Lahat ng Kabanata ng My Step-Uncle's Plaything: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

AliceMore than ever, I find myself genuinely motivated to study.This is no longer about simple compliance, no longer just doing what's required to pass. This has become personal. I'm more focused on my major subjects now, more attentive during lectures, and more careful with every case study and every example our professors discuss. I want to be better equipped, especially since I spend most of my time in the Marketing Department. I never want to reach a point where someone throws a question at me—even a basic one and I can't answer it.I don't want to be embarrassed.I don't want to be dismissed as just another intern who got lucky.There's so much to learn in the field, and I can feel just how valuable every second is. That's why, even when I'm exhausted, even when all I want is to go home and collapse on my bed, I force myself to stay. Opportunities like this don't come often, and I know better than to waste them.Even though most of my work is in the Marketing Department, I'm st

Alice“Hmp!”I tried to speak, but that was all that came out as I kicked my foot, struggling to break free. My heart was pounding wildly, caught between shock and fear.What does he want from me?Is this it—my birthday and my death anniversary happening on the same day?I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought.No. I can’t give up.I forced my mouth open, about to bite down on the hand covering it, but suddenly the man slammed me back against the door. I felt the cold wood press into my back, his solid presence looming in front of me. And for some reason… The sensation felt familiar now that he was this close.“Why are you only coming home now?”I froze.That voice—deep, controlled, edged with irritation—was one I would recognize even with my eyes closed. It sent a jolt through my entire body, like an electric shock.I stopped struggling.Only then did he let me go.I quickly reached for the light switch, and when the room lit up, he was the first thing I saw.Lance.Standing right in

LanceI’m watching Alice as she sleeps. The quiet rise and fall of her chest makes it seem like everything that happened between us earlier meant nothing at all. We just came from something heated, yet here she is, already fast asleep. And honestly, I’m not satisfied. I want more of her. Not just her body, even if I don’t want to admit it. I want her presence, the way she breathes, the smallest movements she makes, even in her sleep.For almost two weeks, I denied myself the right to have her. Nearly two weeks of restraint, of avoidance, of keeping myself deliberately busy just so she wouldn’t invade my thoughts. What were a few hours—those brief moments we shared tonight compared to all the time I’d deprived myself?Every touch I laid on her body is burned into my memory. How she arched her back, how she moaned. Fuck, I want to see and hear her again. The kind where she’s nearly writhing, unsure of what to do because what I’m doing to her feels too good.I had no plans for any of thi

AliceHe’s scared. I can see it. He doesn’t say it outright, but it’s there—in the way his breathing falters, in how his gaze briefly slips away before he speaks. That’s where I read his fear. And even so, I already know where he’s heading.Truth is, I was genuinely scared when he said we should end the contract. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to be. Every part of me resisted the idea, even the ones that knew I should stay calm.I kept thinking—after what happened last night, after waking up tangled together, naked, messy, but real—why would he suddenly want that? Why would he want to cut off something that had clearly formed between us?And then there was his smile. It wasn’t forced. I could see it in his eyes—it was real. It wasn’t a goodbye smile. It wasn’t the smile of someone done and walking away. It carried weight. Courage. Resolve.Then he started asking questions—questions I initially thought were irrelevant to a breakup. Questions that wouldn’t matter at all if his only goal

Alice“You’re unbelievable, She! Still number one!” I exclaimed, almost throwing my arms around her out of pure excitement. We had just finished getting our class cards, and just as expected, her grades were sky-high again.I mean—always a flat 1.I didn’t know whether to feel jealous or even prouder of her. Honestly, it was a good thing I stuck close to her. If I hadn’t, I’d probably be procrastinating way more often than actually opening a book.We weren’t in the same academic standing, but I wasn’t exactly falling behind either. Decent. Passing. Holding my own. Still, Shirley was on a whole different level. And as her best friend, I couldn’t be prouder.“You did well, too,” she replied, smiling as if being a genius was just another normal day for her.“And that’s all thanks to you,” I said without hesitation. “You never stopped reminding me to study properly. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be stuck in ‘I’ll do it later’ mode.”“Oh, please,” she answered quickly. “That’s