something dark and primal. She was angry. Furious. But she wasn’t afraid. And that only made him want her more.

Daragh reached up, cupping the back of her neck, letting his fingers tangle in her hair. He dragged her forward, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear as he whispered, “You’re mine, Siobhan. And after tonight you will not only be married, but claimed.”

Her breath hitched. He pulled back just enough to see the conflict raging in her eyes. The fury. The defiance. And something deeper. Something far more dangerous—desire.

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