Twenty - One

Belina forced a laugh, a dry sound that barely masked her discomfort. Her fingers fidgeted with the napkin on her lap as she turned to Damien with a tight-lipped smile. “You’re joking, right?” she said, though her voice carried no certainty. “Come on, Damien. Sophie has her own business to manage. She’s not… maybe not equipped for this.”Damien leaned back in his chair, his expression still and sharp. “I’m not joking, Belina,” he said calmly, cutting across her words like a knife through glass. “I’ve made my decision.”Aaron shifted in his seat, tension bubbling under his skin. He leaned forward, fists curled on the table like he was trying to grip onto something that was slipping away. “But I’ve worked hard for that position,” he said, his voice cracking under restraint. “Four years, Uncle. I’ve built relationships, led expansions, stayed loyal. It’s not fair to just push me aside like I’m disposable.”Damien’s gaze landed on him with cool indifference. “Four years, and how many lo

Last Updated : 2025-06-21

Twenty - Two

Steam curled up from the warm shower, wrapping Sophie like a gentle mist. Droplets clung to her lashes and shoulders as the water cascaded down her skin, washing away the tension of the day, or at least trying to. She stood still for a moment, eyes closed, letting the silence swallow her. But silence wasn’t enough to push Damien’s face from her thoughts.His smirk. His sharp words. The storm he stirred at dinner without even raising his voice. That gaze of his, dark and unreadable, had etched itself into her mind like a brand.Sophie exhaled and turned off the faucet, stepping out. She grabbed a towel, patting herself dry as she walked slowly to the mirror. The room was dim, save for the glow of the vanity lights. She sat down, her fingers dipping into the lotion jar. She smoothed it over her legs in slow strokes, then paused midway, eyes trailing to her reflection.There he was again. Not physically. But in her thoughts, again.“Ugh,” she muttered, blinking hard. “Why the hell am I t

Last Updated : 2025-06-24

Twenty - Three

Damien reached for the glass again and filled it halfway with his usual quiet precision. The liquor glinted beneath the dim kitchen lights, casting soft golden shadows across the counter. He set the bottle down gently this time, as if even the slightest clink might unravel the thread of control he was barely holding onto.He turned toward the hallway, the memory of that earlier sound still clinging to his ears. He padded across the cold floor, silent, alert. But just as he reached for the door handle, another soft sound made him stop. His head turned.There she was.Sophie.Standing at the staircase, arms loosely crossed, dressed in a silk night robe. Her eyes found his and held for a second before flickering downward to the glass in his hand, then to the half-empty bottle on the bar counter.She scoffed lightly. “Drinking around 3am isn’t healthy, you know.”Damien didn’t flinch. He lifted the glass slightly like a salute, then sipped. He started walking back to the counter.“Well,”

Last Updated : 2025-06-26

Twenty - Four

Damien’s gaze pierced through Kiara like he was trying to peel back her layers and dig out the truth. His eyes narrowed, disbelief anchoring in his features as he searched her face for a hint of a lie.“I watched her drive off before I walked in,” Kiara said again, a little firmer now, her fingers clenching into the sides of her coat. “I made sure she didn't see me.”Damien dragged a harsh breath through his nose, his hand raking across his face as his shoulders rose then fell slowly. Still, his body was rigid, like something within him had snapped taut. He looked like a man trying to keep everything from spilling over.“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, quieter now, but laced with a cold edge that had once burned hot. The disappointment in his voice lingered longer than his breath.Kiara didn’t move. “I had no choice. I wanted to talk to you, Damien.”“You were here two nights ago,” he snapped, stepping toward her, his frame tall and pressing. “And now today? That’s not helping anythi

Last Updated : 2025-06-26

Twenty - Five

Kiara crossed her arms, lips twitching like she was battling with herself. She didn't want to say anything more. She had promised herself she wouldn’t poke deeper into what wasn’t her business. But now, watching Damien battle with his own thoughts, she couldn’t bite her tongue anymore.“You’ve had your eyes on her for a long time, haven’t you?” she asked softly, her voice almost a whisper. “Not just because of the mission... but because…”“No, no. I’m just…” Damien stopped himself. His words scattered before they formed. He turned his back to her, running a hand down his face. His shoulders rose and fell in a deep breath, and when he turned again, he didn’t meet her eyes. “Don’t question me. Just do your job.”Kiara smiled bitterly, even though he wasn’t looking. “Alright,” she said, her voice flat. “So, should I arrange the best security team now?”Damien hesitated. His mind drifted to Sophie’s voice from yesterday, how she had firmly declined the idea of being followed around by bod

Last Updated : 2025-06-26

Twenty - Six

Karina stood up sharply from the couch, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. Her face was pale, but her eyes were sharp, blazing with disbelief. “You’re talking nonsense,” she spat, arms folding tightly over her chest like she needed something to hold herself together.Sophie stayed still, steadying her breath. “No, Mother. I did my findings and…”Karina raised a hand sharply, cutting her off. “You should leave. Now.”Her words sliced through the room, but Sophie refused to move. Her jaw tightened. “You can’t just push me away,” she said, voice low but unwavering. “I’m trying to find out the truth so our lives can get better.”Karina scoffed, her mouth trembling slightly. “Better? If you really cared, Sophie, you wouldn’t have just disappeared five years ago. You wouldn’t have abandoned us without a word. You didn’t even visit.”Sophie’s lips parted, stunned by the jab. But she pressed on, her tone gentler now. “Mother… there’s more than a hundred percent chance someone wanted

Last Updated : 2025-06-28

All Chapters of HELLO EX! I'M YOUR STEP- AUNT (Beyond Our Control): Chapter 21 - Chapter 26

Twenty - One

Twenty - Two

Twenty - Three

Twenty - Four

Twenty - Five

Twenty - Six