Trapped by the Crippled CEO Chapter 3 Read Online for Free

Stella’s POV

Morning sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Lancaster Manor's master suite, painting golden stripes across the Persian carpet. Despite my fever-addled state, I couldn't help but marvel at the room's understated opulence .

The heat of Adam's touch still lingered on my skin like a brand. His wheelchair sat abandoned by the door, a prop in what was becoming an increasingly complex performance. Every time he moved, the raw power in his body drew my eyes like a magnet. Stop staring, Stella. He's your enemy, remember?

"Your skin's hot." His voice was dark honey, dangerous and smooth. Those piercing green eyes studied me with an intensity that made my breath catch. One broad hand came up to brush my forehead, the casual intimacy of the gesture setting my pulse racing. "How... inconvenient."

I couldn't quite get the meaning from his tone - annoyance mixed with... curiosity? The way his jaw clenched suggested he was fighting some internal battle of his own.

I opened my mouth to respond, but I was too weak to stand up. Strong arms caught me before I could fall, and I found myself pressed against a wall of solid muscle. The scent of his cologne filled my senses. So much for the paralyzed invalid act.

"Does it hurt?" His breath ghosted across my ear, making me shiver. One hand slid down to grip my waist, steadying me even as it sent sparks of electricity through my body. "If such a small fever pains you, Mrs. Lancaster, how do you plan to serve me in bed?"

The words were cruel, but his voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper that made my heart race. I could feel the slight tremor in his hands that betrayed his own affected composure.

My face turned red. My hands rested against his chest, and I could feel his heart beating – faster than his cool demeanor would suggest. "I... I can learn," I managed, hating how breathy my voice sounded. "In bed, I... I don't mind pain..."

Something dark and hungry flashed across his face before he could mask it. His grip on my waist tightened fractionally, and I felt rather than heard his sharp intake of breath.

The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to die of mortification. The fever must have fried my brain completely. But I couldn't miss how his pupils dilated, or how his grip on my waist tightened fractionally.

"Shameless!" Despite the harsh word, his thumb traced small circles on my hip, the motion probably unconscious but maddening nonetheless.

"Mr. Lancaster," I tried to salvage what remained of my dignity, even as my body betrayed me by melting further into his embrace, "I look forward to your... future guidance!"

Oh god. Someone please just kill me now.

His eyes dropped to my lips, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought he might... but then darkness creeping my vision again. The last thing I saw before consciousness fled was the conflicted expression that flashed across his perfect features, and the gentle way his arms cradled me as I fell.

---

I woke to the soft beeping of medical equipment. The bedroom had been replaced by an elegantly appointed guest suite, all neutral tones and discrete medical monitoring devices. My skin still tingled where Adam had touched me, the memory making me flush despite my best efforts to forget.

"The fever's breaking," someone murmured. "She'll need rest and fluids."

Rest. Right. As if I could rest with the phantom sensation of those strong hands still burning into my skin.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

---

"Miss Winston." Adam's voice broke the silence of the manor's storage room. The barely contained fury in his tone made me stiffen. "Care to explain this?"

I turned from where I'd been examining my items, only to freeze at the sight of what he held. The rage in his eyes was at odds with the deadly calm of his stance, and something in my chest tightened painfully at the disgust written across his features.

Photos – dozens of them – showing me in various intimate poses with him. Except I'd never taken those photos. The girl in them wore my face, but the body language was all wrong.

My stomach churned as understanding dawned. Lucy put them. Of course. My dear sister's parting gift.

"These were found among your belongings." He tossed the photos at my feet, followed by what appeared to be love letters and... other items I couldn't bring myself to look at directly. His tall frame caged me against the storage shelves, that intoxicating scent of his filling my lungs again. Despite his obvious anger, the air between us crackled with something dangerous and electric.

"Tell me, were you so desperate to climb into my bed that you had to resort to such disgusting tactics?"

The venom in his voice stung, but it was the flash of betrayal in his eyes that truly hurt. Somehow, in the span of a morning, I'd managed to make him feel something beyond mere indifference - even if that something was hatred.

"Mr. Lancaster," I kept my voice steady through sheer force of will, trying to ignore how my body responded to his proximity, "I had no knowledge of these items before this moment."

I met his gaze directly, letting him see the truth in my eyes. For a moment, something shifted in his expression - doubt? Interest? - before the mask of cold disdain slammed back into place.

His laugh held no humor, but the sound still sent shivers down my spine. "Bringing another man's keepsakes to our marriage. Impressive, Miss Winston."

The pieces clicked together in my still-recovering brain. Lucy hadn't just set me up to take her place – she'd made sure to poison the well completely.

"Don't think that simply walking through those doors makes you secure in your position as Mrs. Lancaster." He leaned closer, one hand braced beside my head. "Many women would kill to be in your place."

I watched him leave, my hands clenched into fists, my heart racing from more than just anger. Lucy. I will make you pay.

In the doorway, Adam paused. "You know what your greatest flaw is, Miss Winston?" His eyes raked over me one last time, leaving trails of fire in their wake. "You're utterly uninteresting."

The door closed behind him with a quiet click that somehow hurt more than if he'd slammed it.

Uninteresting, am I? A smile curved my lips despite everything. We'll see about that, Mr. Lancaster.

My phone buzzed with a text from Samantha: [Stella, you will not BELIEVE what Lucy's been up to...]

Chapter 3: A Little Misunderstanding