Tempted By The Enemy (A Temptation Series Book)

Chapter One - In The Enemy Territory

Sienna, Eva, and Alyssa had a quick tour of the opulent estate, which was tucked away inside a gated compound. The main house was a three-story structure, handcrafted out of native stone. The interiors were lavishly decorated, with an open stairwell and a glass cubicle elevator providing convenient access to all floors. Alyssa was completely smitten with the entire establishment and meticulously examined everything, wanting to buy a place like this for herself one day.

The spacious great room featured a professional-grade kitchen and an open patio with a wet bar. The enormous dining space could easily accommodate over thirty people, and there were accommodations for al fresco dining as well. The entire space opened out to the stairway and elevator, with the master suite and six further bedrooms upstairs. The bottom level had two bedrooms, a banquet hall for events, two swimming pools, and an indoor games area, but it was the swimming pools that attracted Alyssa in like a magnet.

"Sien, this place is so romantic. It's a shame there aren't any men to seduce. What made you decide not to invite Lucas' family? Surely he'd have some hot cousins to keep us entertained?" Alyssa questioned with a pout after a comprehensive tour of the house. She stood on the top floor wrap-around balcony and watched the panoramic view all around.

"No, not for me. You can speak for yourself." Eva detached herself from the conversation, and the reason was evident to her friends.

"Yes, it applies to you too! Stop moping around my pathetic brother! What exactly do you see in him?" Eva shot her a death glare and swung around violently to leave.

"I'm not at all interested in your brother. If you must know, I am not interested in anyone." Sienna touched Alyssa's arm to stop her from probing Eva any further.

"We wanted a hushed-up wedding because of Roman's threat. Anyway, if you're interested, Marcus and Nicholas will be available at any time." They all knew Sienna's ex-fiancé, the hateful Roman Drexler. Alyssa gave Sienna a distressed look as if the mere thought was fatal for her.

"Are you insane? Why should I be interested in Lucas' brothers?" Sienna shrugged and leaned forward, noticing Lucas' chopper in the distant skyline.

After a while, Sienna introduced her friends to Lucas's mother, Claudia Donnelly, who immediately took a liking to Alyssa because their hobbies were so similar. Claudia Donnelly was pleased to establish a connection with Alyssa. It seemed her step dad and Lucas's father, Jonathan Donnelly, had been co-workers long ago when they had just graduated from college. Eva, on the other hand, appeared to be more at ease with Lucas's grandmother, Margaret Donnelly.

"Where are Nico, Marc, and Alexia?" Lucas inquired, searching for his five-year-old daughter and his brothers. Despite the fact that Alexia was Lucas's daughter from a previous marriage, she adored Sienna more than her own mother.

"Oh, Marcus and Alex went for a buggy ride. Nico will arrive later. He needed to finish some work. Maria will also join us later because she needs to bring assistance. We'd need more help around the house," his mother remarked. Alyssa's ears perked up at the mention of the enemy. Should she be afraid of Marcus Donnelly?

The main door was flung open before she could open her mouth, and an imposing, muscular guy, taller than Lucas, strode in, carrying a five-year-old girl on his shoulders. Alyssa was anxious, noticing Marcus Donnelly's menacing aura as if he could throttle an enemy alive. Now she was the enemy. Her gaze met Eva's across the room, and she could tell Eva felt frightened as well.

Marcus set the small girl down, and she flung her arms around Sienna, demanding a pizza as Marcus stared at the two strangers in the house. Alyssa hid behind his mother, but she chuckled at her antics.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Alyssa. That's my son, Marcus. He's more like a gentle giant. Wait, I'll introduce him to you." Mrs. Donnelly summoned Marcus before Alyssa could object, undoubtedly trying to play matchmaker as she often did. He approached them reluctantly, his grey eyes filled with contempt for Alyssa. He recognized his adversary's sister right away. After all, she was the root cause of everything! If only Nicholas knew she was here!

