CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

Chapter Fifty-One

Alicia’s POV

Sophie assisted me in watching the servants cook. She stood on a little stool beside me, peering into pots and asking questions about every ingredient. It was sweet how curious she was about everything, how she wanted to be involved.

After that, we set the table together. She carefully placed each fork and knife, making sure everything was perfectly aligned. She took pride in small tasks like this, and I let her. It made her feel useful. Important.

Malachi arrived just as we were finishing. Sophie looked up at him with her bright eyes and immediately noticed something was wrong.

"Malachi! Why is your shirt stained?" she asked, pointing at the red spot near his collar.

Malachi didn’t even hesitate. "It’s ketchup. Spilled some at lunch."

Ketchup? I stared at him, trying to keep my face neutral. That was a lie. A blatant one.

Malachi never ate food that needed ketchup. He’d made comments before about how it was all junk food. How real cuisine didn’t need to be drowned in condiments. He was particular about what he ate, almost obsessive about it.

He was lying. And he knew I knew he was lying. But I wasn’t even in the mood to argue. Not in front of Sophie. Not when I was already exhausted from the day.

We sat down for dinner. Only three of us eating. Me, Sophie and Malachi.

The rest of the family had gone for some event. Some charity gala or business function. I hadn’t paid attention to the details when Travis mentioned it that morning. I was just relieved to have a quiet evening without the tension of the whole Blackwood clan gathered around one table.

Sophie talked to Malachi about her day. About the book she was reading. About a butterfly she’d seen in the garden. He listened patiently, answering her questions, even smiling at some of her observations.

They laughed together and everything was starting to get normal. Too normal. Too domestic. Like a father mother daughter reunion or something. Like we were an actual family instead of whatever twisted arrangement this really was.

It made something uncomfortable twist in my chest. This wasn’t real. None of this was real. But sitting here, watching Malachi be gentle with Sophie, watching her look at him with trust and affection, it was easy to forget that.

"Sophie," I said, my voice coming out sharper than I intended. "Eat. Don’t talk while eating."

She looked at me, surprised by my tone. "But I was just telling Malachi about—"

"You can tell him later. Finish your food first."

The table went quiet. Sophie looked down at her plate, her small shoulders slumping slightly. I felt a pang of guilt but pushed it away. I needed to create distance. Needed to break whatever illusion was forming here.

Immediately after dinner, I took Sophie straight to bed. Watched her change into her pajamas, and tucked her under the covers.

"Can I go say goodnight to Malachi?" she asked, her eyes already drooping with sleep.

"Not tonight. You need to rest."

"But I still wanted to talk to him. About the book. He said he’d tell me about—"

"Tomorrow," I said firmly. "You can talk to him tomorrow."

She pouted but didn’t argue further. Within minutes, her breathing had evened out and she was asleep. I stood there for a moment, watching her peaceful face, feeling like the worst person in the world for being so harsh with her.

But I couldn’t let this get any more complicated. Couldn’t let Sophie get attached. Couldn’t let myself forget what this really was.

I left her room quietly and headed back toward mine. The hallway was dimly lit. My mind was already elsewhere, already thinking about tomorrow and how I could put more distance between myself and Malachi.

I wasn’t paying attention. Wasn’t watching where I was going.

I collided with something solid. Someone. Strong hands caught my arms to steady me.

Malachi.

"Careful, little bird," he said softly. His voice was low, intimate. Dangerous.

Before I could respond, before I could pull away, he took my hand and started walking. Not toward my room. Toward his.

"What are you doing?" I tried to pull my hand free but his grip was firm.

He didn’t answer. Just kept walking until we reached his door. He opened it, pulled me inside, and closed it behind us. The click of the lock sounded too loud in the quiet room.

Then he moved. Fast. He pinned me against the wall, his body pressed against mine, his hands on either side of my head. Caging me in.

"Why are you running away from me?" His eyes searched my face. "Every time I get close, you pull back. Every time we have a moment, you find a reason to leave."

"I’m not running."

"Liar." His thumb brushed across my cheek. "You’ve been avoiding me all day. All week, really."

