Page 135 of Maddening Fixation

Before I could make sense of either emotion, a faint sound drifted through the silence.

I froze.

Voices.

Low. Muffled.

Too distant to make out the words.

Every instinct sharpened at once.

Holding my breath, I slipped quietly off the bed and padded barefoot toward the bedroom door.

The muffled voices became even louder

The closer I got, the clearer the voices became. I still couldn’t make out what was being said, but there was no mistaking that someone was downstairs.

My pulse hammered against my ribs.

For a brief moment, I considered locking the door and pretending I hadn’t heard anything.

But curiosity—and fear—won.

Summoning what little courage I had left, I wrapped my trembling fingers around the doorknob, eased the door open, and slipped silently into the hallway.

The bungalow’s open layout meant the living room was only a few steps away.

Soft light flickered across the hallway, accompanied by the muted sound of a television.

I slowed as I approached the living room.

A romantic movie played quietly on the large screen, its warm glow illuminating two figures seated on the sofa.

For a heartbeat, my exhausted mind refused to make sense of what I was seeing.

Then recognition hit.

Yarina.

And Romeo.

My breath caught painfully in my throat.

It felt as though someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart until it stopped beating.

This...

This was supposed to be our wedding night.

Granted, there was nothing romantic about our marriage. It had been forced upon both of us, sealed with resentment instead of affection.

But this was still our first night as husband and wife.

Yet Romeo had brought another woman into our home.

My sister.

Neither of them acknowledged my presence.