A Night With My Stepbrother

sneaking in, afraid to be noticed. She lay still, eyes on the ceiling

l was still

d. Un

behind her eyelids all night. Dad. A word that h

screen. Then, finally, sh

me. Um... I know

flutter

you. Listen, Vivian's putting together this family trip thing. A getaway, she called i

pa

me. But maybe this isn't about me. Jus

il ended wi

ffer her answers, maybe even closure. But

ill, save for the hum of the old fridge. She made coffee without thinking, the motions automatic

A fami

alled in months, and now he wanted her to play happy family on some coasta

ode their bikes in loops and loops around the cracked sidewalk. She s

ge, block the number, and bury it like

what was left of the man who used to tuck her in at night, h

ne buzz

Incomi

l fli

he ans

.He

her end sounded relieved.

ing long," sh

say it in person. Vivian's been planning this

even kn

Alessandro-he's her son-he's the one who made all the arrangemen

on," Isabel said. "I n

just... come for a few days. We'll talk. There's somethi

en off her bike and was picking herself up, brushing

't kno

rying so hard to connect. And I know I've messed up. I k

quiet for a

spoke, her voic

rning. We'll go as a family

my way to

was a

ade the bookings. W

ne wen

een like it might ring again. Her father's words echoed inside her like a dull throb:

id

s crossed tight against her chest like they could hold back whateve

mily

res

nths of

w whether to s

said he missed her, but it sounded like a line rehearsed in

ulders

ad always tried too hard to play mother, pushing hersel

tepbr

never even

ay, arms full of a plastic bag bursting with

didn't

wned. "Okay, what happened? You loo

He wants me to come on some fami

n shocked last night, your dad

ea

. That's..

stiff. "I haven't spoken

ar ago?" Jenna sank beside her on the

she hated that. "Just that Vivian wants it. A

ead slowly. "You h

aren

What do you even

I didn't go to the wedding. I didn't ask

offering an all-expense-paid trip to some five-star resort in Sic

a look. "It's no

what i

life until it's convenient for her image. It's about him pretending like everythi

up. But you're not hurting him by saying no. Y

ared at h

t if your stepbrother is some awkward trust fund

nt smile. "Why ar

And if you wallow, we'll be late to the club, and

to the couch, her tho

t wor

d be polite f

r walls up long e

onna go?"

ow," Isabel

e some tiny, bruised part of her still wanted to be seen by the man who used to

at she still

ou can cry about rich-people problems later. Right now

t a breath an

n't fee

anyt

nding was bette

-

red with white glass, gold accents, and silence broken only by

ther chair, fingers steepled, a slight cu

le often. He

al had

Wrapped up in less time than it

wos and threes, voices low, energy electric. They were too smart to ch

d, lifting his glass. "That London

sandro replied, voice smooth. "The

ed lightly th

ust enough to feel like rebellion. He moved with the quiet confi

Luca?"

he legal team

rap it up. We'

sed a bro

, looking down on the glittering sprawl of Mila

pa

b?" Marc

o's gaze

ch o

cy. Private booths, live shows, top-tier gir

like a

m. "Tell the driver. And make sur

s,

enough that the crowd would be warm. N

appropriate. He'd kept his hands clean for months. Focused. Stra

olves need

out, Alessandro lingered. H

vi

t didn't

mo

cked

es

clipped, soft in a way that meant controll

e bookings

confirmed wit

hand

t dodging

his nose. "Do I sound like

pa

d. "You sound li

t respon

he added. "Albert's daughter is

if she brings it,

provo

e," Alessandro

he hu

ent, he s

's dau

er tax bracket. Spoiled by struggle, probably. Bitter. Sharp-tongued.

mood for sentime

il

peace with Vivian. And who knew? Maybe the gir

oat and followed

was just

e, it looked more like a luxury hotel than a place where champagne met silk and shadows.

m greeted with a nod. "Ex

d through, his coat draped over his arm

rystal chandeliers cast warm halos over sculpted furniture, and th

gh it like it

ughing about something crass. Alessandro ignored them, heading s

and tinted windows overlooking the main floor below. A waitress with l

ual?" sh

. No

se, Mr.

ng his cuffs, the weight of the

t interest. It wasn't the show that drew him. It was the power. The knowledge that every man i

der his skin tonight. Not

cipa

his watch.

ething they didn't understand. And somewhere in that line, two girls would walk past security

t