Page 32 of Heartless Stepbrother
“Why?” Her voice was a fragile thread, trembling just enough to make it real. “Why would you... Why would you do that?”
For a moment, I almost laughed again. Not because it was funny, but because she asked it like she thought there might be an answer that would make sense.
I leaned back in my chair, studying her. The party blurred behind her, the swirl of guests, the shimmer of the ocean, but she was sharp and trembling, caught in her own thoughts.
“Cruel…” I said quietly, my mouth curving. “Is that what you think this is?”
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
I tilted my head, keeping my voice low so no one else could hear. “This… situation. The wedding. The perfect little family my father thinks he can build again.” My fingers brushed over her shoulder, making her flinch. “It was never meant to happen.”
Her eyes widened, confusion cutting through the fear.
“I’m just correcting a mistake,” I said. “And unfortunately for you, that means your mother doesn’t belong here. Neither do you.”
Color drained from her face. She looked at me like she was trying to decide if I was joking, or if I was the kind of person who never joked at all.
Her whisper came cracked and small. “Why would you say something like that?”
“The why doesn’t matter,” I murmured. I leaned closer, close enough to see the tremor in her breath, close enough for the scent of her perfume to twist around my control. “What matters is that it’s going to happen. You’re going to help me end this little fantasy before it takes root.”
Her breath hitched. “And if I don’t?”
My gaze dipped to her lips again, slow and deliberate, a silent challenge. I watched her swallow hard, eyes flickering away, then back. The tension pulsed in the air, raw and electric. I saw it, the tremor in her hands, the hitch in her breath. She wantedto deny it, to push it away, but it was there. Unavoidable. “Then you’ll find out how fast peace turns to war in my world.”
For a second, neither of us moved. Her gaze locked on mine, searching for mercy and finding only the quiet, steady certainty that there would be none.
And still, beneath the fear, beneath the outrage, something flickered. The smallest spark of defiance.
Good.
Let her fight me. Let her hate me. It would make the fall all the more spectacular.
I leaned back, my arm brushing against hers in a casual, intimate touch that set her skin prickling like electric fire. The closeness was a game, a dance, and she was both my opponent and my prey.
She pulled her hand back, tension rippling in her shoulders.
I studied her, the curve of her jaw, the way her lashes fluttered when she blinked hard, like she was trying to hold back a tidal wave of emotion. She thought this was just a step-family mess. A blip on her timeline. But she had no idea what she’d stepped into.
I was the chaos she never saw coming.
She looked away, but I caught the tremor in her hands again. Her lips pressed into a thin line, defiant, furious. But I could see it, fear, attraction, and something dangerously close to surrender swirling beneath the surface. She was already caught, tangled in the web I’d woven before she even knew it existed.
I was the storm coming for her, and she was helpless to resist.
She sat next to me, rigid, like a porcelain doll carved from tension and sharp edges, her blue eyes still wide, still holding the shock from the reveal. The way her jaw clenched, the tight grip on her chair, it was all part of the game. The best kind. Dangerous. Unpredictable.
“So,” I whispered, leaning in just enough so only she could hear, my breath warm against her ear. “Ready to meet the rest of the family? Or do you only have eyes for me?”
My voice was low, dripping with mischief. I could see her glare, a fierce, indignant flash that made something dark and delicious curl in my gut.
“I think I already know everyone I want to know,” she snapped, cheeks flushed. “And I’m sure I’ll meet your father soon enough.”
“Oh, you will,” I promised, my voice dropping to a slow purr that was more threat than promise. “He’s been looking forward to meeting you. Swears you’re going to be a wonderful addition to the family.” I let the word ‘family’ hang between us, sharp and mocking like a dagger hidden in silk. “He has no idea his new family member can’t stop thinking about his son.”
Her eyes flickered, blue flames burning through the shock. “You wish.”
It was a desperate lie disguised as steel. I studied her for a long moment, letting the silence stretch like a taut wire between us. My smirk softened just a fraction, something almost unreadable flickering in my dark eyes.
