Semua Bab My Stepfather's Deadly Obsession: Bab 131 - Bab 140

MIGUELI screamed, and it wasn’t some casual yelp. It tore from the centre of my chest, bouncing off the high ceilings and echoing through the halls of the too-fancy Sicilian mansion. I scrambled backwards across the bed, kicking at the sheets, my heart hammering in my chest like it was trying to escape. There, just by the glass doors that opened to the balcony, was a goddamn snake. Its green scales shimmered in the soft morning light, catching it like polished jade. The bastard slithered slowly with grace as if it had lived here its entire life.Everything about the room suddenly felt claustrophobic. My breath came in fast bursts as my eyes locked on the creature that had no business being inside any building, let alone one with throw pillows that cost more than I could afford.I could hear heavy footsteps pounding up the staircase, and within seconds, the bedroom door flew open. Salvatore burst in first, wielding his gun skillfully. His eyes swept the room like a trained soldier.

MIGUEL“What’s wrong, baby?” Salvatore frowned, leaning casually against the bathroom doorframe. His hair was damp, clinging to his forehead, and his towel hung low on his hips. He suddenly grinned. “Wait, are you pulling my legs?”“This is not a joke, Sal,” I said barely above a whisper. My arms were crossed tightly across my chest like I could physically hold in everything I didn’t know how to say. The air in the room was warm from the shower, but I felt cold. My stomach was a knot, twisted tightly with everything Mama Sofia had said about the danger that would come if Salvatore left this house.His smile faltered. He stepped forward slowly, cautiously, like he was approaching a wild animal he wasn’t sure wouldn’t bite. “What do you mean it’s not a joke, baby?” he asked. “You were the one begging to leave this place. You said you were done with Mama’s cold stares and the marble halls and Pietro’s creepy smirks. What changed?”I looked down at the mosaic tiles beneath my feet, sudd

MIGUELI clutched the sheets to my chest, trembling. My skin still stung from his touch but that wasn’t what bothered me. My heart raced, not from passion, but from shock. Salvatore had unconsciously moved a few feet away, frozen, as if the gravity of what had just happened hadn’t fully hit him yet. Then it did.“Miguel,” he whispered in horror. I watched the fire in his eyes die. He took a shaky step toward the bed and dropped to his knees, shaking. “I didn’t mean to—I swear to God, baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”His face looked nothing like the one that had just hovered over mine moments ago. That face was twisted in anger and driven by something deeper than lust. Now, he looked wrecked. His eyes were wide with guilt, his mouth quivering like he might throw up or cry—or both. “Please,” he whispered again, leaning closer and pressing his lips gently to my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”I flinched before I could stop myself and he froze. His lips barely brushed me, bu

MIGUELOkay, this was easier than I imagined. I mean, the thought of bathing a child made me think that it wasn’t going to be a very hard task, but you know how thoughts can be very deceiving. The warm water splashed softly as I bathed Isabella, the bathroom echoing with her tiny giggles and my quiet laughter. I expected wails and screams of terror but she wasn’t interested in that. She sat in the tub like she’d always belonged there, her chubby hands slapping at bubbles, sending a spray across my shirt and making her laugh harder.I couldn’t stop smiling. That kind of pure, joyful noise lit up something inside me. My heart swelled until it ached, and before I could stop it, tears stung my eyes. Not from sadness though, but from too much love, and too much awe that she was here and okay.I looked up and found Salvatore standing in the doorway. His arms were folded and he was leaning casually against the frame, but his eyes gave him away. He looked cautious, almost a little unsure.“

SALVATOREThe café was loud. Cups clinked too often. Chairs scraped the floor. Someone laughed a little too hard near the counter. But none of it reached me. Well, it did in a way, but I could barely concentrate enough to let it affect me.I sat stiffly in my chair with my eyes locked on Raphael. He was leaning back in his seat like he had all the time in the world. He wasn’t the one in the hot seat.His sunglasses caught the morning sun, and his mouth wore a smile that looked easy, but I could see the tightness behind it.Across from him, Pietro was already in full charm mode. He had always been the kind of guy who filled a room even when no one asked him to. He clapped Raphael’s shoulder with a grin like they were long-lost brothers. He knew Raphael. We used to go fishing with him when we were just teenagers.“Good to see you, Raphael,” Pietro said, turning to me with a grin that didn’t match the weight pressing down on my chest. “Been too long, man. Still chasing those fishing boat