All Chapters of My Stepfather's Deadly Obsession: Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

MIGUELImmediately I stirred awake, the room felt off. The sheets beside me were warm but empty. Isabella was sprawled across my chest, her tiny hand curled around the collar of my shirt, breathing softly. But Salvatore was gone.My stomach turned.I carefully shifted Isabella to the pillows and sat up. The windows were shut. The balcony door was ajar, letting in a thin stream of night air. I stepped out and scanned the yard. There was no sign of him. My heartbeat quickened as I pulled on a hoodie, tiptoed down the hall, and made my way to Pietro’s room.He opened the door almost immediately, looking groggy and not happy about the interruption. “What happened?” he asked.“He is not in the room,” I whispered. “I checked everywhere. He’s gone, Pietro.”Pietro straightened, suddenly alert. “Gone where?”“If I knew, I wouldn’t be waking you,” I snapped, then rubbed my face. “Sorry. I’m just—”“It’s okay. Let’s check downstairs.”We padded quietly through the hallway, skipping the lights.

MIGUELSchool was no less exciting than the first day and the moment I stepped through the door, I knew something was up. Nobody came to pick me up so I had to take a cab, but if that was going to help Salvatore relax, I was fine with it.It wasn’t just the silence that settled over the house like a soft sheet that made me ache to burst through the door, it was also in the way the energy shifted.What the hell was going on?“Isabella? Leo?” I rounded the corner into the sitting room, and my steps halted.People. A lot of them. At least sixteen cousins were scattered across the room, sitting or standing in tight groups. Some I had seen in passing during the first few days here. Most, I hadn’t. They looked like they belonged on the pages of a glossy magazine. They had high cheekbones, slicked hair, smooth suits, and loud watches. They smelled like power, the kind of people who made you sit up straighter even if you didn’t know why.And then there was Mama sitting at the centre of it al

SALVATOREI held Miguel close in the thrill of the aftermath of the dance. My heart thundered in my chest but I kept my grip light, just enough to let him know I wouldn’t let anyone push him. The room glowed with dim chandeliers and whispering guests, but I barely saw any of them. I was entirely aware of him, and that was all I wanted.When Miguel reminded me that I needed to bring back the glory of the family, he wasn’t just saying mere words. He was igniting something I’d let go out of fear or shame. I used to think that I didn’t miss this life and that my future was in leaving it all behind. But standing here, in the eyes of those who knew the family, I realised how much I craved the fire, the heat, and recognition. Miguel had probably seen it before I had.The music faded, signalling the end of the dance, and the crowd shifted. A stumbling drunk man broke through our bubble, swaggering forward with leering eyes. Miguel stiffened beside me. “Sal, please be calm.”I was calm. I

MIGUEL“Oh, lord, my head.” I rolled to my side and grunted softly. I must have hit my head sometime during the night because there was no way that party from yesterday was the cause of this throbbing in my head. The sheets were warm beside me, but Salvatore was gone.I sat up and looked around, realizing that we were not in our room. We had slept in the guest room. Leo and Isabella were in the main room. Shit. I scrambled out of bed, barely taking time to wipe the sleep from my eyes as I threw on a shirt and hurried into the hall.But as I turned the corner, soft squeals floated up from downstairs. I slowed at the sound and padded toward the railing, peeking over.Salvatore was in the middle of the living room, spinning Isabella in the air. Her high-pitched giggles echoed as she flailed her little limbs, wild with joy. Leo stood nearby, clapping and bouncing on his toes like his legs were made of springs. Salvatore tossed Isabella up again, caught her, kissed her cheeks dramaticall

MIGUELWhen Paul called that morning, I was already half-tuned out, watching Isabella crawl over Salvatore’s chest while he made dramatic groaning noises like she was crushing him. The call surprised me, not because he had never called, but because Paul hardly visited people. I like to think that he hated the inconvenience. Even when I was at my stepmother’s, he always avoided the house and only came when he had no option. So when I got the call and he said, “I’m coming over,” I blinked a few times and made sure I wasn’t hallucinating. If anything I didn’t even expect that he would come here. I always thought that he was waiting for me and Salvatore to move to our place before he came visiting. Well, that was until this call.He didn’t ask. He told me. He said he was off today and had the day to himself and figured, “Why the hell not?”I was still trying to recover from the party and the kids, so I didn’t bother getting out of bed for class. I was kind of glad that I stayed home ins