All Chapters of My Stepfather's Deadly Obsession: Chapter 71 - Chapter 79

MIGUEL“Your total is one hundred and twenty-three, and some cents,” I said, flashing a warm smile at the customer, an older woman with a cart brimming with canned goods and fresh produce. Her glasses slipped down her nose as she fumbled with a wad of crumpled bills, and I punched the numbers into the register. The air carried the comforting scent of warm bread from the bakery aisle, mingling with the sharp tang of citrus from a nearby display. I handed her the change, and she thanked me with a nod before wheeling her cart away.The next customer in line was a teenager with headphones dangling around his neck and a six-pack of soda in his arms. I rang him up, made a joke about the caffeine rush, and he gave a small laugh before heading out. Each interaction was a brief and pleasant flicker. Out here, in this sleepy corner of the world, everything was a little slower, a little softer.This place—this small, unassuming store tucked on the edge of town—had become something I hadn’t r

MIGUELAnother day of healing, learning to smile warmly at customers, and enjoying the peace of my surroundings. When I clocked out, John was there again, waiting under that flickering lamp outside the store. His car was in the lot, the headlights cutting across the cracked pavement.He seemed to have mastered my schedule even better than me. He had a way of showing up right on time, already knowing that I had nothing to keep me back when I closed.He leaned against the hood with his arms folded, a soft grin tugging at his face when he saw me coming.“You are going to spoil me,” I said, jogging up with a tired smile. “Keep this up and I’ll start expecting dinner too.”He opened the passenger door, dipping his head in a mock bow. “Maybe I’m just making sure you don’t starve.”I climbed in and let the door thunk shut behind me. I could get used to this. The familiar scent of old leather and lingering coffee greeted me. No Salvatore scent. Good.John settled behind the wheel, and we pu

SALVATOREI slumped behind my desk, my fingertips idly tracing the rim of a cold, half-empty coffee mug. The room felt tighter today, more suffocating. Every second Miguel remained missing added more weight to my chest, like a clamp pressing in from all sides.The door creaked open. I didn’t even bother to lift my head.It was John. He stood at the door for a moment before stepping in and closing it behind himself.I still didn’t raise my head. But he still wasn’t saying anything. “What the fuck is it, John?”He cleared his throat. “Boss…”“I can hear you.”“I knew you must have forgotten about the meeting for today. So I thought to remind you.”Oh, shit. I’d totally forgotten. Since that successful deal on the boat, I’d gotten countless calls from my partners. Everybody was excited about what this new phase would bring us. I was excited too, but I was too weak right now to sit at a round table and discuss financial and risk matters.“Will you be going?”"Of course, I won't." I exhal

I stood at the kitchen counter, chopping everything I’d set out for tonight. The onions stung my eyes as I diced them, but I didn’t mind. I focused on the motions: slice, slide, dice, repeat. Anything to keep my hands moving and my mind from circling back to that streetlamp, and to Salvatore’s face.The pan on the stove hissed to life as the oil met the heat. The scent of garlic hit next, followed by a splash of soy sauce that filled the kitchen with warmth. I moved on autopilot, throwing in whatever vegetables I’d grabbed without checking. Cooking wasn’t really about eating tonight; it was about distraction. If I could just keep stirring and slicing, maybe I wouldn’t feel that twisting in my gut every time I replayed the way he’d looked at me, like he didn’t care who saw, like I still belonged to him.A knock shattered the quiet. For a beat, I froze, my fingers getting tight around the blade. My heart thudded a little too hard. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and forced myself to

MIGUELThe day blurred past me. Work was fine, but my mind wasn’t. I’d zoned out countless times and gotten tapped back to consciousness by customers on multiple occasions.As soon as my shift was over and Lana came to take over, I packed my things and made a call to Paul.I walked home under the soft glow of the streetlamps. The cold nipped at my fingers as I pressed my phone to my ear. Paul’s voice spilt into my soul like a warm cup of tea, cutting through the eerie quiet that made my skin itch. This was the reason I called him. I needed to be distracted, and he was the only one who could do that right now. John had been busy for some time now because Salvatore wasn’t in the right state of mind to do anything. His words, not mine. Well, good.I kept glancing left, then right, then behind me. Every shadow felt like it had eyes. Salvatore’s face still haunted me. The way he had popped out of nowhere that evening… it was almost scary. He knew my neighbourhood. Now he would stop at n