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Evie's POVThree years had passed since we left Ravencrest.I stood outside the new apartment complex that had been built where our old one used to be, Mom beside me clutching her purse like a lifeline. The building was modern, sleek, nothing like the run-down place where I'd spent my childhood."Hard to believe this is the same spot," Mom said quietly. "Remember that tiny kitchen where I told you I was marrying Alexander?""I remember thinking you'd lost your mind.""I had. A little bit." She smiled, but it was sad around the edges. "Feels like a lifetime ago.""It was a lifetime ago. We're different people now."The lobby had marble floors and a doorman. Our old building had cracked linoleum and a broken elevator. Progress, I supposed, even if it erased the history of everyone who'd lived there before."Do you ever regret it?" I asked as we walked back to the car. "Everything that happened because of that marriage?"Mom was quiet for a long moment. "I regret the pain it caused you.

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The dining table was too small for everyone, so we'd pushed it against the wall and set up a buffet-style dinner instead. Bodies filled every corner of our living room—Mom and Alexander on the couch, Nate arguing with Maya about basketball in the corner, Riley perched on the arm of a chair looking almost comfortable."This chicken is actually edible," Maya announced, brandishing her fork. "Evie, did you make this?""Ryder made it. I supervised from a safe distance.""Smart woman."Riley laughed, and the sound was still strange enough to make everyone pause. Three years of therapy and nonprofit work had softened her edges, made her almost approachable. She still had her moments of sharp observation and cutting wit, but now they felt more like defense mechanisms than actual cruelty."How's the trafficking nonprofit?" I asked her."Exhausting but also rewarding. And…good..yeah mixed feelings." She took a sip of wine. "We helped twelve women escape exploitation last month. Got them into

All Chapters of My Stepbrother, My Ruin: Chapter 151 - Chapter 152

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