Claimed By My Ex’s Stepbrother のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

Tessa paced around the large bedroom, her eyes brushing past the golden curtains and high ceiling. She had never seen a room so big, so extravagant, yet none of it mattered. Not the marble floors, not the dim light fixtures. All she could think about was him. Roman. Why had he brought her here? Why lock her inside a room like some secret he was ashamed of? He claimed it was for her safety, but what kind of safety came with silence, no answers, and four guarded walls? And his mother? Why was she so nice to her? What had Roman told her to make her believe they meant something to each other? She ran a hand through her hair, frustration simmering beneath her skin. Every second without answers chewed the calmness inside of her. Then she heard it—a sound. Footsteps, heavy and uneven. Echoing off the marble as they climbed the stairs and into the hallway. No one was allowed in this wing. So the second she heard the footsteps, she knew it was him. She yanked the door open. And Roman s

Tessa’s eyes widened when the word slipped out of Roman’s mouth. Everything? It landed between them with a weight he hadn’t planned for, heavier than he liked, sharper than he could explain. Tessa froze, searching his face like she was trying to tear him open. And for the first time in a long time, he felt exposed. “What do you mean by that?” she whispered. Roman’s throat tightened. The answer that he wanted to come out was the wrong one. So he swallowed it, let the other part of him—the part that had learned how to twist the truth into something else—take over. “You overthink,” he muttered, forcing a frown that didn’t quite reach his brows. “When I said everything, I meant all the chaos you’ve dragged into my life. The lies. The secrets. The constant trouble you seem to breathe into existence.” Her brows furrowed. She felt bad but she looked like she didn’t believe him. Roman could see it, the way her lips pressed together, the way her eyes flickered, and the hurt breaking th

Tessa sat on the edge of the bed, still wrapping her head around what had happened moments ago. Her fingers dug into the sheets as she recalled the burning anger in Roman’s eyes. She had never seen him so mad before. But there was something else — that voice. She’d heard it right before Roman’s mother took her upstairs. It struck something deep in her—too familiar and haunting. Like a voice she’d buried but that had come back to haunt her. And there was Roman; he hadn’t said a word. He’d just told his mother to take her away. He’d turned his back while she asked him to tell her what was going on. And that silence? It told her everything. Someone was downstairs Roman didn’t want her to see. Or hear. Now her gut twisted with dread. She stood up. She couldn’t sit there like a puppet. Not anymore. Her feet moved lightly on the ground. The yelling had vanished and the only sounds were subtle mumbles of Roman and his mother. She reached the hallway that led to the stairs and then

The slap still burned across his cheek. Not because it hurt. But because she dared.Teresa. How dare she?She walked away from him like he was nothing. He replayed the scene over and over — the sharp crack of her palm against his face, the fire in her eyes. The betrayal that broke him. He had taken her away from her miserable life. Her mediocre job. Her abusive boyfriend— who happened to be his own brother. He had given her everything, and now… now she thought she could leave?Roman paced the length of his study. The glass of whiskey in his hand was trembling against his grip. His jaw locked so tight it ached.She wasn’t just walking away from him. She was walking away with his blood. His mother’s only hope of revenge and redemption. And his means of sinking his teeth into Grayson and his pathetic mother. The thought dug into him. Sharper than her slap. That baby — his heir, was hers to decide over. She could ruin everything if she wanted. And judging by the look in her eyes, she w

Roman’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he stood in the clinic hallway. He glanced at the screen. It was his mother.He almost ignored it. Almost. But she never called twice without a reason.“Roman,” Salima’s voice was sharp. “Where are you? You barged out of the house like it was burning. What happened?”His throat tightened. He couldn’t tell her what Tessa had planned. “Something came up. I’m handling it.”There was a pause. Then her tone shifted.“You had one job. To keep that girl under control.”Roman shut his eyes, pressing the bridge of his nose. “I said I’m handling it, Mom.”“You better be,” she hissed. “Do not come here without—.”Roman hung up before she could finish and shoved the phone back into his pocket.He turned, pushed open the door, and stepped into the small white room where Tessa sat perched on the edge of the bed, now changed into a hospital gown. A nurse hovered near the tray of instruments, but Roman’s voice cut through like glass.“Leave us.”The nurse hesitate