The temptation of my brother-in-law

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Three

Alicia’s POV

I stared at the mansion in front of me, trying to process what Malachi had just said. His home. He had a private property. A whole estate that apparently no one knew about.

I shouldn’t have been shocked. This was Malachi. Of course he had secrets, layers upon layers of things he kept hidden from everyone. But still, seeing this place, realizing he’d brought me here, it felt significant in a way I couldn’t quite articulate.

"You own this?" I asked, even though the answer was obvious.

"Bought it two years ago. No one knows about it except the cleaning service that comes twice a week."

That explained why everything looked so pristine. The windows were spotless, the grounds perfectly maintained, not a leaf out of place on the stone pathway leading to the entrance.

Malachi got out of the car and came around to open my door, offering his hand to help me out. I took it, letting him pull me close for a moment before we walked toward the house.

"I’ll give you the full tour later," he said, leading me through the front entrance. "But I wanted to show you something first."

We walked through a stunning foyer with high ceilings and modern art on the walls, then through a living room that was all clean lines and expensive furniture that looked barely used. He led me to a set of glass doors that opened onto a back terrace.

And there were flowers. Everywhere. A garden that must have taken years to cultivate, filled with roses and peonies and flowers I couldn’t name, all arranged in careful patterns that somehow looked wild and natural despite the obvious planning.

"You did this?" I asked.