Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Ex’s Stepbrother: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

Roman sat alone in his study, the lights dim, a half-finished glass of whiskey untouched on the desk.The house was quieter now. He stared at the space where a photo of him and Tessa used to sit. The frame was gone. The wall looked bare.He leaned back slightly, his mind wandering off. He couldn’t help but think of her sobs, the way her eyes turned red from crying. The way her voice broke when she pleaded for him to listen to her.Some part of him wanted to listen — truly. The other part was the least bit interested in being lied to.What could Tessa possibly have to say? She was sorry? It was a mistake? She didn’t love Grayson? He blackmailed her? Bullshit after bullshit.He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing slowly.Then he opened them again.And the heavy, hollow feeling of something permanently broken settled in his chest. A soft knock came at the door, interrupting his thoughts.Roman didn’t look up. “Come in.”Salima entered quietly and closed the door behind her.Roman r

The study was dim, the only light coming from the lamp on Roman’s desk and the glow of the city outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.Files were spread across the table—neatly arranged, and precise. Divorce petitions, asset lists, proposed settlement terms.Roman stood by the bar, one hand braced against the counter, the other holding a glass of whiskey he hadn’t touched in minutes.Across from him, Davin sat with a file open in his hands, scanning through the last page carefully, while Alec leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Roman.The air in the room felt… tight.Heavy with something none of them was naming.Davin closed the file slowly and placed it on the table.“So that’s everything,” he said, his tone professional but quieter than usual. “Once these are signed, the process moves forward immediately.”Roman didn’t respond. He just stared into his glass.Davin continued anyway.“There’s no room for ambiguity here. The terms are clear. The separation is immed

The drive to Blackwood Hotels felt longer than it should have.Tessa sat in the backseat, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her fingers pressing into each other as if that alone could steady the storm building inside her.Every turn of the road seemed louder, sharper, more deliberate, like the world itself was aware of where she was going and what waited for her there.Daniel drove in silence for most of it, his grip firm on the steering wheel, his jaw set in a way that told her he was thinking too much and liking none of it.Their father sat quietly in the passenger seat, strangely relaxed. The tension in the car wasn’t loud—it didn’t need to be. It settled into the space between them, heavy and persistent.As the hotel came into view, its towering structure rising with all the authority and elegance Roman had built his name on, Daniel exhaled under his breath and slowed the car.“I don’t like this,” he said finally, his eyes fixed ahead. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I d

Tessa looked at Roman like he had slapped her. “What do you mean by what the hell is wrong with me?” She asked, voice cracking.“I mean exactly that,” Roman answered. “Coming in here, yelling at Davin, the lawyers, crying your eyes out and embarrassing yourself in front of everyone."“Embarrassing myself?”“Yes,” Roman confirmed without hesitation. “Embarrassing yourself. You need to pull your shit together.”Tessa scoffed, shaking her head slowly as fresh tears welled up. “Well, that's difficult to do when your husband lures you into a room of predators pretending to have your best interest at heart, when I know damn well their paychecks still come out of your pocket.”“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Roman asked, leaning forward slightly. “It means they’re going to do whatever the fuck you want regardless.” Tessa snapped.Roman let out a deep breath, fingers tapping once against the polished table.“No, it means that as much as I’m pissed at you. I still care enough to make sur

Grayson lounged back against the arm of the sofa, his phone balanced in one hand as he scrolled absentmindedly. He wasn’t really paying attention at first, just flicking through one video after another—until something caught his eye.A video with a familiar name written boldly on the screen. He stilled.The video replayed automatically, the voice of a young woman spilling through the speakers—bright, animated, and far too excited for the kind of story she was telling.“—Is there trouble in paradise? Because sources are saying that what went down at Blackwood Hotels yesterday wasn’t just business as usual…”Grayson’s posture shifted, his brows drawing together as he sat up properly now, his attention fully locked in.“…Roman Blackwood and Tessa Blackwood have officially called it quits after a dramatic confrontation. Reports claim that Tessa was allegedly forced into signing divorce papers—”A video of Tessa crying and yelling popped up.The girl’s tone dipped into something even more