บททั้งหมดของ 725 Days With My Alpha Stepbrothers : บทที่ 201 - บทที่ 210

Stephanie’s POV:“Please,” she pleaded, widening her eyes in what I supposed she thought was a playful, disarming way. It only irritated me more. What grated on me even harder, though, was how her gaze kept flickering past me, toward Nicholas, Alex, Aiden, and Caden, as if silently begging them to step in and tip the scales in her favor.I let out a quiet scoff when I caught on. It wasn’t subtle, not to me. She was setting a stage, carefully arranging the scene so I’d look like the villain no matter what I chose. If I refused, I’d be the cold, inconsiderate one in front of them. If I accepted, she’d get exactly what she wanted while basking in the satisfaction of having cornered me into it. Either way, she walked away victorious.Two birds. One stone. Classic.Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t playing along.I didn’t care what they thought of me. That might’ve been my greatest flaw or my greatest strength, depending on who you asked. I could be a lot of things—difficult, blunt, even cru

Stephanie’s POV:The alarm shattered the quiet at exactly 4:00 a.m., its shrill ringing slicing clean through the last fragile threads of sleep. For a moment, I didn’t move. I lay there, eyes half-open, staring at the dim outline of the ceiling as the sound kept drilling into my ears, insistent, unforgiving. It felt too loud for the hour, too harsh for everything I was about to do.With a quiet exhale, I reached over and silenced it.The sudden stillness that followed felt heavier than the noise.I pushed myself up slowly, careful, as if the room itself might protest any sudden movement. The air was cool against my skin, and for a second, I just sat there on the edge of the bed, grounding myself. No second thoughts. No hesitation. If I let myself think too much, I knew I wouldn’t go through with it.So I stood.The floor was cold beneath my feet as I crossed the room, each step measured, deliberate. I didn’t turn on the lights. I didn’t need them. I knew this room too well—every corne

Tyler’s POV:By the time the first light of morning settled fully over the estate, I was already awake.The water ran steadily down my body, hot enough to sting slightly against my skin, but I welcomed it. It helped clear my head, or at least it usually did. This morning was different. No matter how long I stood under the stream, no matter how many times I dragged a hand through my damp hair, the uneasiness clung stubbornly to me.It didn’t make sense.Nothing had happened. There was no threat, no disturbance, no reason for my instincts to be on edge. And yet, something felt… off.My jaw tightened slightly as I reached for the soap, forcing myself to focus on the routine. I wasn’t someone who got unsettled without reason. I trusted my instincts too much for that. They had never failed me before.Still, this feeling lingered.After a while, I turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying myself off with practiced ease. The mirror reflected a composed version of me,

Tyler’s POV:It was that strange hour of the night, just past nine, when the world felt like it’s holding its breath. The sun had long disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving behind a dark sky brushed with faint silver light from the moon. The streets were quieter now, emptier, as if people had all retreated indoors, leaving the night to itself. A cool breeze drifted through the air, carrying with it a stillness that only made the ache in my chest worse.I had spent the entire day searching for Stephanie.Everywhere I could think of. Every place she had ever mentioned, every road she had ever walked, every corner that held even the faintest memory of her, I checked them all. Alone. Desperate. Hoping. Failing.And still, there was nothing.No sign. No trace. No clue.I tilted my head back and looked up at the night sky again. It felt darker than usual, heavier somehow, like it knew something I didn’t. Like it was keeping secrets.The same quiet, suffocating darkness stretched endlessl

Alex’s POV:“It was strange seeing her on that side of town so early in the morning, but I didn’t think much of it at first. Not until I asked where she was headed, and she said the River of Lilac,” the cab driver explained, his voice trembling just enough to grate on my nerves.“River of Lilac?” Caden echoed, his brows pulling together in confusion.“Yes, Alpha,” the man replied quickly, lowering his gaze.“I still took her anyway. I thought maybe she just wanted to see the place,” he continued, wringing his hands. “When we got there, she paid me, but I didn’t leave immediately. Something felt… off. I wanted to know what she was up to. She noticed I was still there and got uncomfortable, so I pretended to drive off. I parked at the far end of the road and hid behind the trees, watching her.”His words dragged on, each one scraping against my patience.“I had a bad feeling about the whole thing,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay. She stood there for almost an hour, ju