All Chapters of His Sinful Desire: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

ERICA I stepped back, my heart racing as Raffael advanced, his eyes blazing with anger. I could feel the cold press of the wall behind me, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide from the fury in his gaze. Before I could say anything, his hand shot out, gripping my throat with a pressure that made me gasp, every breath a struggle. “Good for nothing,” he spat, his face just inches from mine. “All week, and this is what you bring me? This pathetic little pile of change?” I struggled, my fingers reaching up to claw at his hand, but he held tight. My voice was hoarse as I forced out, “I’m not killing myself just to make more” “Goddamit! Were you born stupid or you just love to act stupid huh?!” Raffael growled, pounding his fist on the wall which filled me more with an intense fright. “I can’t do more than this Raffael! Should I force the men to give me money there? Should I put a gun on their head and force them to empty their accounts on me because I am trying to please you?” The words

ERICA Later that night, as I finally settled into the stillness of my room, exhaustion washed over me. My cheek still throbbed from Clarissa’s earlier slap, and the memory of my confrontation with her lingered, bringing a tight, unsteady ache in my chest. Just as I was about to close my eyes, my phone vibrated against the bedside table, jolting me from my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID. It was my younger sister, Lilibeth. A surge of worry pulsed through me as I picked up. "Lilibeth?" "Erica," she whispered, her voice laced with tension. “I… I need to see you.” I could hear the quiver in her voice, as if she was holding back tears. “Lilibeth, what’s going on? Are you okay?” I asked with a fright, my mind conjuring the worsts situations my sister could be subjected to. “Not really,” she murmured, sniffling. “I… I just miss you so much. They’re keeping me here, Erica. I feel like a prisoner.” My heart twisted painfully. I knew “they” meant Raffael’s people. He was still keep

RAFFAEL I slammed the door shut behind us, and Clarissa barely flinched. She crossed her arms and tried to look innocent, but I wasn’t buying it. “What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded, my voice low but edged with anger. She blinked at me, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Don’t play dumb, Clarissa,” I snapped. “I know you were the one who started that mess with Erica and her sister. I had to support you out there, but don’t think for a second I didn’t notice what you were doing.” Her face twisted slightly, and then she let out a dramatic sigh, shrugging as if she’d been caught doing something trivial. “I just… I wanted to get back at Erica, okay?” she said, her tone edged with frustration. “She slapped me yesterday, Raffael. Slapped me. Do you know how humiliating that was?” “And dumping fruit over her sister’s head and slapping her back was supposed to solve that?” I took a step closer, glaring down at her. “Clarissa, that’s not getting back

ERICA I was scrubbing down the living room floor, the smell of lemon cleaner filling the air as I worked, when I heard the unmistakable sound of heels clicking against the tile. I looked up to see Clarissa walking in, her designer bag slung over her shoulder and a smug expression on her face. She stopped in the doorway, her gaze flicking over me with barely concealed distaste. “Where’s Raffael?” she asked, her tone sharp, as if my presence alone was an inconvenience. I straightened, gripping the cleaning cloth in my hand. “He’s not here right now. I think he had some business to take care of,” I replied as politely as I could manage. Clarissa’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a sigh that seemed half disappointment, half irritation. “Of course. Always leaving things for me to deal with.” She dropped her bag onto a chair and headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll wait,” she announced, as if I’d had a choice in the matter. I watched her rummage through the fridge, eventually

Erica’s POV The silence in the kitchen felt suffocating after Raffael’s mother stormed out, leaving me shaken. My hands trembled as I scrubbed at an already clean countertop, trying to focus on anything other than the memory of the juice spilling over my dress and her cruel words. "Gold digger," she’d called me. As if I’d chosen this life. As if I wanted to be here. I didn’t notice Raffael until he was standing in the doorway, his tall figure casting a shadow across the room. My heart sank at the sight of him. His expression was dark, his jaw set tight. I could see the tension rolling off him like a thunderstorm about to break. “Erica,” he said sharply, his voice clipped. I froze, clutching the rag in my hand like a lifeline. “Yes, sir?” His eyes narrowed at my tone, the formal distance I always tried to maintain. “Drop the act,” he said, stepping further into the room. “I just had to listen to my mother rant about you for what seemed like an eternity, and I’m not in the moo