Chapter 1

My mom married a wealthy man, and as her tagalong, I got dragged into the world of luxury.

Life in the mansion was perfect in every way—except for my cold, handsome stepbrother, who clearly couldn’t stand me. The way he looked at me was becoming more and more unsettling.

Then one night, he came home drunk, and I ended up screaming myself hoarse, forced to call him "husband" the entire night.

“Awake?”

Peter Jude didn’t even bother knocking as he barged in, bold as ever. He casually sat on the edge of the bed, holding a tube of ointment in his hand.

I instinctively backed away, but the wall was right behind me. His eyes flashed with a hint of displeasure, and his imposing figure loomed even closer.

I awkwardly muttered, “Brother…”

In my mind, I was desperately trying to come up with excuses for him. Maybe he had forgotten what happened last night after he sobered up. That must be why he was acting so calm.

He frowned slightly. “No need to sound so distant.”

Distant? Calling him "brother" still felt too formal? I had a sinking feeling, and the events that followed only confirmed my worst fears.

Without any warning, he yanked the covers off me. I barely had time to put anything on!

“Ah!” I gasped, but he just looked at me with feigned surprise. He squeezed some ointment from the tube and, without hesitation, his large hand began searching for a spot to apply it.

“Mm…”

My body melted like water as his touch invaded me. My eyes misted over, and I tried to muster the strength to resist.

But then he coldly warned me.

“This spot is delicate. I don’t want it getting hurt again. Unless you think you’ve recovered, we can always continue.”

Continue?

Continue what?!

Peter, who was usually so cold and restrained, had become insatiable!

The invader continued to ravage my secret base, determined to poison every last inch. To ensure thorough coverage, he ventured deeper and repeated the process again and again.

I was panting heavily, unable to stifle the moans that escaped my lips. Through the corner of my eye, I saw the faint amusement in his gaze. Embarrassed, I grabbed a pillow and covered my face, wishing I could just disappear.

At that moment, the phone on the bedside table suddenly rang.

With sharp reflexes, Peter picked it up before I could. When he saw it was my mom calling, he answered without hesitation.

I glared at him, furious.

But the invader at my secret base hadn’t left. Even though the poison had been spread evenly, he lingered at the gates, idly toying with the door handle.

“Alice, your stepdad and I are out shopping in Paris. There are so many fun things here. Is there anything you’d like?”

I didn’t really want anything. All I wanted was for Mom to get what she wanted—being happy with her new husband.

The invader suddenly twisted the handle harder, and I couldn’t help but let out a stifled moan.

“Mm… anything’s fine.”

Mom sighed in frustration. “Don’t say ‘anything’s fine’ every time.”

“Uh… mm… ah!”

The invader finally withdrew, only to reenter, this time clad in a different kind of armor. His soft hair brushed against my thighs, and the smooth armor scraped against every surface of the base, leaving me utterly defenseless.

With Mom’s confused “What’s going on?” echoing through the phone, I hastily hung up. I didn’t even have the strength to hold the phone anymore; it slipped from my grasp onto the pillow.

After finishing, Peter casually stood up, turning on the tap as if nothing had happened. He looked at me with dark, gleaming eyes, licking his lips.

Just like when he overheard me talking to my ex-boyfriend yesterday.

“Why don’t you tell your mom about us?” he asked.

Tell her? How could I? What was I supposed to say? That I was having a forbidden romance with my wealthy stepbrother? My mind was still foggy, and I could only mumble, “I won’t tell.”

“And what does that make me?”

I hesitated, searching for an answer. “…My brother?”

He nodded, unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

“Well then, congratulations. You’ve got a brother who can screw you.”

I barely had time to process what he said before everything went black.

After turning on the faucet, Peter Jude finally stood up, looking at me with a glint in his eyes. He licked his lips, his gaze heavy, just like when he overheard me on the phone with my ex-boyfriend, Chris, the other day.

“Why didn’t you tell your mom about us?”

How could I say anything? What would I even tell her? That I was caught in some forbidden romance with my stepbrother in this rich family? My mind was still hazy, and I mumbled, “I won’t say anything.”

“Then what does that make me?” he asked.

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “...My brother?”

He gave a slight nod and stood up, calmly unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time.

“Well then, congratulations—you’ve got yourself a brother who’s willing to go all the way with you.”

I slowly formed a question in my mind, but I didn’t have the chance to finish it.