Stolen From My Husband

Sarah stood at the top of the grand staircase, fingers gripping the cold railing as she gazed down at the opulent scene below. The golden chandeliers bathed the marble floors in a warm glow, illuminating a sea of business elites, politicians, and socialites. Every inch of Aaron Voss's mansion was designed to impress-perfect, untouchable.

But to Sarah, it was nothing more than a prison wrapped in gold.

Every smile she forced, every gracious nod, felt like another link in the invisible chains Aaron had placed around her. The world below was his-his empire, his rules, his control. She was merely an acquisition, a wife chosen not for love, but for strategy.

Her gaze found Aaron instantly. He stood at the center of the room, as always, commanding attention in his tailored suit. Cold. Calculating. Possessive. In private, he barely acknowledged her, but here, in front of an audience, he would pull her close, brush a hand over her back, and remind the world that she belonged to him.

And she did.

The weight of that reality pressed down on her chest, suffocating. She was trapped in a life that wasn't hers, bound by vows spoken in the name of power, not love. She could already hear the way his voice would cut through her when they were alone-sharp, commanding. He was always watching, always controlling. If she stepped out of line, there would be consequences. She knew him too well.

A chill ran through her. Could she really escape him? The thought of what Aaron would do if she left, the fury in his eyes... It was enough to freeze her where she stood.

"Sarah."

The voice was soft but unmistakable. Her breath caught as she turned and found Ethan standing in the doorway to the study. Aaron's younger brother. The one man she shouldn't be alone with. Dark eyes searched hers, filled with concern, with warmth-a stark contrast to the man downstairs.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sarah swallowed, forcing a smile, but it felt like glass in her throat. "Just another night of pretending."

She hadn't meant to say it. The words had slipped out, raw and unguarded, and the way Ethan's jaw tightened told her he had heard the pain in them.

"You shouldn't have to pretend," he murmured.

Something flickered between them-unspoken, dangerous.

Sarah tore her gaze away, but the moment stretched, charged with everything they couldn't say. Ethan was Aaron's brother. The one man she was forbidden to look at that way. Yet, in the silence between them, she realized that Ethan was the only one who had ever truly seen her. The only one who had ever made her feel... human.

But the rules of her life were clear. She couldn't want him. Not now. Not ever.

"Come with me," he said suddenly, stepping closer.

Her pulse stuttered. It wasn't just an invitation to leave the party-it was something more. Something reckless. Something irreversible.

Sarah hesitated, torn between the safety of Aaron's controlled world and the unknown freedom Ethan offered. She glanced down at Aaron again. His icy gaze cut through the crowd, but it wasn't directed at her. Not yet. But that didn't matter. The cage was closing in, and every breath she took felt like a step toward suffocation.

"I... I shouldn't," she whispered, barely able to hold back the words.

Ethan didn't wait for her to finish. He stepped closer, and she couldn't stop herself from following.

The moment they stepped into the dimly lit study, the noise from the party muffled behind them, Sarah exhaled like she had been holding her breath for years.

Ethan shut the door, his hand lingering on the handle before he turned back to her. "You don't have to do this alone," he said, his voice soft, his eyes dark with something unspoken.

Her chest ached at the kindness in his voice. A kindness she had craved for so long. The kind of kindness that felt real.

"You don't understand," she whispered. "Aaron-he won't let me go. He won't ever let me go."

Her heart twisted as the thought of Aaron's wrath flooded her mind. She could already hear his voice in her head-shouting, threatening, controlling. If she left, it wouldn't be as simple as walking away.

Ethan stepped closer. "He doesn't own you, Sarah."

Her heart clenched. If only that were true. She had tried to convince herself of that for so long, but deep down, she knew the truth. Aaron would never let her go. Not without a fight.

Ethan's touch was tentative, but when his fingers brushed against her cheek, the warmth of it spread through her like a balm. His touch was hesitant, conflicted, but it was real-something she had been starved for. It was everything Aaron's cold dominance had never given her.

And she broke.

Her lips found his in a desperate kiss, a kiss that spoke of years of loneliness and unspoken longing. Ethan groaned against her mouth, and for the first time in years, Sarah felt alive. The hunger between them had been simmering for too long, forbidden yet inevitable.

But just as she was about to lose herself in it, he pulled away.

His breathing was ragged, his hands still cradling her face. His expression was different now-tormented.

"This is wrong," he murmured, jaw tightening. "He's my brother, Sarah."

Guilt slammed into her, the reality of their betrayal hitting her like a blow to the chest. She should have stopped. She should have pulled away. But she didn't. The need coursing through her was too strong, too overwhelming to ignore.

"I know," she whispered, voice trembling. "But I don't know how much longer I can survive like this."

Ethan exhaled sharply, his hands dropping to her waist. "Then leave. Come with me."

Her heart twisted, torn between the promise of freedom and the fear of Aaron's wrath. Could she survive without him? Could she make it on her own, without the luxury, without the control that Aaron's world provided? Would Ethan protect her from the storm that would surely come?

Before she could answer, a sound sent ice through her veins.

Footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate.

Then-

"Sarah!"

Aaron's voice rang through the hallway, sharp and commanding.

Panic surged through her like fire.

Ethan's grip tightened. "Go," he whispered urgently. "Now."

Sarah didn't think-she ran.

Through the hallway, down the back staircase, her heartbeat a frantic drum in her chest.

But as she reached the back door, Aaron's voice chased her.

"Sarah, you can't run forever."

She froze. Because he was right.

Even as she stepped into the night, even as she gasped for air, she knew-Aaron would never let her go.

And this? This was only the beginning.