All Chapters of My Stepbrother's Secret Obsession : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Four days.It had been four days since Santiago Alvarez, founder of Alvarez Industries, had passed away in his sleep. Four days since the world had shifted on its axis. The house felt different now. Like a living thing that had lost its heart and was slowly dying from the inside out.Everyone walked on eggshells, their voices hushed, their movements careful. The staff whispered in corners, their eyes darting nervously toward the second floor where Miguel had locked himself in his home office.He hadn't come out since the morning after Santiago's death. Hadn't seen any of the endless stream of business associates, society friends, and distant relatives who came to pay their respects. Hadn't attended the meetings with the funeral director or the lawyers. Hadn't done anything except lock himself away with his grief and several bottles of expensive scotch.Inés had lost count of how many times she'd knocked on that door. She stood there now, a tray of food growing cold in her hands, and t

"Well, well, well." Luz's voice dripped with false sweetness as she walked closer, her hips swaying in a gold bikini that caught the red lights. "Look who decided to grace us with her presence. The ghost herself."Inés kept her expression neutral behind her mask. "Luz.""You know, Red," Luz continued, circling her like a predator, "your services really aren't needed anymore. You've been gone so long that all your precious clients have forgotten about you, and moved on to girls who actually show up for work."Through the eye holes of her mask, Inés studied Luz's face. The jealousy barely concealed beneath the sneer, the competitive edge that made everything a battle."Is that right?" Inés let her voice drop lower, more sultry. The voice of Red, not Inés. "I wouldn't celebrate just yet, sweetheart. No one resists Red's charm." She paused, let the moment hang. "Not even women."Luz scoffed, but something flickered in her expression.Inés smiled wickedly behind her mask. "Even you, Luz. I

His Red. The woman who'd haunted his dreams, who'd sent him those photos that had driven him half-insane with wanting, who'd disappeared without explanation just when he'd needed the distraction most.She was here at Mauricio Santos's party in the flesh.Miguel had come to this party for business reason only. A tentative olive branch extended by Mauricio after years of cutthroat competition. A chance to discuss a potential partnership that could benefit both their companies.He hadn't wanted to come. Had almost canceled a dozen times. But Carlos had insisted it would look weak, would send the wrong message to the board and their competitors.So Miguel had come, nursing a scotch and going through the motions of corporate diplomacy while his mind spiraled with thoughts of his father's death, the media scandal, Inés and Carlos's sudden relationship.And then he'd seen her.Even across the garden, even with the mask and the wig, he'd known. Something about the way she moved, the curve of

The kitchen had never felt so small in all the months Inés had lived in the house.She stood at the counter, her hand wrapped around the handle of the cereal cabinet, trying to pretend her heart wasn't hammering against her ribs. She'd come down for breakfast out of necessity, her stomach was eating itself after skipping dinner last night.But of course he was in the kitchen when she got there. Sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of black coffee, his hair damp from a shower. He looked like he hadn't slept. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his jaw was tight with tension.Inés kept her back to him as she pulled down the box of cereal, willing her hands not to shake.This was fine. She could do this. They lived in the same house. They had to coexist. She could handle being in the same room with him without falling apart. She reached for a bowl from the upper cabinet, standing on her toes because of course the bowls were on the highest shelf."Here."Miguel's voice came from direc

♡♡♡Miguel's office. Late afternoon sun streaming through the windows. And Inés, pressed against the balcony railing, the city sprawling beneath them."You've been teasing me for months," Miguel's voice was rough against her ear, his body solid and warm behind her. "Did you think there wouldn't be consequences?"Inés could barely breathe, could barely think past the feel of his hands sliding up her thighs, bunching her skirt around her hips."Miguel—" Her voice came out breathy, desperate. "Someone could see us.""Let them." His fingers traced the edge of her underwear, and Inés's grip tightened on the railing. "Let them see exactly who you belong to."He hooked his fingers in the lace and pulled, and Inés felt the fabric give way. The cool air hit her heated skin, and she whimpered."That's it," Miguel murmured, his hand sliding between her thighs. "Show me how much you want this. How much you want me."His fingers found her, slick and ready and aching, and Inés's head fell back agai