Stepbrother Fantasy

“We’re here!” Lucas’s voice rang out, breaking the silence in the car and pulling everyone out of their thoughts. He stepped out first, turning back with a warm smile, “welcome home, Luciano, Noora!” 

“Welcome back, young master!”

“Welcome, master Lucas!”

“Welcome, lady Cindy!”

The moment Luciano arrived; the house came alive. Servants hurried to cater to Luciano, Lucas, and Cindy, swiftly gathering their luggage and bags. As always, Noora trailed behind, unnoticed. No one greeted her or even acknowledged her presence as she quietly stepped inside.

But one person was waiting - just for her.

“Welcome home, honey!” Sophia’s face lit up as soon as she saw Noora. Her arms opened wide, and a warm, teary smile stretched across her face.

Noora’s heart softened, a genuine smile breaking through her guarded emotions. “Mom!” she exclaimed, running into her mother’s embrace.

Sophia held her tightly, brushing a hand gently through her hair. “How have you been, sweetheart, so far away from home, from us...”

“I’ve been good, Mom,” Noora murmured, her voice muffled against Sophia’s shoulder. “Better than I’ve ever been. But I missed you.” She hugged her a little tighter, savoring the familiar warmth and comfort she’d missed so deeply.

"You must be tired and hungry. I have prepared your room. You can rest up after the lunch, okay?” Sophia pulled back slightly, her face brightening as she rushed with enthusiasm, “I’ve asked the kitchen to prepare your favorites too. Let me ask someone to take this luggage to your room."

Noora’s expression faltered for a moment. The thought of sitting through lunch, especially with Lucas, Cindy, and Luciano, sent her stomach curling. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get a single peaceful bite down. 

“Can I—” she started hesitantly, but before she could finish, Sophia gently shook her head, her eyes tinged with sadness as she squeezed Noora’s hands, "I know you don’t want to … but Mr. Charles wants to have lunch with everyone. He's waiting. So, let’s go, okay?"

Noora sighed, resigned. Shrugging her shoulders, she nodded and followed her mother toward the grand dining hall.

As always, Charles was seated at the top of the table and her mom took her place beside him, while others moved to take their respective seats. It was a subtle yet unmistakable display of the family hierarchy.

Luciano claimed the top right seat beside Charles, and Lucas took the top left. Out of habit, Noora subconsciously moved toward the seat next to Lucas, her mind preoccupied with simply enduring the dinner. 

But as soon as she reached for the chair, someone else’s hand grabbed it too. Startled, Noora looked up to see Cindy standing there, her face painted with faux innocence, her voice dripping with a fake apology.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Noora! I never knew the seat beside Lucas was yours,” Cindy chirped, clicking her tongue in mock regret. “Since you were never there, I never knew… I thought it was mine. But it’s alright, I can—”

Noora froze, her stomach twisting. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene, especially not in front of Charles Richardson, the man whose grace had sustained her and her mother during the hardest times of their lives.

“It’s okay,” Charles interjected, his calm yet commanding voice cutting through the tension. “Noora can take the seat beside Luciano.”

Noora’s heart sank, her eyes lifting up to meet Luciano’s visibly annoyed face as he clicked his tongue in annoyance, “Tch…”

Still, Noora managed a polite smile and quietly moved to the chair beside Luciano. She reached for her spoon and plate as the servers began to place the dishes on the table, spinning the rotating disc at the center.

“Awww, I really love this dish… You always know my favorites, Lucas!!!” Cindy exclaimed, her voice filling the silence as she clung to Lucas; snapping all of their heads towards her.

Lucas let out an awkward laugh, his discomfort clear. “Ah—y-yes…” he mumbled, visibly uneasy. He glanced at Charles, who preferred peaceful meals and undoubtedly was displeased of Cindy’s theatrics.

Everyone ignored her and started picking their dishes. After everyone picked their dishes, Noora tried to pick up a dish, waiting for the dumplings. Just as she extended her spoon, the rotating disc spun aggressively, causing her spoon to slip and clatter onto the table.

