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Chapter 10 - Here to Stay
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2026-03-05 01:01:40
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The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 10 - Here to Stay
꧁ Marisella ꧂He catches me in time before I crash backward onto Mom’s resting form. His fingers scald my back with heat not nearly as strong as the one that pools in my belly.Get it together, I chide myself.My heart slams in my chest.He’d followed me in? I turn the surprise to loathing, glaring at him. But he doesn’t even see me, his gaze is transfixed on Mom.Shock, sadness, and fear play on his face like a montage.He parts his lips to speak, but I shut him up with a hand over his mouth.God. His lips are impossibly soft against my palm, and a wayward spirit in me wills him to lick it.His eyes flash open in surprise, brows drawing together in confusion.With an answering glare of my own, I mouth to him, “Leave. Leave now.”His lips thin beneath my palm, and we both glance toward my mother. But her eyes are still closed, her breaths steady.When I face Alexei again, I remove my hand from his mouth and point firmly at the door.The light leaves his eyes, replaced by a shadow I’m
The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 9 - Breathing Brick Wall
꧁ Marisella ꧂ Strange sounds fill the night as I come back into focus. Dull, wet sounds. The ground shudders beneath me. Is that… impact? When someone yells out in pain, followed by a grunt and the unmistakable sound of a neck being snapped, I scramble to my knees. My sight is still blurry. Pain radiates all over my face. My hands press against… the bare ground? And it looks like a fight has broken out right in front of me… Then it all rushes back. I let out a cry, scrambling back on my knees as the scene completely registers. There are three men grappling in front of me. The one they seem to be attacking braces with his feet, holding one attacker by the throat and fighting the other with one hand. He’s dressed formally, his boots shiny in the dim alley. I glance to my side and see a body. Still. Unmoving. Ice washes down my spine. My lips move but no sound comes out. Is that Pascal? Had he come out to— Something glints in the hand of the dressed-up man. He
The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 8 - Hellish Date
꧁ Marisella ꧂“Okay, stop right there.” Sonya steps in front of our boss, her eyes glacial with fury.“We both know you couldn’t differentiate between a mole and your own arse. Fire me if you want, but I cornered Marisella. She’s been trying to escape me, but I can’t help filling her ears with woeful tales of my skincare fail!”Her chest heaves as she stares Pascal down. I’ve never been able to understand how she can stand up to him like this without repercussions. He does have a crush on her. She weaponizes it, but what if it doesn’t work this time?Has she gone too far?I clutch my metaphorical pearls, my mind reeling with panic.Pascal’s sneer deepens as he looks from Sonya to me, and back again.“Get back to work. This is your final warning.”Sonya and I exchange a wide-eyed look.We follow closely behind him as he returns to the bar, his practiced smile back in place once we cross the inner doors.Before Sonya and I separate to man our stations, I grasp her hand and blow her an
The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 7 - Russian Troll
꧁ Marisella ꧂I can barely carry my own weight under the searing Miami sun. My equipment weighs a ton along with everything on my mind, but still… I push through.“Parents of the bride, please step forward!” I call.Music and laughter swirl into a cacophony of joy on the wedding grounds.The bride stands on the dais, pristine dress and a smile rivaling the sun. Her pure happiness makes me smile, giving me a needed surge of energy.As her family walks up to surround her, some laughing and teasing, others crying, I burst into a grin of my own.“Say cheese!”“Cheese!!!” they echo, striking poses.Shot after shot. Face after face.When I finally fulfill my obligations as a photographer and the event winds down, my legs are lead, my stomach coiled tight with exhaustion.After a final moment with the bride and her family, I head back to my main job. Waitressing at Luminé.Let’s hope Pascal doesn’t kill me for being an extra two hours later than I’d begged for.Mom’s car coughs under me as I
The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 6 - Be still, My Heart
꧁ Marisella ꧂The front door closes as quietly as I can manage behind me, my shoulders weighed down and weary.When I turn into the living room, Nurse Elise raises her head, shifting her thick chart to the sofa.“Good evening, Mari.” Her tone is unusually curt, and I understand why.“I’m sorry for the delay, thank you for staying with her,” I whisper back.Her face softens slightly. “How did the interview go?”I’d told her I had an interview right after my waitressing shift at 8 p.m. She’d agreed to stay with my mom until 10 p.m.—I’d returned minutes shy of 12am.I plaster on a smile. “Went great. Got the job, and even a deposit.”“Wow! I told you you’d ace it. Congratulations.”And ace it I did, until the client had seen my face. The deposit was appreciated though; I now have a three‑month window of Mom’s medical bills settled.“Thank you,” I tell Nurse Elise.“I just did a final visual examination. Pay attention, and call me if anything feels off, okay?” She fixes her bag strap over
The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance Chapter 5 - Commodity II
꧁ Marisella ꧂ The meager accounts my mother had been able to retrieve? We’d spent it all on Alexei’s treatments. Then he’d left. Only to resurface balls deep inside me. The doors open. My body stiffens. I’d nursed a dangerous crush for eight years, longing for his return. My neck flushes at the thought of what we’d almost done. Again, I wish we’d gone all the way. It feels like a waste since I know he’ll never touch me again, not even with a ten-foot pole. Better get this over with. I turn to speak— “I walk you down. Driver.” The mountain of a man doesn’t look like he’s just a driver. Bald and severe, he looks down at me dismissively. Without waiting for a response, he turns and walks away. I’m to follow him. Right. Hurrying after his wide strides, I stew in anger. So Alexei couldn’t deign to walk me down himself? Cold. As the elevator ride blurs by, my heart alternates between racing and slowing, depending on whether I was replaying our hot tryst or his reac
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