All Chapters of Bound By Blood: The Step-Brothers' Temptation: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

_Amelie’s POV_ The first thing I noticed that morning was the sunlight spilling across the wooden floor, warm and golden, brushing against my bare feet as I stretched. I had gotten used to mornings like this.. the quiet and uninterrupted mornings. The alarm didn’t jar me awake; instead, Elias’s soft humming drifted through the apartment from the kitchen, mingling with the rich scent of coffee that wrapped around the living room like a familiar hug. I slid out of bed, my bare foot padding across the floor as I made my way out of the room. Coffee had always been his thing. He brewed it every morning, black, and strong, the aroma filling the space, and I would lean against the doorway, half-dressed, just watching him. Sometimes he caught my gaze and smiled, and that was enough to make my chest ache with contentment. “Good morning,” I said quietly, stepping fully into the kitchen. “Good morning,” he replied, his voice warm, thick with sleep. He turned, brushing a loose strand of

_Amelie’s POV_I tried to convince myself that I was only dreaming, that there was no way Nico was currently standing before me.This was a bad dream... A nightmare… It had started out good but the twist just occurred and very soon, I would open my eyes and find myself wrapped in Elias’ arms.But no matter how much I tried to convince myself, he was right in front of me. Alive. And certainly not a dream.After all these years…He was right in front of me, once again. “Nico…” I breathed, barely a whisper.His jaw tightened, his throat moving as if swallowing back words. “Hi,” he said finally, voice low, rough, like it had been dragged through gravel.I told myself when I saw him next, I would act like I didn't care. I would greet and keep walking. But my hand rushed fast before I could think, coming in contact with his face. His head whipped to the side, and he looked stunned like he wasn't expecting me to. I blinked, tears already burning at the back of my eyes. “You—” I couldn’

Nico’s POVI stood across the street, leaning lightly against the lamppost, my eyes fixed on her. Amelie. Or Chiara, as she called herself now. The name still felt foreign on my tongue, but the person beneath it—her laughter, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the tilt of her head as she listened to him—was unmistakable. She had grown into herself, into this life, and yet, she was still hers, still untouchable in a way that made my chest ache.The man with her—Elias—moved with that careful ease, arms occasionally brushing hers, his voice soft but sure, protective in a way that made my skin crawl. I had done my research. I knew Elias wouldn’t harm her. He had no reason to. He had no connection to the chaos that had defined her life before she disappeared from mine. And yet, every laugh they shared, every small, intimate gesture, twisted the knife deeper into me.I hated it. Seeing her happy with someone that wasn’t me. But that was all I wanted, to see her happy even if it was

_Amelie’s POV_The air was too still.Too bright.Too wrong.The doors had burst open with a bang , and there they stood. The three people I never wanted to see.Nico, Matteo, and Luca. The triplets. My ruin and my past.For a moment, no one moved. Not even me.My lips parted but no sound came out. The church bells that had once sounded like music now felt like knives in my ears. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t understand how this was real.It wasn’t supposed to be.Nico’s eyes found mine immediately, the same eyes that had once promised protection, warmth, everything I thought I’d never lose. Now, they burned with something else—something darker, heavier, something that cut deeper than I was ready for.“Did you really think I would let you get married to another?” he said.The words fell like thunder.My body froze.The room spun.I heard people whispering. I saw Elias’s face shift from confusion to concern. I felt Sofia’s hand brush my arm as she whispered my name, but

_Amelie’s POV_The morning after felt like stepping into a dream I hadn’t chosen.Elias had insisted I take the day off, but work was the only place where my mind could breathe. At least there, people only expected results — not answers.I left the house before he could argue, telling him I needed distraction. He kissed my forehead, reluctant but trusting, and let me go.The city moved in its usual rhythm — cars honking, heels tapping against pavement, vendors shouting over the morning buzz. The normalcy of it all felt wrong. After everything that had happened, I wanted the world to look different. But it didn’t. It never did.At the hospital, I smiled at the receptionist, forced and brief, then went straight to change my clothes . I buried myself in clinicals, rushing between patients as I tried not to think about the wedding that never was, the names I’d tried to forget, the faces I couldn’t escape.For a while, it worked. Talking to the patients took everything off my mind.Until i