Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Ex’s Stepbrother: Kabanata 141 - Kabanata 150

Lakshmi slipped out of the kitchen the moment Tessa’s footsteps faded up the stairs.The air in the hallway felt thicker after that conversation—nothing openly rude, nothing said outright, but the way Tessa had said “my husband” lingered like smoke. Not hostile. Just… territorial.Lakshmi wasn’t stupid. She knew weird energy when she felt it.She wandered toward the back of the house, drawn by the soft light and the exquisite fountains. The mansion was still quiet—most of the household either asleep or gone for the day.She needed air, or space or just something to shake off the strange knot in her stomach.She walked through one of the flowered paths that led to the pool terrace and froze.Alec was in the water.He moved through lazy laps, cutting the surface with clean, powerful strokes.The early sun caught every droplet on his tanned skin as he turned at the wall and pushed off again.When he reached the shallow end and stood, water rippled down his chest, tracing lines she hadn’t

The kitchen door banged open.Roman stormed through, jacket half-off, face like stone. He didn’t even glance their way—just strode past the counter, eyes fixed ahead, radiating tension.Lakshmi jerked back as if burned, heart pounding. She pressed the towel to her chest, stepping sideways toward the sink.Alec exhaled sharply, straightening in the chair. He shot a quick look at Roman’s back, then at Lakshmi—apologetic, frustrated, but still gentle.“Roman?” Alec called after him, voice steady despite the interruption. “You’re back early—what happened?”Roman didn’t stop. “Nothing,” he muttered, already heading for the stairs. “Everything’s fine.”His footsteps faded upward, heavy and purposeful.The kitchen fell quiet again, but the moment was shattered.Lakshmi stared at the doorway, then down at the towel in her hands.Alec rubbed the back of his neck, where her fingers had just been. “He’s… probably dealing with something,” he said softly, trying to lighten the room. “He’ll be fin

Eleanor’s gaze didn't leave the three men in front of her. “Roman,” she said smoothly. “Alec. And…” She paused for a minute. “Detective Monroe.”Her gaze lingered on Elias just long enough to be meaningful. “What an unexpected pleasure.”Roman met her stare without blinking. “We’re here to see Grayson.”Eleanor’s smile was thin, and polite. “Well, that is a surprise. Come in.”She turned her back and led the three of them into the large foyer. “To what does Grayson owe this pleasure?” Eleanor asked.“Nothing really,” Roman smiled. “I just thought it’ll be nice to have some…brotherly discussions.”“Brotherly discussions?” Eleanor repeated. “Alright then. I’ll send someone to call him down. In the meantime, would you gentlemen like something to drink?”Roman stared at his watch. “It’s eight in the morning.”“It’s never too early to have something sharp to kickstart your day.” She grinned.Roman exhaled. “I see you did a good job changing my identity.” He said, inspecting one of the figu

Roman and Tessa had gone in. Elias Monroe had left, but Alec spent about thirty minutes in Roman’s car thinking of what the right thing actually meant for both him and his cousin. After what felt like an eternity of wondering, he stepped out of the car, shoving the disk in his coat pocket. The wind whipped against his hair and face but that didn’t stop him. He didn’t know what was on that disk but if he could take a wild guess, it’s probably bad. And now he had it in his palms like it was the most normal thing in the world. The door to the mansion creaked slowly as he pushed it open. He heard laughter and chattering from the living room, just beyond the foyer. Alec followed the sound until he came to a stop. Everyone was gathered in the living room, having their own conversation and smiling. Salima sat in the centre of the sofa, a bridal magazine open on her lap. Nandini leaned over her shoulder, pointing at a flowing lace gown. “You would look lovely in this, Salima,” Nandini

“Is everyone getting ready?” Salima asked, her gaze shifting between Lakshmi and Nandini. “The priest will be here on time and we want to finish as early as we can.”“Calm down, Salima,” Nandini said, carefully applying the haldi paste to her sister’s chin. “Everyone is preparing as we speak.”“Don’t tell me to calm down. It’s not like you don’t know how those boys like to do everything at the last minute,” Salima replied, almost frustrated.“I know, but they’re not kids anymore,” Nandini chuckled.“Aunt Salima, just relax,” Lakshmi smiled, spreading the paste across her forearm. “You’re only nervous because it’s your big day. Everyone will be ready.”Salima smiled, exhaling. “I cannot believe Victor did all this. The backyard looks exactly like home. It feels like I’m getting married in India.”“That’s very sweet of him,” Nandini said.Salima nodded, then turned to Lakshmi. “Can you do something for me?”Lakshmi looked up. “Yes.”"Can you please do the honours with the thali? We need