CHAPTER 9 (The hidden affair)

The air hung heavy with the scent of lavender and old books, a familiar comfort that did little to soothe the turmoil in Elion’s heart. A week had passed since that night, a night that had shattered the fragile remnants of his marriage and ignited a fire within him, a fire fueled by a forbidden desire and a thirst for revenge.

Jacob, his husband, oblivious to the storm brewing beneath the surface of Elion’s calm facade, had been showering him with apologies and promises of change. Elion, with a practiced smile and a carefully constructed facade of forgiveness, accepted his husband’s apologies, his heart a cold stone in his chest.

But the truth was, Elion was using Jacob’s older brother, Roderick, as a weapon. Roderick, a man of quiet strength and unwavering loyalty, had been drawn to Elion from the moment they met, his heart captivated by the beauty and vulnerability hidden beneath Elion’s composed exterior.

Elion, in his wounded pride and desperate need for retribution, had allowed himself to be swept away by Roderick’s affection. He had given himself to Roderick, a reckless abandon fueled by anger and a desire to hurt Jacob, to make him feel the pain he had inflicted.

Each stolen moment with Roderick was a dance of passion and guilt, a whirlwind of whispered promises and unspoken truths. They would meet in the shadows, in the forgotten corners of the sprawling mansion, their bodies entwined in a desperate search for solace and revenge.

The library, with its towering shelves and dusty tomes, became their sanctuary, the scent of old paper and leather a sensual backdrop to their heated encounters. The grand ballroom, with its polished floors and echoing silence, was their stage, their movements a silent rebellion against the suffocating decorum of their world.

The servants, witnesses to this forbidden affair, were paralyzed by fear. They saw the way Roderick’s eyes burned with possessive love, the way Elion’s body trembled with a mixture of pleasure and pain. They heard the soft moans, the whispered promises, the desperate gasps of pleasure. But they dared not speak, their silence a testament to the power wielded by the two brothers.

One night, as the moon cast long shadows across the mansion’s grounds, Elion and Roderick found themselves in the rose garden. The air was thick with the scent of blooming roses, their petals a crimson echo of the passion that consumed them.

"You know," Roderick whispered, his voice husky with desire, "I’ve never felt this way about anyone before."

Elion, his heart a tangled knot of guilt and longing, leaned against Roderick’s chest, his body trembling with the force of his emotions. "I know," he whispered back, his voice barely audible.

"I want you, Elion," Roderick said, his voice a low growl. "I want you completely, without reservation."

Elion’s eyes met Roderick’s, a storm of emotions swirling within them. He saw the love, the desire, the raw vulnerability that lay beneath Roderick’s stoic exterior. And for a moment, he allowed himself to believe that this could be something more than just a twisted act of revenge.

But then, the memory of Jacob’s betrayal, the sting of his betrayal, flooded back, extinguishing the fragile hope that had flickered within him. He pushed Roderick away, his voice cold and sharp.

"Don’t be foolish, Roderick," he said. "This means nothing. It’s just... a distraction."

Roderick’s face hardened, his eyes filled with a pain that mirrored Elion’s own. "You’re lying," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You feel something for me, Elion. I can see it in your eyes."

Elion turned away, his heart a lead weight in his chest. He couldn’t bear to look at Roderick, couldn’t bear to face the truth that was staring him in the face. He had used Roderick, manipulated him, and in doing so, had only deepened the wounds within himself.

"It’s over," he said, his voice trembling. "We can’t do this anymore."

Roderick’s hand closed around his arm, his grip strong and possessive. "Don’t you dare walk away from me, Elion," he said, his voice a low growl. "I won’t let you."

Elion struggled against Roderick’s grip, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he should leave, should run, but he was paralyzed by the fear and guilt that consumed him.

"Please, Roderick," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Let me go."

Roderick’s eyes held Elion’s captive, his gaze a mixture of love and desperation. "I can’t," he said, his voice a pained whisper. "I can’t let you go."

The scent of roses filled the air, their petals a crimson testament to the passion that had consumed them, a passion that had become a dangerous game, a twisted dance of revenge and desire. Elion knew he had to escape, had to break free from the web of deceit he had woven, but he was trapped, a prisoner of his own heart, his own desperate need for retribution.

to be continue....

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