Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Ex’s Stepbrother: Kabanata 111 - Kabanata 120

Klara woke slowly.The first thing she noticed was the weight on her wrists — soft leather cuffs, not tight enough to bruise but tight enough to remind her they were there. The second thing was the smell: bacon, coffee, something warm and domestic that had no business being here. She blinked against the dim light. Alec stood at the edge of the bed, tray balanced in his palm now, watching her with the same calm patience he used to watch her sleep when they were happily married. Her eyes opened fully now, and the blur faded away. She blinked once, twice, and by the third time, Alec’s face came into full view.“Fuck!” Klara screamed, scrambling back. Her back hit the bed frame, and the cuffs rattled. “Calm down,” Alec said. “You don’t have enough energy to panic.” Klara’s eyes widened in horror. “Alec?” “Yes, sweetheart.” He smiled. “It’s me.” “You’re supposed to be dead,” she whispered. Alec tilted his head slightly. “I wonder why.” The words landed softly, but they cut de

Klara stood frozen, eyes open wide in shock. The iron rod was still loose in Alec’s hand like an afterthought.His last words hung between them, heavy and deliberate.“Strip.”Her pulse thundered in her throat. “What?”Alec didn’t blink. “You heard me.”“Why?” The question came out small, almost childlike. She hated how it sounded.He tilted his head, studying her as though she just asked a stupid question. “Roman’s on his way. And you look like shit.”He gestured vaguely at her blood-crusted temple, matted hair, torn clothes streaked with dirt and warehouse grime. “The least you can do is look presentable for the man of your dreams.” Alec finished.Klara’s stomach twisted. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just stared at him, searching for the bluff, the crack in the armour, anything that would make this less real.Alec’s expression didn’t soften. If anything, it hardened.“I’m not going to ask you again.” He said.The quiet menace in his voice was worse than shouting.Her hands shook

Roman and Alec stood face to face in the middle of the room. Neither of them looking away.“You really think that it bothers me that you’re back?” Roman asked. “You think I’m scared that you survived?”“I don’t know Roman. That's for you to feel and for me to observe.” Alec replied. “And from where I'm standing it seems like you’ve done a whole lot of feeling.”“What the hell are you talking about?” Roman said.“I watched you for months," Alec said softly. “The secret parts of you no one seemed to see. Your careless nights in the underground club you have hidden in your hotel.”Roman flinched. “Or is it the alcohol? “ Alec chuckled. “Oh, how I loved seeing you stumble over your own feet.” He smiled. “Oh wait! Wait! My favourite part is the panic attacks, where your limbs go numb, and your eyes water, your fingers tremble with so much force, it’s hard not to watch.”“You’ve said enough.” Roman finally said.“It was fun watching you break down. But what was even more fun?” Alec said s

Salima stood rigid on the rooftop. Her heels sank into the snow.“Klara, put the gun down, what do you think you’re doing?”Klara stood still, her index finger firm on the trigger.“I don’t want to do this.” She said, sternly. “But Alec and Roman are not going to let me go.”“And why won’t they let you go Klara?” Salima asked.“Because I’ve done terrible things to both of them.” She answered. “They may hate each other now, but once they come to their senses, they’ll come after me!”“Klara!” Salima said, stepping forward.Klara cocked the gun. “Stay where you are. Not another step or I pull the fucking trigger.” She snapped.“Okay okay,” Salima said, raising her hand in surrender. “I won’t take another step.”“Good,” Klara said, panting. “But what do you think is going to happen now?” Salima asked. “You’ve already gone too far to save yourself. You’ve hurt your husband. You’ve hurt Roman. Tessa. Me.”“What’s your point?” Klara snapped.“My point is…whatever you do now won’t change the

Tessa stepped out of the bathroom, steam still clinging to her skin. Her damp hair was stuck to her temples and forehead in dark strands.A robe was tied loosely around her waist. She reached for her lip balm, smearing it on her chapped lips, then for the fresh gown the nurse had left folded on the bed.“You look a lot better.”The voice made her spin. Grayson sat on the sofa against the wall, legs crossed.“Grayson.” She exhaled his name like a warning. “What are you doing here… again?”“The nurse let me in… again.” He smirked. “And besides, we had something going on before Salima interrupted.”“We had nothing going on.” She clutched the robe closed, arms folding protectively over her chest.Grayson held her gaze, unblinking. “Why are you the only one who’s come to visit?” She asked. “Where’s Liam?”He rose slowly on one foot. “Liam went back home. Had to deal with his wife and some family business.”“By ‘family business,’ you mean reversing the inheritance?” Tessa raised a brow.Gr