Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Stepbrother : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

When I got to school, I couldn’t help but brace myself. After everything that went down with Vanessa, I half-expected whispers, stares, maybe even some snickers. But to my surprise, the halls were quiet—eerily normal. Everyone was just… doing their own thing. Talking about homework, laughing with friends, scrolling through their phones. Not a single glance in my direction. I let out a long breath, the tension in my shoulders easing. Guess they’re too embarrassed to let anyone know what happened. Or maybe Vanessa decided to keep the whole fight a secret to save face. Either way, it was a win for me. At least for now. But even as I made my way to my locker, a weird feeling settled in my stomach. Vanessa wasn’t the type to let something like this slide. She was petty, vindictive, and had a flair for dramatic revenge. If she wasn’t spreading gossip about me, then what was she doing? The silence made me uneasy, like the calm before a storm. As I twisted the combination on my lo

The sidewalk was cracked and uneven beneath my sneakers, each step landing with a dull thud as I headed toward the bus stop. My thoughts, like usual, were all over the place, spiraling faster than I could keep up. The sun was sinking lower, painting everything in this hazy orange glow, but it felt off, like the universe was trying too hard to look pretty while my life was falling apart. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a disaster everything had become. It was like one of those cheesy daytime dramas where everything that could go wrong does. The kind where you roll your eyes and think, Wow, at least my life’s not that bad. Except now, I was the one living it. I kicked a plastic bottle lying in my path, watching it skitter across the sidewalk before it hit the curb and stopped. “What the hell is even happening to me?” I muttered to no one, the words sounding as empty as I felt. If someone had told me a few weeks ago that my stepbrother would turn out to be my... mate—

The next morning came way too quickly. After dragging myself out of bed and into the shower, I felt a little more human—or as human as you can feel when your life’s a disaster. The hot water helped, though. It was one of the rare moments of peace I actually got these days. For those ten minutes, I didn’t have to think about anything. Once I was dressed and halfway resembling a functioning member of society, I grabbed my bag and headed out of my room. I could already hear voices downstairs—Anya and what’s-his-name chatting like they were starring in some kind of morning sitcom. The smell of coffee wafted up the stairs, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because coffee was life, and a curse because it meant I would have to deal with them to get it. I sighed, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I made my way down the hall. The house was quieter than I expected. No loud music, no clattering dishes. Just their voices, low and steady, as if they w

The walk to a quieter spot felt like miles. Each step made my heart thud harder in my chest, and I couldn’t tell if it was nerves or the fact that I was voluntarily putting myself through this. Maybe both. Once we were far enough from the group of nosy idiots, I turned to face Ethan, determined to get this over with. My mouth opened, and before I could stop myself, words just started spilling out. “Okay, first off, I feel like my reaction to you that night was completely justified,” I began, gesturing wildly with the coffee cup in my hand. “I mean, any sane, normal person would’ve been creeped out finding a guy following them, only for said guy to turn into something… something not exactly human.” Ethan blinked, his expression blank, and it made me even more nervous. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Did he not agree? Oh God, was he offended? “And, like, can you blame me?” I barreled on, unable to stop the verbal diarrhea. “It’s not every day you see someone transform into…

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the school courtyard as I walked out with Tessa, the two of us chatting about everything and nothing. The day had been long, and honestly, I was ready to collapse into bed and let my brain take a break from the circus it had been running all day. Tessa swung her bag over her shoulder, her face lit up with the mischievous grin she always wore when she had something snarky to say. “So, are we ignoring the fact that Ethan was practically burning holes into the back of your head all through biology?” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “We’re absolutely ignoring that. Let it die, Tess.” “Oh, no way. That boy has it bad for you, and I’m here for the drama.” She clapped her hands together like she was watching her favorite reality show. Before I could retort, a voice called my name, deep and steady, cutting through the chatter of students spilling out of the building. “Camila.” My steps faltered, and I turned to see Ethan