She was supposed to be the kind and perfect stepmother. Gentle and attentive, Koi tried everything to shatter the ice around Mai’s heart. Mai thought it was all out of devotion to her father, a desperate attempt to complete their family.
But Mai had completely miscalculated.
Alone in the house as a tempest howled outside, the consoling arms of her stepmother suddenly felt dangerous, offering a searing heat that had nothing to do with a mother's love.
"I'm not here to be your new mother," she murmured.
"I am here because I love you."
As the secret unraveled through her lingering touch, the chilling, intoxicating reality hit Mai. Koi's marriage wasn't born of love for her father—it was an elaborate excuse just to be near his daughter.