Chapter 1

• Chapter 1
• ”Mhmm arghh mmm yes ”
• I just have imagined it Aurora Calloway sighed as she stepped into the dimly lit mansion, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The air smelled of expensive wine and something else—something smoky and indulgent, like sin itself. She shifted the wedding decorations in her arms, exhaustion settling deep in her bones after hours of dealing with her mother’s over-the-top demands.
• The Blackwood estate was massive, cold, and eerily quiet. It felt more like a museum than a home. She had barely taken a few steps into the grand hallway when a sound made her pause.
• A moan.
• Aurora froze. Her breath hitched.
• It wasn’t a mistake. It came again, low and sultry, echoing down the corridor.
• Another moan. Then another.
• Her stomach turned. The sound of breathy sighs and muffled whispers filled the space, thickening the air with something filthy. She swallowed hard, heat creeping up her neck.
• She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t be curious. But there was something about the rawness of the noises—so unapologetic, so brazen—that made it impossible to ignore.
• Slowly, she followed the sounds.
• As she neared the open doorway at the end of the hall, the moans became clearer, sharper. Soft feminine gasps. Low masculine groans. The unmistakable wet sound of kisses, of bodies pressing together.
• Aurora gritted her teeth. Disgusting. Who the hell had the audacity to treat this place like their personal s*x dungeon?
• Then she saw them.
• Three women, sprawled across the black leather couch, their bodies tangled in a mess of limbs, lips, and hands. Dresses hiked up, fingers tangled in hair, skin glowing under the dim lighting. The air was thick with heat, with s*x.
• And right in the middle of it, completely at ease, was him.
• Liam Blackwood.
• Her brand-new stepbrother.
• He sat there like he was the king of sin itself, long legs spread lazily, arms draped over the back of the couch. His shirt was undone, revealing a sculpted chest, tanned skin covered in tattoos, and that infuriatingly cocky smirk.
• Aurora’s fingers tightened around the decorations.
• She barely knew Liam. Had only seen glimpses of him before today. But this? This was the first real image of him seared into her brain?
• One girl was straddling his lap, her dress pushed dangerously high, moaning against his lips. Another ran her tongue down his throat, fingers tangled in his dark hair. The third was on her knees, mouth at his wrist, sucking gently at his skin like he was something delicious.
• Liam let out a deep chuckle, voice thick with amusement as if this was nothing more than a lazy Friday night.
• Aurora’s stomach churned.
• This was what her mother dragged her into? This was the man she was supposed to “get along with” because their parents were now married?
• Her jaw clenched, a sour taste coating her tongue.
• She should turn around. She should leave.
• But then, as if sensing her presence, Liam’s gaze lazily lifted.
• Their eyes met.
• The smirk on his lips spread.
• “Well, well,” he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “What do we have here?”
• Aurora’s blood boiled.
• He wasn’t embarrassed. He wasn’t even slightly ashamed. He just stared at her, completely at ease, like he had been expecting her to find him like this.
• One of the girls turned, following his gaze. “Who’s she?”
• Liam didn’t even blink. “The new stepsister.”
• The blonde in his lap giggled, trailing her fingers down his chest. “Cute. Does that mean you’re gonna behave now?”
• Aurora nearly snorted. As if this man had a single drop of self-control in his d*mn body.
• Liam exhaled a slow breath, dragging his fingers through the blonde’s hair before giving Aurora a look so slow, so deliberate, that she wanted to punch him.
• “Not a chance, baby,” he muttered.
• Aurora’s skin crawled.
• It was a warning. A taunt.
• He was doing this on purpose. The way he leaned back, the way he spread his legs wider, as if to dare her to keep looking.
• Her chest tightened with irritation. Filthy, arrogant *ssh*l*.
• Slowly, she forced herself to straighten, to look unimpressed.
• “Wow,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I didn’t know being a walking cliché was your full-time job.”
• Liam chuckled, low and infuriatingly amused.
• “And I didn’t know my little stepsister was such a voyeur.”
• Aurora’s jaw clenched.
• *ssh*l*.
• The blonde pouted, twisting to glare at Aurora. “Do you mind? You’re ruining the mood.”
• Aurora’s lips curled in disgust. “Oh, don’t mind me. Carry on. Maybe I’ll call Daddy dearest and let him know how his perfect son spends his nights.”
• That got Liam’s attention.
• His smirk vanished, replaced by something colder. His grip on the girl’s waist tightened slightly before he lifted her off his lap and stood.
• Aurora immediately stepped back.
• But he was already there.
• In seconds, he was in front of her. Too close. His presence suffocating.
• Up close, he was even worse. Sharp jaw, dark eyes, lips curved into something dangerous. He smelled like leather, whiskey, and trouble.
• Aurora refused to back down.
• “Here’s the thing, princess,” Liam murmured, his voice dangerously soft. “You don’t threaten me in my own house.”
• Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to scoff. “Your house?” she echoed. “Last I checked, my mother’s name is also on the papers. So I guess that makes this my house too.”
• His gaze darkened.
• “Cute,” he said, tilting his head. “You’ve got claws. I wonder if you’ll still have them once you realize what kind of place you’ve walked into.”
• Aurora narrowed her eyes. “I know exactly what kind of place this is. It’s just a bigger, more expensive version of hell.”
• Liam chuckled, but it wasn’t friendly.
• “Oh, baby,” he said, voice thick with amusement. “Hell is fun. You might even like it here.”
• Before she could snap back, his fingers brushed the side of her chin.
• A ghost of a touch. A tease. A test.
• Aurora’s stomach turned.
• Not because of him, but because he expected her to react.
• He was waiting for it, watching her closely, expecting her to shrink, to blush, to stutter.
• She refused to give him the satisfaction.
• Instead, she tilted her head, let her eyes flick down to the lipstick smeared on his skin, then back up with a slow smirk.
• “Should I grab a towel?” she murmured. “Or do you want me to let you marinate in your own filth?”
• Liam’s smirk twitched.
• And for the first time, she saw something flicker in his eyes.
• It wasn’t amusement.
• It was interest.
• And that terrified her more than anything.
• Aurora turned on her heel, storming out before he could say another word.
• As she reached the grand staircase, she heard Liam chuckle behind her.
• And then, just before she disappeared up the stairs, his voice followed her.
• Soft. Low. Too close.
• “You’re gonna be fun, stepsister.”
• Aurora’s stomach clenched.
• Because for some reason, she knew he meant it.