Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Obsession Of My Stepbrother: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

She was staring at my phone with wide eyes, her finger hovering over the screen. “You need to see this,” she said, excitement lacing her tone. She turned the phone towards me, and I instantly regretted looking. There, in all its glory, was a picture of Dino, shirtless, his abs defined and glistening under the sun. The background was a beach, waves crashing softly behind him. The photo looked recent, Dino standing tall with his arms crossed, a slight smirk on his face as though he knew the effect it would have on anyone who saw it. “What?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper. “No way.” Jessica looked at me with a teasing grin. “Sorry to say it, but Dino Alessandro is a hot guy.” She giggled, then with a mischievous glint in her eye, she tapped the like button on the photo. My jaw dropped. “Jessica, no! Don’t! What are you doing?” I reached for the phone, but she pulled it away just out of my grasp. “Oh, relax. What’s the worst that can happen?” she said, clearly enjo

At around 5 PM, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. I was about to head downstairs when I heard Mom already at the door. “Jess!” Mom’s voice carried up the stairs, warm and welcoming. By the time I got downstairs, they were already chatting. Jessica stood in the entryway, balancing a dress case in one hand and a shoe box in the other, her grin infectious as always. “Anne, you look as lovely as ever,” Jess said casually, leaning in for a quick hug. Mom beamed, clearly delighted. “And you, as vibrant as always. It’s so good to see you! How long has it been since you’ve dropped by?” “Not too long, just a few day,” Jessica admitted, shifting her things to one arm. “How have you been? And how’s life?” Mom smiled, a bit wistful. “Doing well, though sometimes busier than ever. Always somethi

As we made our way toward the silent auction area, the buzz of conversation surrounded us. The space was filled with people browsing the tables, each laden with elegant items, vacation packages to exotic locations, rare works of art, and even exclusive wine collections. The atmosphere was both lively and sophisticated, setting the perfect stage for the evening’s high-profile fundraising. Jessica nudged me, her eyes scanning the tables. "You should totally bid on something," she said, her tone light but teasing. "Get in the spirit of things." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not tonight. I’m just here to survive." She rolled her eyes. "You’re no fun." Mom, who had been chatting with a few familiar faces, came over with a glass of wine in hand. "Eloise, Jessica, the auction is about to start. Why don’t we f

My breath caught in my throat at his words. I wasn’t sure how to respond, if I even wanted to respond. His intense gaze made it impossible to look away, and for a moment, the noise of the gala faded into the background. “Dino…” I began, trying to find the right words. “This doesn’t make any sense.” “Doesn’t it?” he asked softly, his tone laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “We’ve always had a connection, Eloise. You can deny it all you want, but I see it every time you look at me.” I shook my head, taking a small step back. “You can’t just throw money around to prove a point. That’s not how this works.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t about the money. It’s about you. I thought… maybe tonight, you’d finally see that.” I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, the band started playing a soft waltz, signaling the start of the dances. Dino held out his hand, his expression gentle but resolute. “Dance with me, Eloise,” he said, his voice lo

We drove in silence, the weight of everything still hanging in the air. When we finally arrived home, Jess and I headed upstairs. "Hey, you need rest. It's been a long day," she said softly. I nodded, too tired to argue. I headed straight for the shower, letting the hot water soothe my mind for a brief moment before I wrapped myself in a towel and got into bed. Jess soon joined me after her shower, slipping into the bed beside me. I turned off the lights, trying to unwind, but my mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened. My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was a call from Mom. "I'll take it," Jess said, grabbing the phone from the nightstand. She answered it quickly, her voice muffled as she spoke to Mom. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but from the tone, I could tell she was reassuring Mom that I was already asleep. I closed my eyes, letting the quiet of the room lull me into a sense of calm, grateful for Jess’s presence by my side as I drifted of