"Maybe I just don’t want to be around you."

"Another lie." He leaned closer. "Who were you with this evening?"

My heart jumped. Did he know? Had he somehow found out about Lucas? That was impossible. There was no way he could have known.

"I was with Cassie," I said, keeping my voice steady. "We had dinner."

He laughed. The sound was dark, humorless. It sent a shiver down my spine.

"Try again, Alicia. Who were you really with?"

"I told you. Cassie."

His jaw tightened. I could see the anger building in his eyes, the barely controlled violence lurking just beneath the surface. This was the real Malachi. Not the gentle man who laughed with Sophie. Not the careful businessman. This was the darkness I’d always sensed in him.

When I opened my mouth to lie the third time, he kissed me.

Hard. Demanding. His mouth crashed against mine with a possessiveness that stole my breath. His hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back so he could deepen the kiss.

And the annoying part, the part that made me hate myself, was that I kissed him back.

I shouldn’t have. Should have pushed him away. Should have slapped him and demanded he let me go. But instead, my hands fisted in his shirt and I pulled him closer.

He bit my lower lip. Hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to make me gasp.

"That’s your punishment," he murmured against my mouth. "For having dinner with Lucas when you knew how much I hated him."

So he did know. Somehow, he’d found out. But I was too lost in the sensation of his mouth on mine to care how.

"You’ve been avoiding me these days," he continued, his lips trailing down my jaw. "Keeping your distance. Acting like nothing’s happening between us."

Only if he knew. Only if he knew how much I liked him. How much I wanted to be in his presence so badly it scared me. How every moment away from him felt wrong, even though being near him felt dangerous.

I couldn’t tell him that. Couldn’t admit that I was falling for him. That would give him too much power. Too much control.

He licked my neck, his tongue hot against my skin. Then he bit down. Not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to leave a mark. Hard enough that I knew it would bruise and be visible tomorrow.

I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders. I knew the hickey would be there in the morning. Knew everyone would see it and know exactly what it meant. But I didn’t care at that point. Couldn’t bring myself to care about anything except the feeling of his mouth on my skin.

His hands ran under my dress to feel my thighs. His palms were rough, calloused, spreading heat everywhere he touched. He gripped my thigh and lifted it, hooking my leg around his waist. Pressing me harder against the wall.

"Tell me the truth," he said against my neck. "Tell me you feel this too. This thing between us."

I wanted to deny it. Wanted to push him away and tell him he was wrong. That there was nothing between us except convenience and circumstance.

But I couldn’t. Not with his hands on my skin. Not with my body betraying every lie I tried to tell.

"Malachi," I breathed his name without meaning to.

"Say it," he demanded. His hand slid higher up my thigh. "Say you want this."

"I—" The words stuck in my throat.

He pulled back slightly to look at me. His eyes were dark with desire, with something that looked almost like desperation. This powerful, dangerous man looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

"I can’t," I whispered. "This is wrong. You’re my brother-in-law. I’m married to Travis. This is—"

"Travis doesn’t want you," Malachi said harshly. "He never did. This marriage is a business arrangement and you know it."

"That doesn’t make this right."

"Nothing about any of this is right, little bird." His thumb traced circles on my inner thigh. "But I’m done pretending I don’t want you. Done watching you from a distance. Done letting other men get close to you."

"Is that why you’re covered in blood?" I asked quietly. "Did you do something to Lucas?"

He smiled. It was a dangerous smile. A promise and a threat all at once.

"What if I did?"

I should have been horrified. Should have been scared. Any sane person would have pushed him away and run.

But I wasn’t sane anymore. Not when it came to him.

"You’re insane," I said.

"Only about you."

Then he kissed me again. And I let him. Let him consume me. Let myself drown in the darkness that had been pulling me under since the first moment I saw him.

Tomorrow I could regret this. Tomorrow I could go back to keeping my distance and pretending none of this mattered.

But tonight, pressed against the wall in his room with his hands on my body, I gave in to what I’d been fighting all along.

I stopped running.

"Take me, then."