All Chapters of BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

ARIELLA…..The bar was dim, the kind of place where secrets liked to settle into corners. My drink sat untouched in front of me, condensation dripping down the glass like a slow, lazy clock. I didn’t come here for comfort. I came for war.I spotted him the moment he walked in, Zach Killian Winchester. My ex’s stepbrother.“God, he looked nothing like Vaughn.” I gasped looking at the handsome man approaching me.Where Vaughn was polished and performative, Zach looked dangerous. All sharp edges and effortless arrogance, dressed like he didn’t care but definitely knew the effect he had. He didn’t smile when he saw me. That was fine. I wasn’t smiling either.He slid into the booth across from me without asking. Typical.“So,” he said, eyes scanning me like he was dissecting a puzzle he already knew the answer to. “You wanted to meet.”I leaned in slightly, voice low. “I want to ruin him.”That got his attention. His eyebrow twitched, just barely. “Ruin who? You’ll have to be more specif

ARIELLA…..I didn’t plan to follow him. But when I reached the garden I caught the faint scent of his cologne drifting down the hall and my feet just moved.He was standing in the garden, hands in his pockets, staring out at the flowers like he belonged here.“You need to explain yourself,” I said, shutting the door behind me.He didn’t turn around right away. “About what?”I let out a sharp laugh. “Don’t play dumb. You’re supposed to be three towns away, living your life and ignoring mine. Not showing up in my father’s house wearing a suit like you’re auditioning for the role of Perfect Son-in-Law.”Finally, he turned. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes. They weren’t mocking me now. They were steady, serious.“Your father invited me.”“That doesn’t explain why you said yes,” I shot back.His gaze flickered over my face, like he was memorizing it. “Maybe I wanted to see you.”The words caught me off guard, but I forced a scoff. “Right. To see me squirm?”Something in his jaw

ARIELLA….The air at the table felt like it had teeth. Zach’s father was still talking, something about a new property deal, but nobody was really listening. Not when Vaughn’s glare was aimed squarely at me, and Zach’s hand was still resting lightly against my back like a silent claim.“So,” Vaughn said finally, leaning back in his chair with calculated ease, “how exactly did this happen? One minute you’re with me, the next you’re playing house with my stepbrother. Seems… quick.”I opened my mouth, but Zach beat me to it.“When you know, you know,” he said smoothly, taking a sip of his wine.Vaughn let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, please. What’s the real story, Ariella? Did you marry him because you love him, or because you knew it would piss me off?”I felt my father-in-law’s eyes flick to me, assessing. The last thing I wanted was for this to turn into a spectacle. “It’s none of your concern, Vaughn.” I said through gritted teeth. Does he want me to tell his father how he used me for hi

ZACH WINCHESTER….The Gala couldn’t have ended better if I’d scripted it myself.Vaughn’s face when he realized who Ariella truly was, the Davenport heiress, not just some girl he could toy with, was worth every second of patience I’d ever forced myself to have.And then, to watch him choke on the bitter taste of losing that hundred-million-dollar contract to me? That was… exquisite. The golden boy stripped of his shine, humiliated in the one arena he thought he ruled. Business. Power. Reputation.But what mattered most wasn’t the deal. It wasn’t the investors shaking my hand while Vaughn sulked in the shadows.It was her. Ariella.I watched her under the chandeliers, her dress catching the light, her chin lifted like she knew exactly who she was and dared anyone to challenge it. My wife. Davenport blood. Winchester by marriage. The perfect storm Vaughn never saw coming.And later when the ritual was performed, when she finally severed that cursed tie, that bond to him, I swear I felt

ARIELLA….Sleep was far away from my eyes. At first, I thought I could force it. I lay stiff in his arms, eyes squeezed shut, willing my body to relax. But the more I tried to ignore him, the more aware I became of everything.The steady rhythm of his breathing against the back of my neck. The warmth of his chest pressed to my spine. The weight of his arm, draped so securely around my waist that I couldn't even move without brushing against him.Every nerve in my body was on fire. I told myself I should push him away, but every time I tried to shift, his hold tightened, pulling me back effortlessly, as though my body belonged there. And that was the part that scared me the most, that a small, traitorous part of me didn't want to break free.I stared at the darkness, my heart beating far too fast. What was wrong with me? Why was I suddenly so… aware of him? The warmth of his breath on my skin shouldn't make me shiver. The brush of his fingers against my stomach shouldn't send sparks ra