"Yes, mom. Do you require anything?" He crossed his fingers behind his back as he waited for his mother to speak. With one look at her, he knew exactly what was going on inside her head. After his older brother found his match, all she could think of was to force him to settle down.

"What's the urgency, son? Meet Sienna's best friend, Alyssa. Her father and your dad worked together at FinServe during their internship. Isn't it unbelievable?" Alyssa noticed Marcus's bored expression and decided she didn't like the guy. It seemed the feeling was mutual, as Marcus exhibited no reaction at all to what his mom said.

"Mom, do you have anything important to tell me?" he inquired impatiently, uninterested in learning anything about Alyssa Van Every, of all the people on the planet. His father, Jonathan Donnelly, died of cardiac arrest, and Nicholas handled his father's business. So, his dad's former colleague hardly piqued his attention. Before his mother could respond, his grandmother called her and she moved away, leaving him alone with the enemy's sister.

"Why are you here, Van Every?" he gritted out, making Alyssa's eyes widen with fear. He recognized her!

"How do you know who I am when we are meeting for the first time?" Marcus gave her a disgusted look and turned to leave.

"First time? Either you have a horrible memory or you are acting. Just wait until Nicholas reminds you of everything!" He walked away before his words could sink in. Alyssa stared at him, unable to grasp a word he said, but one thing was certain. She didn't like Marcus Donnelly, and now she had to cope with another adversary, Nicholas Donnelly. She'd have a hard time surviving three days in enemy territory if he turned out to be as awful as Marcus.

The doorbell rang, and Maria, Lucas's housekeeper, appeared with a maid. Alyssa was relieved it wasn't Nicholas Donnelly. Strangely, Marcus Donnelly, like a lost puppy, followed the young maid, who came in to help. Annoyed with him, Claudia Donnelly continued to show her disapproval while he remained mesmerized by Cara Rose Sullivan, the young maid.

Alyssa was glad of his preoccupied state and took advantage of the opportunity to spend time with her friends. When their friend Hayley arrived the next day, the fun intensified. With Marcus leaving with Alexia, Lucas's daughter, Alyssa dragged the girls to the pool, but Sienna declined because she was exhausted from her pregnancy and needed to rest.

Eva and Hayley escaped into the house after ten minutes, but Alyssa swam to her heart's content, the cool water improving her mood. Lucas had scarcely spoken to her since Marcus arrived, and she now realized what Alex had said was true. Marcus hardly acknowledged her presence. It all proved how bitter the rivalry was between her brother and them. Only because of her friend Sienna, her life wasn't at risk in the enemy territory.

The cool water soothed her. Alex had been calling her nonstop, but she hadn't answered. She knew he'd be furious, but she couldn't miss Sienna's wedding. It meant more to her than some petty rivalry. She lay floating on the water's surface, staring up at the sky. The sky was darkening, as if there was a storm brewing up somewhere. It didn't appear to be late afternoon at all.

A helicopter loomed in the skies, heading straight towards the island. Who was on their way? Her thoughts immediately turned to Nicholas Donnelly, the third and last foe who was at the root of their feud. After Marcus's statement, she started dreading meeting him. She watched as the chopper swooped down, hovering low above her and zooming by on its way to the island's helipad, preparing to land. As the aircraft flew by, Alyssa became oddly conscious of being observed.

The sky darkened slightly more, but she didn't want to leave the water. Swimming had always been her favourite activity, and her dad used to refer to her as a water baby when she was younger.

"Swimming in the storm?" asked a deep, silky voice, widening Alyssa's eyes. She'd been immersed in her own world, remembering her childhood when her actual father was still living.

She gaped at the sinfully gorgeous man standing at the pool's edge, his hooded eyes fixed on her. His expensive suit and immaculate appearance suggested that he was on his way from work or a fashion shoot!

His ocean-blue eyes, however, had her speechless. She knew they looked familiar, but where had she seen them before? She couldn't recall a thing!