My Stepbrother's Deadly Game of Love

nca

smiles on my face gradually became more genuine as the champagne flowed and the camaraderie of my dancers wrapped around

one buzzed

as clipped and urgent. "Bianca, where

o keep the irritation out of my voice. "It's been a t

ne brittle. "It's about family. Adolfo wants e

ues. The thought of returning to that sterile penthouse, t

dea how much Adolfo does for you? For us? Your studio, your tuition, everything! It all comes fro

married Adolfo, a nervous wreck, scurrying around the penthouse, desperate to please. She had traded one form of subservience for another, exchanging the quiet dignity of our old life for the glittering chains of wealth. She was a

the weight of grief and mounting debts. When Adolfo Wright, the powerful, charming widower, came into her life, I remember her desper

ter's revelation, the pieces were falling into place, forming a grotesque mosaic. My mother, the heartbroken widow, was also the woman who had sought comfort, or perhaps opportunity, in another man's arms while her husband was still alive. She preached dependence, but her own path was paved with it, a p

tive, I'd almost lashed out at him. But Hunter, then just a quiet, watchful presence, had caught my eye. He had given me a subtle shake of his head, a silent warning. Later, in the quiet solitude of the library, in our secret nook, he had offered

ch other's quiet understanding. I saw his mother's pain, the quiet suffering of a woman trapped, and I thought he saw

confidences, his comforting words – they were all just part of his carefully constructed façade. He had used my vulnerability, my desire for connection, against me. I wasn' t hi

rine's voice, sharp and impatien

id, my voice fla

ion and stepping back into the chilling reality of my life. T

r hovered nearby, a brittle smile plastered o

e boomed, a wide smile on his face. "Ashley. A lovely

ed the bitter taste of bile, a cold numbness spreading through my limbs. I should have expected this. He had made his intentions clear in his

y constructed mask of indiff

ssessive hand on Ashley's back. She was a vision in a soft pink dress, her hair perfectly co

"Ashley, darling! You look absolutely radiant!" She enveloped Ashley in a hug,

n unfamiliar tenderness. Hunter, for his part, was attentive, his hand never leaving her. He pulled out her chair at the dinner tabl

resh torment. Ashley, aware of my silent presence, would occasionally glance at me, a subtle smirk playing on

n see you there! Hunter mentioned you were quite the busy artist. We're so excited about our pro

fusing to rise to her bait. "It's c

an only dream of having such a beautiful place. You and Mr. Wright are so lucky to have each other." She sighed

t Corrine's most vulnerable spot. They implied her dependence, her second-class status

My mother might be flawed, may have made terrible choices, but she was still my mother. An

ously so. "You're right. It must be wonderful to have a man build an empire. Especially when you haven't

ed by a flash of venomous anger. She opened her mouth to retort, bu

d, his voice authoritative

pression unreadable, but a flicker of something, perhaps surprise, crossed his f

r. "If you'll excuse

silence of my room a welcome balm to my bruised soul. The bitterness of the evening, the sheer audacity of Hunter's public display, sett