Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 36

C HAPTER 36

ALLYN

I flew to New York the next day.

Angelo and Lydia were waiting for me there, while Maddox seemed to vanish off the face of the Earth the moment we landed.

I’m trapped in yet another luxury property of The Kings. This time, it’s a freaking penthouse. It’s so boring, though.

I don’t even have my phone anymore. Maddox took it from me as soon as we landed, telling me it was for safety reasons.

I can’t text Tamara. I have no contact with my mother. Nothing.

“Allyn, you haven’t touched your food,” Lydia said, pointing at the full plate in front of me. “You need to eat. You’ve lost a lot of weight.”

“She’s right, Allyn,” Angelo agreed from the other side of the table. “You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” I said, putting my fork down on the table. “I don’t feel well,” I said, even though it was a lie. “I’ll go get some rest.”

Angelo looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself before he could. He just nodded.

I got up from the table, flashing them a small smile before heading to the room I would call mine for now. I heard the click of heels echoing against the floor as Lydia followed me inside.

She closed the door behind her. I sat on the bed and faced her.

“What’s wrong, Allyn?”

“Nothing.” I took a pillow and placed it in my lap. “Everything is perfectly fine.”

She sighed. “You don’t understand—”

“I don’t want to understand, Lydia.” I cut her off. My voice came out harsher than I intended, but everything’s been getting too much lately. “And I don’t want to be a part of it. So, save it, please.”

Every person who touches a King sooner or later dies.

Lara is a pure example.

“But you’ll have to.”

It was the first time I’d heard Lydia speak to me like that, almost as if she was pissed off. She is usually always smiling, with that bubbly personality. But now, it was like a completely different person stood before me.

“This will be your life.”

“I don’t want this to be my life,” I protested. “You’re supposed to be my friend— you’re supposed to understand me.”

Those were her words, not mine.

“I am your friend, Allyn,” she said, her voice rising, her face turning red in contrast to her pale skin and white hair. “But this is my family, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect it.”

I shook my head. “You know that’s wrong.”

H er eyes narrowed at me, her arms crossing in front of her.

“That is wrong?” she laughed, shaking her head. The sound of her laugh was sarcastic, cold even. “But it is right for you to mess around with Maddox behind Angelo’s back?”

My mouth hung open, but no words came out.

I was frozen in place, gripping the pillow under her judgmental gaze. She stood there, calm and collected—as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb.

Oh. My.

“What?” she raised an eyebrow before speaking again “You think I’m too dumb not to notice the way you look at Maddox?”

She shook her head, her eyes burning into me.

“Angelo might be stupid, but I’m not. I see everything.”

“You’re wrong.”

I lied, my voice coming out sharp as a defensive reaction, but I knew my eyes had betrayed me. Lydia laughed, the sound sharp and knowing.

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

Damn it.

I looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

“You should be thankful Angelo doesn’t know, because if he did, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw your ass to the wolves. And Maddox? He’d pay for what he did.”

Her words felt like knives, each one cutting deeper, but she was right.

“I wouldn’t tell him because I love both of my brothers. And as much as you don’t believe me, I care about you too. And that’s why this has to stop.” She said, her voice lowering. “Whatever you think you have with Maddox—it ends here.”

“There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Maddox,” I protested, my voice coming out weaker than I intended.

Lydia raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. She didn’t believe me—not even for a second—but she decided to play along.

“Alright then,” she said, clapping her hands together. She flashed that famous smile, the one she always wore, but this time, it didn’t hold its usual warmth. It was cruel, sharp, and laced with something darker.

“Believe me, Allyn. You were arranged to the right brother. He’s the better choice of the two.”

Another slap struck my face, sharp and quick.

“Angelo cares about you.”

She stepped closer, and I couldn’t help but follow her every move with my eyes. The air between us had shifted. Her hand rose, fingers lightly grazing my cheek, but the touch felt like ice. Her eyes locked onto mine, and her gaze was unyielding, calculating.

“And Angelo is your best chance to stay alive,” she murmured, a cold smile curling on her lips. She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch lingering but distant.

“Think smart, Allyn.”