“I want this too. And this—” Cindy’s voice rang out, loud and grating as she spun the disc aggressively, acting like a spoiled child. Every time Noora reached for a dish, Cindy would squeal and spin the disc again, claiming she wanted it.

Noora clenched her fists under the table, fully aware of what Cindy was up to. She knew she wasn’t enjoying her food; she was making sure Noora couldn’t eat and provoking her. But Noora refused to take the bait. She sat quietly, waiting for Cindy’s childishness to be over so she could get something.

Out of the corner of her eye, Noora expected to see Luciano enjoying the show; to relish in her disrespect and suffering. Yet, to her surprise, his jaw was tight, and the veins on his forehead were visibly bulging.

Was he… genuinely annoyed? Even setting aside his disdain for her, it seemed Cindy’s behavior was testing his patience too.

Noora took a sharp breathe when she finally thought that Cindy was done, and tried to pick up a dish, it was robbed from her spoon before she could even pick up.

Finally, when Noora thought Cindy had finished, she reached for a dish. Yet, once again, the bowl was yanked away by another aggressive spin of the disc.

Cindy exclaimed, spinning the disc aggressively once more.

Buth this time, a loud bang silenced the table. Luciano slammed his fork down, his eyes dark and menacing, sending a chill through the air.

He stopped the disc with one hand and turned his cold gaze to Cindy. “Cindy… are you afraid all these dishes will be gobbled up by someone else before you get your fill?” His tone was cutting, the sarcasm unmistakable.

The words hung in the air like an indirect slap, and Noora knew exactly what he meant. In his eyes, the only person desperate enough to ‘gobble up’ food was her.

Cindy pouted; feigning innocence as usual. “No, of course not. Why would I—”

Luciano cut her off sharply, his voice snapping like a whip. “Then stop fucking spinning the disc like a damn roulette wheel!”

“I—” Cindy faltered, stunned into silence. She had clearly assumed Luciano would enjoy seeing Noora suffer, and his outburst was entirely unexpected.

“Cindy was just enjoying her meal, Luciano. Stop it,” Lucas interjected, his voice soft, as Cindy began to feign tears but only when his eyes landed on Noora’s empty plate did he realize why Luciano had suddenly snapped. But no words came out his mouth so that she doesn’t escalate the situation.

Luciano, however, didn’t even glance at her performance. He calmly rotated the disc and picked a dish for himself, taking his time. Coincidentally, maybe? he selected the dish beside dumplings that happened to land right in front of Noora. As he served himself leisurely, she finally got the chance to finally grab her favorite dish at last.

Noora’s chest tightened, biting into the juicy dumpling as she observed the strange irony of the situation. Was it deliberate? She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but his face was as cold and emotionless as ever.

If it had been Lucas sitting beside her, she might have believed it was intentional kindness. But with Luciano… there was no way that he’d ever know her favorite dish, let alone do this kindness for her.

Her musings were interrupted by Charles’s voice cutting through the room.

“How did the business deal with ACME Corp go and everything with the branches in London?” Charles turned to Luciano.

Luciano leaned back in his chair with his usual nonchalance. It didn’t look like they were father and son but more of business partners.

Noora had always noticed his strange hostility toward Charles, maintaining nothing but distance from him all along. She couldn’t help but wonder if it stemmed from Charles marrying her mother and bringing them to the Richardson mansion.

“They’ve agreed to invest $13 billion in the company and open distributors throughout Asia,” Luciano said casually, as though it were a minor feat. Yet even Charles seemed momentarily taken aback by the magnitude of the deal which would undoubtedly shake the business world across continents.

“They’ll be visiting New York soon,” Luciano added, his tone clipped, as if the matter were already settled.

“Alright,” Charles nodded, his expression still composed. “After this, you can prepare to take over the headquarters.”

‘Taking over headquarters’’ meant to get ready for taking over the company. Luciano’s lips curled into a disgruntled smirked before he snarked, “Oh? Are you in that hurry to retire and enjoy your dear life, father?”

But Charles stayed silent on the provocation. Sensing the tension, Lucas quickly stepped in to lighten the mood. With a warm smile, he said, “Congratulations on your achievement, Luciano!”

