Chapter 61 Temptations

• Xavier strode into the sleek vacation house, his mind a tangle of conflict and desire. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, an involuntary groan escaped his lips as a surge of unexpected arousal pulsed through him. He scowled, fists clenching at Cathleen's clothes, unable to fathom the hold Cathleen had over his body.
• "Damn you, Cathleen," he muttered under his breath, every inch of him rebelling against the fact that she, of all people, could elicit such a carnal response from him.
• He paced like a caged animal, each step heavy with the weight of betrayal. His father's machinations, Cathleen's cunning—they were chains binding him to a life he never chose. Xavier knew the fire in Cathleen's eyes, her sharp tongue, and her calculating mind. She was not a victim. She was the architect of this twisted reality, where he found himself shackled to her by marriage.