Semua Bab His Riveting Stepbrother : Bab 1 - Bab 3

“Welcome again, Mr. Raymond.” My mother welcomed the guest.The same burly man was in my living room again. He filled up the velvet armchair with his terse behind. The seat on which only my father sat. Mother was perched at the edge of her chair, wiggling her buttocks on the corner like a dog scratched on its neck. How could she let this man defy my father? Dad was never around when this big and intimidating man visited.The first time I saw Don Raymond, I understood why people feared him.He stood at the far end of the grand hall, dressed in a dark suit so perfectly tailored it looked like a second skin. Everything about him was polished—his sooth hair slicked back without a strand out of place, his sharp jaw set in stone. His presence filled the room without effort.When he turned to me, I felt it. His gaze on me was cold, unreadable. I caught my mother’s eye when the man made me turn around for his inspection. Then without another word, he nodded to her and made his way into the fa

The first weeks of our marriage passed in a cold, unspoken routine.Don kissed me only when cameras were flashing. Paparazzi lingered outside the estate, eager for a glimpse of the perfect couple. But the moment the lenses turned away, so did he.At night, I lay in the vast bedroom alone, staring at the ceiling, listening for any sign that he was in the house. I never saw him after dinner. I never heard him come to bed. He existed in his own world, and I was a ghost haunting the periphery.I learned quickly that there were rules even concerning the houseworkers.The maids were to tend to my every need. I was not to work. I was not to cook. I was to remain in my room unless summoned. But I refused to be a prisoner in my own home.The first time I defied him, I waited until I was certain he had left for the day. Then I padded down to the kitchen, my silk robe trailing behind me. The chefs froze when they saw me."Mrs. Raymond—""Cassie," I corrected. "And I want to make my own breakfast