Page 87 of Heartless Stepbrother
Heavy with what almost happened.
“Be good,” he added quietly. “Or I’ll make you unlock it for me.”
The SUV slowed as it turned toward the long private drive.
He watched me all the way down the road.
Like he knew the unknown message was already burning a hole through my skin.
Like he knew I’d have to check it soon.
Like he knew exactly how far he could push me next.
And I had no idea how far I’d let him.
The driveway curved through a canopy of old oaks and redwoods, their branches knitting together overhead like a cage made by nature itself.
My breath caught.
I’d seen big houses.
Notthis.
Not something that felt like it was studying me back.
The first glimpse of the mansion hit me like cold water.
Glass. Stone. Clean, brutal lines. A structure carved into the hillside, all sharp edges and impossible wealth. The kind of place that didn’t try to impress you.
It didn’t need to.
The house simply existed with the confidence of something that knew you’d never forget it.
A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the valley, reflecting the sky in fractured pieces. The second level jutted out over the first, supported by beams that looked too elegant to be that strong. Somewhere behind the glass, faint warm lighting glowed, gold against the cool gray stone.
And there, at the top of the steps leading to the entrance, a set of double doors towered like the entrance to a museum… or a prison.
My chest tightened.
This wasn’t a home.
This was a world.
Riley’s world.
Mine now, apparently.
“Breathe,” Riley murmured beside me.
I hadn’t realized I’d stopped.
“It’s just a house,” he added.
But there was something in his voice. Amusement, maybe, or something darker, that told me he liked my reaction.
Liked that the place overwhelmed me.
Liked that I didn’t quite know how to exist here yet.
