Her Birthday His Forbidden Desire novel Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The man Ethan had seized quivered in his grip, his voice trembling as he stammered out fragmented phrases. “It’s a woman named Stella Morgan. Tonight, there’s an underground auction for her private photos. This is just the preview livestream…”

The instant Ethan’s ears registered the name Stella Morgan, a wave of unease washed over him, and he felt his heart leap in his chest, as if it had skipped a vital beat. “What?!” he exclaimed, disbelief etched across his features.

In a frenzy, he snatched the man’s phone, his hands trembling as he scrolled through the screen. The sight that met his eyes was a horrifying confirmation: the device was filled with intimate photos of Stella, images that should never have seen the light of day.

“How is this even possible?” he shouted, his voice rising in anger and confusion. “I confiscated those cameras! How could they have leaked online? Where’s the auction? You need to tell me!” His eyes burned with urgency, demanding answers.

The two men before him, clearly just bystanders in this twisted scenario, exchanged nervous glances, shaking their heads in defeat. “They say the location will be announced at seven tonight. The venue is random,” one of them managed to utter, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan’s jaw clenched tightly, a mixture of rage and fear coursing through him. “If I find out you went there, I swear I’ll make you face serious consequences!” he warned, releasing his grip. The two men wasted no time in fleeing, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Alone now, Ethan’s gaze was drawn back to the livestream. The images were not merely scandalous; they depicted Stella in compromising situations, violated by men who had no regard for her dignity. This was far beyond a simple leak—it was a grotesque violation of her very essence.

His mind raced with thoughts as he prepared to search for Stella, desperate to uncover her whereabouts and protect her from this nightmare.

Just then, Victoria emerged from the studio, her eyes flitting to the livestream photos. She feigned shock, her voice dripping with mock concern. “Oh my God! I never imagined Stella would be so promiscuous. She must be absolutely desperate for attention from men! I thought she was just joking around before, but she was serious?”

Ethan’s confusion deepened, his brow furrowing in disbelief. “What do you mean? What did she say?” he pressed, his heart pounding in his chest.

Victoria, pretending to struggle with her words, stammered, “After she saw the photos you took of me, she must have felt envious. She made a bet, claiming that men would definitely want to photograph her, that she didn’t care about your photos at all.”

This was the very room where Stella had been.

“This… how is this possible?” he gasped, horror creeping into his voice.

Victoria, watching him with a glint of triumph in her eyes, leaned in closer, fanning the flames of his distress. “Women understand women best. She can’t compete with me, so she resorts to degrading herself,” she declared, a smirk playing on her lips.

She stepped forward, her demeanor shifting as she attempted to comfort him, her fingers brushing against Ethan’s shoulder in a way that felt both intimate and inappropriate. “Ethan, I never imagined Stella was this kind of person. Are you okay?”

Her fingers trailed downwards, her sultry gaze laced with temptation as she reached for his belt, her intentions clear.

Just as she was about to unbuckle it, a well-dressed lawyer approached them, his presence interrupting the charged moment. “Mr. Rivers, Miss Morgan has a document that requires your personal signature.”