Cindy gaped before plastering on a sugary smile, eager to flatter. “The eldest son of the Richardson family doesn’t disappoint! Rumors of you being the ‘soon-to-be youngest businessman on top’ were right after all. Congratulations.”

Luciano barely acknowledged her words. They meant nothing to him. Instead, his gaze shifted to Noora, who remained silent throughout the exchange, her grip tightening on her fork. His lips curled into a taunting smirk as he turned sideways.

“Don’t you want to congratulate me, ‘little sister’?” he drawled, his tone sharp and condescending.

Noora shot him a sidelong glare, her forced smile masking her simmering frustration. “May you keep achieving heights so far above that you’ll never see anyone below, ‘Brother’!”

Luciano’s eyes narrowed as he leaned slightly toward her, his voice dripping with venom. “Then I won’t be able to see you, will I? After all, you’re so far down in the pit, it’s already hard to make you out.”

Noora’s smile didn’t waver, though her eyes burned with fury. “Oh! That would be my wish,” she replied, her tone just as venomous as his.

“Mind your words, Luciano. Noora has just returned after so long,” Charles’s voice cut through the tension, his warning sharp.

Luciano let out a scoff, tearing his gaze from Noora’s fiery glare. Charles then addressed her; his voice still calm and authoritative.

“You’ve completed your studies, haven’t you, Noora?”

“Yes, Mr. Richardson,” she answered with a polite nod, her voice steady.

“Good. If you haven’t joined a company yet, you should consider joining Richardson Corp. I’ll arrange a position for you,” Charles suggested.

But his words landed like a slap to her face. Though his intentions were genuine, they made her feel small, as though all her hard work and efforts were still insufficient to stand on her own. The sting of his offer lingered, and the comments that followed only cutting deeper to the wound.

“That’s a great idea. After all, everyone knows how hardworking Noora is!” Lucas supported.

“Noora is really remarkable despite her young age.” Her mom smiled.

Luciano, however, snorted derisively, his sharp words cutting through the air. “Hard work as the only redeeming quality doesn’t make someone qualified to join Richardson Corp. You know that better than anyone, ‘Father’! You wouldn’t want to degrade the company’s reputation just to accommodate someone who doesn’t belong there, would you?”

“If you’ve forgotten, let me remind you, Luciano,” Charles began, his voice firm and edged with warning, “Noora is an outstanding candidate who graduated at the top of her class. She’s more than qualified to join Richardson Corp if she so chooses.”

The atmosphere was suddenly tensed. Out of the corner of her eye, Noora noticed Cindy smirking, clearly enjoying the drama. Noora’s fists clenched under the table. She couldn’t allow herself to become the afternoon’s tea.

“Thank you, Mr. Richardson,” Noora said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile as she turned to Charles. “However, I already have a few offers in Edinburgh and have decided on the best one for my future.”

“Are you sure about that?” Charles asked, a hint of skepticism in his tone.

“Yes, I’m certain,” Noora replied confidently, though her heart raced. “I’ll be returning to Edinburgh right after the engagement party.”

She placed her fork down, only to realize it was stained red. Her hand had tightened around it so fiercely that her palm had bled. She quickly covered it and added, “Thank you for the lunch. I seem to be quite exhausted, so please excuse me for leaving early.”

Charles gave her a nod. As she pushed her chair back and rose, her gaze unintentionally locked with Luciano’s. His fists were tightly clenched, his knuckles white with tension. Was he truly so dissatisfied that he couldn’t control or torment her anymore?

Without breaking stride, Noora turned and made her way upstairs. Not long after, the sound of another chair scraping against the floor echoed faintly. Luciano had excused himself from the table and followed, heading toward his room.

…………

As soon as Noora entered the room, she crumbled. Her legs gave way, and she sank to the floor, trembling uncontrollably as sobs tore through her chest. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

She never wanted to return to this place. Everything was too much, too suffocating, and all she wanted was to disappear, to find a corner of the world where they couldn’t reach her.

She felt like an ungrateful brat. After all, Charles had been nothing but kind to her. But kindness wasn’t enough to make this place feel like home. No matter how much time passed, this wasn’t her family, and it never would be.

