Sin’s lip curled, sneering at his threat, and forcing herself to ignore the heat rising in her body. She wanted to slam him against the wall, and show him how much of a mistake that would be.
She shoved him back with enough force to make her point. She wanted him to see her fury, to understand she wouldn’t be anyone’s possession, not even his. “I’ll protect myself, Max, as I always have.”
Though clearly frustrated, he huffed a silent laugh, a smirk curling the side of his mouth as if her words pleased him.
He didn’t stop her when she rushed inside. The feeling of Max’s touch lingered on her skin, leaving her shaken.
Sin collapsed against the door, her breath uneven. The bond burned between them, a tether tightening with every breath. It was suffocating. It was intoxicating. And it terrified her more than psychotic siblings ever could.
She knew, deep in her bones, that this wasn’t the end—something between them would inevitably ignite again, even if it destroyed them both.
Sin
The ballroom glittered, light glancing off the gilded edges of the chandeliers, the reflections flickering across masked faces. Magical orbs hovered like will-o’-the-wisps, casting a strange luminescence across writhing bodies. Opulent gowns glimmered, and mouths laughed just before plunging into the darker corners—where moans and gasps of pleasure intermingled with the crack of a whip.
The ballroom was alive, hungry, and in the midst of it, Sin moved as though she were a ghost—slipping through, hoping to be unseen by others. Though she and the rest of the servants had stuck out like sore thumbs.
Aprons and frills heavily contrasting with the scandalous gowns and exposed bodies. Every now and then, a servant would be swayed into the merriment, like they couldn’t keep their hands off their uniforms like wrapping paper.
Her mind flashed to the last time she’d been at a party like this, not as a servant but as prey, her life forever altered. The guests, the power they exuded, the way they commanded attention—it was intoxicating. Part of her wanted to step into that world, to take what they had, to feel that kind of control. But it wasn’t for her anymore. It never truly was.
The ball was in full swing, the air thick with lust, bodies pressed together in dark corners and open spaces. Sin would rather focus on that than the familiar zips of awareness in herchest. She could feel Max watching her—the intensity of his gaze a physical weight on her skin, almost burning.
Every movement she made seemed to draw his focus, the invisible thread between them tightening until it felt like it might snap. She cursed him silently, her heart pounding, hating how much she wanted to look for him in the chaos of the room. But she didn’t dare—she couldn’t afford to let herself fall into that dark pull, not when everything inside her screamed for control.
She cursed herself for falling for him, for giving in to the first male who had made her feel seen. It hurt too much to acknowledge him now, surrounded by the same debauchery that had drawn them together the first time.Asshole, she thought as another zip of awareness buzzed through her chest, smug and arrogant.
Max hadn’t left with anyone. He stayed near the familiar table in the middle of the ballroom, where food and wine were piled high, the focal point of the indulgence. Sin could feel his presence, a dark, magnetic pull, but she kept her focus elsewhere.
She needed to leave. The tension was too much.
As she wove through the crowd, her gaze caught on a scene that made her pulse quicken. A woman stood before a small crowd. She held a whip in her hand, her posture commanding as she stood in front of a naked male suspended in the air. His back and legs were covered in angry lashes. Another woman with a collar knelt in front of him, bobbing his dick in her mouth. The male moaned loudly, and unabashedly, his voice echoing off the walls, making several others around Sin chuckle.
The crack of the whip split the air, and Sin flinched as though it had struck her skin. Her eyes were drawn to it—the leather curling and snapping like a serpent, wielded with power and grace. She remembered the sting, the helplessness that followed. But now, there was something else—a sliver of envyfor the woman holding it, the power she commanded with each movement.
Her fingers itched, tightening involuntarily. She imagined the handle against her palm, the sensation of control flowing from her fingertips to the room itself, her voice becoming the one that made others tremble.
What would it feel like to have that kind of control? To make someone like Max submit? Her thoughts spun with the idea. And then—
Sin couldn’t bear it any longer. She needed to leave.
As she made her way out, she accidentally bumped into someone—a woman, standing impossibly close. Her flawless skin seemed to glow under the candlelight, her expression shifting to one of horror.
“What in the name of the gods could have done that to you?” the stranger breathed, her hand pressed against her chest in shock.
Sin smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes, and walked away, unable to answer her.
That was it. She was done.
“You should runaway while you have the chance.”
Before she could leave the floor, Oliver appeared. His grip was rough, his arrogance unmistakable as he spun her without asking.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, scowling at him.
He pulled her against him, and the smile he gave her was all sharp teeth. “I’ve always wondered what made my big brother so obsessed with you,” he whispered, his voice brushing against her ear, making her full-body cringe. “Tell me, little sinner, is it your defiance?” He spun her in a mocking dance step, his other hand pressing against her lower back, forcing her closer. “Or is it the way you beg?” He leaned in, his lips brushing her temple, and Sin’s heart pounded with a mix of fury and fear. She neededto escape, but his grip was unyielding, and the crowded room offered no refuge.
“It amazes me,” he started. “The different versions of you I’ve seen.”
