Lahat ng Kabanata ng My Stepfather's Deadly Obsession: Kabanata 181 - Kabanata 190

MIGUELIt was still dark outside when I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Salvatore or the kids. My legs were a little shaky, and my chest still felt like it had weights on it, but I forced myself to keep moving. I knew that if Salvatore saw me looking anything less than alive, he’d make me crawl right back under the covers and guard me like a hostage. And I was too hyped to see this new place he had been talking about. I crept into the bathroom and turned the light on dim. My reflection looked pale, groggy, like I’d spent the night arguing with a ghost. I leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on my face, rubbing my cheeks and the back of my neck, trying to chase away the weakness before it gave me away.Behind me, I heard the door creak open. I knew who it was before even turning around. “What are you doing up?” Salvatore’s voice was soft and sleepy. He squinted against the light.I turned around and gave him a small smile. “Hey, baby. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake yo

MIGUELIt was getting really late. I checked my phone and the time startled me. I rubbed my eyes and tried to hold back a yawn, but it still slipped out. The laughter and music at the bar were starting to blur together, fading into the background. I leaned toward Pietro.“I think I need to head home,” I said quietly, hoping my voice wouldn’t betray the strange weight I felt in my chest. I would probably get another fever before morning. “I’m really tired.”Pietro gave a small laugh and slapped his knee. “I already figured you would tap out first,” he said. Then he glanced at Luca. “Drop him off and come back. When Salvatore returns, we’ll drink till daylight. It’s our last chance. He’ll probably vanish now that he’s moving out.”They chuckled but my smile was weak. I dare not tell Salvatore that I was feeling weird, because he’d instantly tell me that he had tried to warn me. Pietro walked with us toward the lot. The street lamps glowed dull orange over the parked cars, and the air

MIGUELThe house was too quiet. It wasn’t the peaceful kind of quiet though. This one wrapped itself around your lungs and made it hard to breathe. It was that kind of quietness that made the clinking of cutlery on plates sound like gunshots in your ears. I hated it. I hated every corner of this house. Hell, I hated myself.We were all at the dining table, but no one was The food on our plates might as well have been decoration. I pushed mine around with my fork, barely aware of what it was. Some kind of pasta, I think. Leo sat beside me with his little legs swinging under the chair, his fork resting in his hand like he’d forgotten it was there. Isabella was in Paul’s lap, resting her head against his chest in silence. Even the kids could feel that something was broken. And none of us knew how to fix it.Paul hadn’t gone home. He didn’t even bring it up. He just said softly that he would stay the night, and nobody questioned it. I was grateful. I didn’t think I could’ve survived t

LUCATen years ago (three days before Matteo was murdered)“Mama is calling us!”Matteo’s voice drifted through the door of the study. I smiled but I didn’t answer. My fingers were deep in some old accounting files as I flipped through pages stained with wine and the smell of age.Not that I cared about wine. I cared about who kept skimming off the top of the family vineyard fund. Someone was always lying in this house. The last time I told Mama to send away the man overseeing the vineyard workers, she asked if I’d take over. The argument didn’t end well, so my job now was to find proof.“Luca!” he called again, sharper now. “You heard me!”I blinked down at the folder one last time, sighed, and shoved it aside. My mood was already twitchy, and Mama’s timing was always deliberate.By the time I got to the living room, Matteo was already there. His curls were damp from the shower and he still had a towel around his neck. I never understood how someone could look like poetry in nothing

LUCASalvatore didn’t take it easy with the guys at the park. They had touched Matteo again. Good! Next time, I’d join Salvatore to break a few knuckles and maybe leave their hands useless for the entire year.I watched from the stairs as he stormed past Mama, who was mid-rant. She followed him, shouting that he was tarnishing the family name by bringing trouble to our doorstep every time. She said a lot of things, but what really hit me was when she said that if he wanted to help Matteo, he should let him be a man. That meant teaching him to stand up for himself.But Salvatore didn’t say a word. His silence was louder than anything she could’ve screamed. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling.He was always like this when it came to Matteo and I loved it.I kept my head down and made my way upstairs without drawing attention to myself. When I reached the study, the door was open just a crack, and I could hear the soft shuffling of papers. I stepped in and found Mar