The Obsession Of My Stepbrother

Not long after, a tall, handsome guy with an easy smile walked toward us. His dark hair was styled perfectly, and he had the kind of effortless confidence that only comes from being comfortable in places like this. “Ahh, here he is," Alessandro said, standing up with a grin. "This is Luca." He turned to us. "Anne, Eloise, meet my younger son, Luca." Luca gave my mom a warm smile before turning to me, his handshake firm but friendly. “Nice to finally meet you, Eloise. My dad’s been going on and on about this dinner.” I managed a polite smile, still processing everything. There was a warmth in Luca’s eyes, a friendliness that made him instantly likable. Then Luca leaned toward his father, murmuring something. Alessandro nodded, and with a slight frown, he turned to us. "Well, it seems Dino won’t be joining us today. He’s still tied up on a business trip and won’t make it back in time.” “Oh, what a shame," my mom said, sounding genuinely disappointed. "I was hoping we’d meet

“What? Dino Alessandro? Like Dino Dino?” Jessica’s voice practically shrieked through the phone. I sighed, flopping back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. “Yes, Jessica. For the millionth time, Dino Dino.” Jessica, my best friend since college, was the kind of person who made life bearable. We’d bonded over late-night study sessions, caffeine-fueled breakdowns, and our mutual love of trashy rom-coms. She was fearless and fiery, the kind of person who’d storm into a professor’s office to argue over a grade without hesitation. If I ever needed a cheerleader, a therapist, or even a partner in crime, Jessica was it. Unlike me, she never let anyone walk all over her. She was bold, loud, and unapologetically herself. Exactly the kind of person I’d always wished I could be. “No freaking way,” she said, her disbelief dripping through every word. “You mean the same Dino Alessandro who wait, hold on, I need to sit down for this. Okay, go on. The same Dino who made your high school a li

He began the interview, but every answer I gave felt like a battle, each question more probing than the last, I could hear his tone dripping with that infuriating mix of mockery and control he always seemed to wield so effortlessly. “What makes you fit for this job?” he asked, leaning back in his chair with a raised eyebrow, as though daring me to impress him. I took a deep breath, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. “I’m not,” I said abruptly, my voice sharper than I intended. “In fact, I’m no longer interested.” I leaned forward, my eyes locking onto his with a fire I could no longer contain. “What do you want from me, Dino?” His smirk faltered for the briefest moment before it returned, sharper this time. “I’m not sure I understand the question,” he said smoothly, closing the folder in front of him and resting his elbows on the table. “You know exactly what I mean,” I snapped,

Dino's POV I sat in my office, staring blankly at the stack of papers in front of me. Guilt and surprise twisted in my chest as I replayed the scene of Eloise storming out. I shouldn't have done the interview. The moment I saw her name on the application, I should have stepped back, let someone else handle it. But no I had to know. I had to see her. I hissed under my breath, dragging a hand through my hair. "Stupid," I muttered, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. My fingers drummed against the desk tap, tap-tap tap, an unconscious rhythm that only stopped when I realized what I was doing. It was a habit I hadn’t thought about in years, one that took me straight back to high school. To her. I exhaled sharply, leaning back in my chair. The memory of Eloise running out of the lunch gathering the other day hit me like a slap. That was my fault too. I’d been cold, distant, maybe even smug. It was automatic, a reflex from the past. But watching her face crumble, even for a momen

I sighed deeply, the end credits of The Godfather rolling across the screen. The movie had given me a temporary escape, but now reality was waiting.I stood and stretched, realizing I’d left my phone upstairs. I padded up the steps, my mind wandering back to the message from Prestige Global.Once in my room, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and instinctively opened Instagram. Without much thought, I typed "Dino Alessandro" into the search bar. His profile popped up instantly blue checkmark and all.“Of course, he’s verified,” I muttered, clicking on his account.At first, I only skimmed his recent posts business photos, fancy dinners, charity events. The curated life of a rich man. But curiosity got the better of me, and I kept scrolling. And scrolling.Until I saw her.The photo was old, buried deep in his profile. Dino stood with his arm casually slung around Sandra Hill, the reigning queen of our high school back in the day. Sandra had been beautiful, popular, and as cruel as