Fragments of their words echoed mercilessly in her mind.

‘I’ll arrange a position for you!’

‘…someone who doesn’t belong there.’

‘…pathetic existence.’

‘Engagement…’

She squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing ragged as she fought to steady herself. She couldn’t stop wondering when did it all began and how did things even come to this?

She didn’t know how long she could endure his cruelty silently but no more. All she wished was to fight back.

…………

The day faded into the darkness of the night with moon peeking at her from her window when she was finally able to pick herself up from the floor and freshen up before heading for the bed. However, as she picked the jug of water to drink, it was empty!

Her throat tightened. One more thing to make her remember that she wasn’t the young lady of the family and her needs weren’t that important to not overlook.

She sighed and decided to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen. As she walked down the hallway, she was about to step onto the stairs when strange noises caught her attention. Her heart lurched.

Tightening her fists, she tried to calm herself, but the sounds only grew louder, more persistent. She tried to shake her head and leave but the door was slightly ajar, and noises were really coming from the room beside.

She took a step back and she peered inside only to be rendered frozen. She froze as her ears were filled with the moans and groans of the couple who laid entangled on the sofa, digging into each other. She saw Lucas thrusting into Cindy’s while his mouth devoured her.

“…ahh, Lucassss, deeper…”

“…cindy…cindy…cindy…”

“…I’m yoursss… now we’ll be like this forever…”

Noora’s entire body trembled as her chest tightened painfully, making it hard to breathe. Hot tears pooled in her eyes almost instantly, and she staggered back, raising a hand to cover her mouth and stifle the whimper threatening to escape.

However, her movement stopped abruptly when her back collided with a rigid, heated body.

Before she could react, she was shoved against the wall beside the door. The roughness of the movement robbed her breath, and a strong hand clamped over her mouth before she could let out a scream.

She struggled instinctively, thrashing against the weight pinning her down, but every attempt was useless against the immense strength of the man.

It wasn’t until she heard the low, menacing growl in her ear that she realized who it was.

“Spying on the stepbrother you fancy while he’s fucking the woman he loves…how much lower can you sink?”

The chilling growl sent shivers racing down her spine. Luciano’s harsh words cut through her, his voice laced with pure disdain.

It was over. Everything was over.

Noora’s frantic struggles intensified. She clawed, kicked, and pushed with all the strength she could muster, but his hold was impenetrable. Her muffled screams were trapped beneath his unrelenting hand.

“Are you that desperate to be fucked by Lucas?” he snarled, his voice sharper, more cutting than a blade.

She shook her head frantically, her wide, tear-filled eyes pleading for him to believe her. She hadn’t been spying. It was just a cruel twist that pulled her in such a place. But her protests were drowned by his fury, and her resistance getting useless against his overwhelming strength.

“Are you so depraved that you’d rather watch him with someone else and imagine yourself in her place?” Luciano’s voice grew fiercer, darker, each word slashing into her like a whip.

His rage was otherworldly, something she had never seen before. It was almost inhumane!

But why? Why was he so furious? What could possibly enrage him this much? The intensity was both baffling and utterly terrifying!

Then, suddenly, she felt it - his hand on her bare thigh, sliding beneath the hem of her nightgown.

Noora’s heart stopped. The shock paralyzed her.

“Since you’re so desperate,” he hissed through clenched teeth, his breath hot and ragged against her ear, “I’ll make your fantasy come true.”

Terror rooted her in place, her mind screaming as she realized this wasn’t just a threat! His eyes, dark with rage and something far more sinister, bore into hers, robbing her of air.

Panic surged, and she fought harder, clawing at his hands, kicking wildly, anything just to escape. But it was useless.

Luciano’s grip was ironclad. His hand trailed higher, rough and unrelenting, until it reached her thighs, gripping it roughly enough to leave bruises. 

A strangled cry built in her throat, but his hand silenced it, leaving her helpless, tears streaking her cheeks. Agony and desperation consumed her, but all she saw in his gaze was darkness; the eyes blinded by rage and that she had never seen before – the hurt!

His eyes were clouded, as if battling a devil for control, while his relentless grip tightened on her thigh and he spat his words. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”