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Chapter 86

Author: R. F. Ewele
last update Petsa ng paglalathala: 2026-01-15 23:37:02

Three months later.

Riley Chen stood outside the gates of Crestwood University, press badge clipped to her jacket, camera bag slung over her shoulder. The campus was beautiful in the late spring, cherry blossoms drifting across manicured lawns, students rushing between classes with backpacks and coffee cups.

She'd been assigned to cover the university's swim team for a feature piece. Springfield Herald wanted a human interest story about the rising stars of collegiate swimming. The kind of fluf
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Pinakabagong kabanata

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   130

    Samuel won bronze in his third event, the four hundred meter freestyle. Riley watched him stand on the podium with two gold medals and one bronze around his neck by the end of the Olympics, and thought about how far they'd both come. He'd competed in three Olympic games. Won six medals total. Two silvers, three bronze, and now finally, the gold he'd been chasing his entire career. "I'm done," he said on their last night in Oslo. The kids were asleep in the next room, and they were sitting on the hotel balcony despite the freezing temperature. "After this, I'm retiring." "You're sure?" "I'm twenty-six years old. I've accomplished everything I set out to do. I have a family I love and who actually needs me present." Samuel looked at her. "It's time." Riley nodded. She'd known this was coming, but hearing him say it out loud made it real. "What will you do? After swimming?" "I've had some offers. Coaching positions. Commentary work. One company wants me to be their spokesperson."

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   129

    Riley turned thirty-eight in the spring, and for the first time in years, she felt her age.Not in a bad way. Just in an awareness of time passing, of chapters closing, of life moving forward whether she was ready or not."I'm almost forty," she told Samuel on her birthday morning."You're thirty-eight.""Which is almost forty.""By that logic, I'm almost thirty.""You're twenty-nine. You are almost thirty."Samuel groaned. "Don't remind me."They'd planned a small party. Just family and close friends. But the kids had other ideas."Surprise!" Selene yelled when Riley walked into the kitchen.The room was full of people. Sarah and Lysander with their kids. Max and Nora. Diana from Pack Truth. Victoria Moore. Even Patricia had flown in from New York."You all came," Riley said, tears already starting."Of course we came," Sarah said, hugging her. "It's your birthday.""It's just a birthday.""It's never just a birthday."They ate cake and opened presents and told embarrassing stories a

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   128

    Tiara's funeral was held on a gray Saturday in late November. Riley and Samuel attended together, along with Max and Nora. They sat near the back of the small chapel, not wanting to intrude on the grief of Tiara's sister and the few friends who'd stayed in touch over the years. The service was simple and beautiful. Layla, Tiara's younger sister, spoke about the vibrant woman Tiara had been before the accident. About her dreams of becoming a veterinarian, her love of old movies, her terrible singing voice that she used anyway. "My sister lost seven years of her life," Layla said, her voice breaking. "But in the time she had after waking up, she lived fully. She moved to Oregon, went back to school, made new friends. She didn't let what happened to her define her final chapter." Riley found herself crying. For Tiara, for the life cut short, for all the what-ifs and might-have-beens. Samuel held her hand through the entire service. Afterward, Layla approached them as they wer

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   127

    Riley woke up to her phone exploding.Thirty-seven missed calls. Sixty-two text messages. Her email inbox overflowing with notifications.She grabbed her phone, still half asleep, and opened the first message. It was from Sarah."CALL ME NOW. There's a photo. It's everywhere."Riley's stomach dropped.She opened Twitter. The photo was the top trending topic in Springfield.There she was, wrapped around Samuel in the aquatic center, kissing him like her life depended on it. The caption read: "Springfield Herald reporter Riley Chen caught in compromising position with college swimmer she was assigned to cover. Age gap relationship or abuse of power?"The comments were brutal."This is disgusting. She's almost 30 and he's barely legal.""Classic predator behavior. Using her position as a journalist to get close to a young athlete.""Someone needs to investigate this. This is grooming.""Age gap relationships are valid! Stop being judgmental!""Seven years isn't even that much. My parents

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   126

    Summer brought unexpected visitors.Riley was working in her home office when the doorbell rang. Luna got there first, always eager to answer the door despite being repeatedly told not to."Someone here!" she announced.Riley opened the door to find a woman in her early forties, well-dressed and vaguely familiar."Can I help you?""Are you Riley Armani? Riley Chen Armani?""Yes. And you are?""My name is Victoria Moore. I'm Tiara's older sister."Riley's stomach dropped. She'd known Tiara had a younger cousin, Aria, who'd warned them about Marcus. But an older sister?"I didn't know Tiara had an older sister.""We were estranged. I left the pack when I was eighteen, moved to Seattle, cut ties with the family. I only found out about Tiara's death two years ago." Victoria's eyes were red-rimmed. "I should have come sooner. But I was angry. At her, at myself, at everything.""Would you like to come in?"Victoria entered, looking around the house with interest. Luna watched her suspicious

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   129

    Samuel won bronze in his third event, the four hundred meter freestyle. Riley watched him stand on the podium with two gold medals and one bronze around his neck by the end of the Olympics, and thought about how far they'd both come. He'd competed in three Olympic games. Won six medals total. Two silvers, three bronze, and now finally, the gold he'd been chasing his entire career. "I'm done," he said on their last night in Oslo. The kids were asleep in the next room, and they were sitting on the hotel balcony despite the freezing temperature. "After this, I'm retiring." "You're sure?" "I'm twenty-six years old. I've accomplished everything I set out to do. I have a family I love and who actually needs me present." Samuel looked at her. "It's time." Riley nodded. She'd known this was coming, but hearing him say it out loud made it real. "What will you do? After swimming?" "I've had some offers. Coaching positions. Commentary work. One company wants me to be their spokesperson."

  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   Chapter 65: The Epic comeback

    The whistle blew across the pool, loud and sharp.Samuel hit the wall first, his chest burning like fire. Water dripped down his face as he came up for air. The scoreboard blinked: 48.23 seconds. A new personal best, but Coach Miller still wasn't satisfied."Again!" Miller yelled from the deck. "Yo

    last updateHuling Na-update : 2026-03-25
  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   Chapter 64

    The hotel lobby was too bright.Samuel squinted against the chandeliers as he walked in, Fatima and Dalton flanking him like bodyguards. He spotted Tiara's family immediately. They were sitting in the corner, away from prying eyes, her mother with her hands folded in her lap and her father standing

    last updateHuling Na-update : 2026-03-25
  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   Chapter 61

    Samuel held Isis like she might disappear if he let go.She was shaking. Not crying, just shaking, these little tremors that ran through her whole body like aftershocks from an earthquake. He could feel how thin she'd gotten, all sharp angles and bones where there used to be soft curves."I'm sorry

    last updateHuling Na-update : 2026-03-25
  • My Swimmer Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim   Chapter 62

    The hotel room Fatima had booked was quieter than anywhere Isis had been in years.No cameras, no reporters, no Nova breathing down her neck. Just a simple room with clean sheets and curtains that actually blocked out the light. Samuel had insisted on staying, parking himself in the armchair by the

    last updateHuling Na-update : 2026-03-25
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