Semua Bab The Billionaire Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim : Bab 11 - Bab 20

XAVI’S POVThe heat of the dance floor eventually grew too heavy, the air thick with sweat and perfume clinging to my skin. My chest rose and fell faster than the music now, and I laughed breathlessly as we pulled ourselves away from the crowd. Neon lights blurred as we walked back toward our table, my heels clicking unevenly against the floor.That’s when I saw him.Damien sat at a nearby table, only a few steps away from ours—close enough that the bass rattled the glasses in front of him, close enough that there was no mistaking the way his eyes locked onto me. Hindi siya nakangiti. He wasn’t frowning either. He just… stared. Intently. Like I was something he didn’t know whether to approach or walk away from.My chest tightened. Is he here to ruin my night?The alcohol in my system gave me a reckless courage I didn’t have sober. Before I could overthink it, my feet were already moving, carrying me toward him. The music faded into the background as I stopped in front of their table.

XAVI’S POV Sa sumunod na araw, ang ingay ng university cafeteria ay parang isang ingay na pilit kong ginagamit para itago ang gulo sa loob ng utak ko. Nakaupo kami sa table sa tapat ng malaking glass wall na tanaw ang kalapit na building Business Ad department ng campus. Katabi ko si Yuri, habang ang mga kaibigan ko—sina Reese, Eloise, at Vianca—ay halos mag-collapse na sa kakatawa dahil sa mga hirit ni Yuri. "Claudia, you’re spacing out again. Kanina ko pa napapansin, parang lumilipad ang kaluluwa mo sa ibang planeta," bulong ni Yuri sa akin. Ang boses niya ay malapit sa tenga ko, sapat lang para ako lang ang makarinig. "Hindi ah," mabilis kong sagot, pilit na ibinabalik ang focus sa kanila. "Iniisip ko lang 'yong quiz namin sa mamaya." "Liar," he chuckled, leaning closer. Ang bango niya—isang halo ng mamahaling cologne at mint. "You’re thinking about something heavy. I can see that tiny wrinkle between your eyebrows. Stop it. It’ll give you wrinkles, and it would be a tragedy to

XAVI'S POV“I’m sorry,” he whispered.Then, just like that, the weight broke. I felt a sudden, strange lightness—enough to finally let the hurt go and offer him a small, quiet smile.I continued eating. Throughout the dinner, he stayed quiet, but it wasn't the 'angry' quiet anymore. It was a shared silence. He watched me eat, and sometimes, I’d catch him smiling—just a tiny, almost invisible lift of the corners of his mouth—whenever I’d get excited about the food.I felt happy. Weirdly, dangerously happy. Even if he wasn't talking much, the fact that he was here, with me, in this small bubble of time where no one knew who we were to each other, was enough. For a moment, we weren't step-siblings. We were just a girl and a boy having dinner at 9:00 PM in a quiet mall. Well, that’s how I see it.Kakasakay lang namin sa sasakyan at nananatili pa rin kaming nakapark sa madilim na sulok ng mall garage nang biglang mangyari ang isang himala—nagsalita siya.“I meant what I said about Yuri,” w

XAVI'S POVBuong hapon, hindi mawala sa isip ko ’yung eksena sa hallway. The way he looked at Mark, the way he claimed my time as if it belonged to him.Pag-uwi ko sa bahay, sinalubong ako ng tahimik na salas. Our parents were out for a business dinner, leaving the two of us alone again. Pumasok ako sa kitchen para kumuha ng tubig, only to find Damien there, leaning against the counter with a glass of scotch in his hand.He looked exhausted. His tie was loosened, his hair messy as if he had been running his fingers through it all day.“You’re home. Good,” he said without looking at me.“Sabi mo umuwi ako agad, ’di ba?” sabi ko, trying to sound casual as I opened the fridge. “I followed your orders, Boss.”Narinig ko ang mahina niyang pagtawa—isang tunog na bihira ko nang marinig mula sa kaniya. “You’re making it sound like I’m a dictator.”“Aren’t you?” humarap ako sa kaniya, clutching my water bottle. “You literally scared a guy off today.”Damien set his glass down on the counter an

XAVI’S POVKinabukasan, nagising ako na may dalang determinasyon. Buong gabi kong pinag-isipan ang nangyari sa kusina. Ang bawat salita ni Damien, ang bawat tingin niya—lahat iyon ay kailangang lagyan ng label. I needed to draw a line. Siguro kaya kami nagkakaganito kasi hindi namin tinatanggap ang totoo. We are step-siblings. Iyon dapat ang pundasyon namin, at iyon lang dapat.Bumaba ako sa dining area at nakita ko siyang nagkakape habang nagbabasa ng kung ano sa iPad niya. He looked professional, cold, and distant—ang layo sa Damien na halos humawak sa mukha ko kagabi."Damien," tawag ko habang umuupo sa tapat niya.Bahagya siyang nag-angat ng tingin. "Hmm?""Tungkol sa nangyari kahapon… and that night," panimula ko, pinipilit kong huwag manginig ang boses. I took a deep breath. "I want us to be okay. I mean, we’re family now. Gusto ko sanang tratuhin natin ang isa’t isa as siblings. Ayaw ko nang may ganitong tensyon sa pagitan natin. It’s tiring."Huminto siya sa pag-scroll sa iPa