Chapter 41 - Unravel

꧁ Marisella ꧂My eyes peel open, senses returning like memory foam. A color here, texture there. My general position registers on a deep breath, my throat tight on a gulp.Then I remember.Mum. The infection… Alexei.I turn side to side to see I’m alone in the room, on a hospital bed.I’d fainted from exhaustion, and now my mother was alone with Alexei. I can’t let her talk to him.My legs are heavy as lead as I swing them to the floor. And then I sit there, weight braced on my arms as the exhaustion clears like a storm.What had she said? Something about dying.Something about adoption.I freeze.That familiar ache and disbelief rush back into my body with a vengeance.I’m adopted. My mother… is not my real mother.And she’d decided to tell me now.Because she thinks she’s dying, and she wants to give me a chance to…No.That’s not it.A sick suspicion churns my gut.She wouldn’t lie about such a thing. But the circumstances around her confession feel doctored.I brush my palm over m

Last Updated : 2026-10-27

Chapter 42 - Missing Person

꧁ Marisella ꧂I walk into the house I grew up in with trepidation.Silence greets me, a heavy premonition in the air.Weeks ago, an intruder had gained access through the kitchen window. I have a key, and I used the door, but I feel just like an intruder.My shower is short and purposeful. I dress up in running shoes, jogging pants, and a jacket.Before hailing an Uber, I jog to the end of the street to clear my head, and while in the car, I feel somewhat more in control.I just received the biggest news of my life, and I’m holding back every damaging thought sticking fingers in my brain.I want to see my friend, apologize and explain the situation to her, and get advice.I miss her, and frankly, her blunt attitude would help me so much.At her apartment building, I run up the stairs with my heart nearly bursting.Finally, someone I can talk to without falling into a life-altering trap. Someone I’m not afraid to show all my colors without flinching under bone-crushing shame.Her door

Last Updated : 2026-10-27

All Chapters of The Assassin’s Portrait: Stepbrother Dark Romance : Chapter 41 - Chapter 42

Chapter 41 - Unravel

Chapter 42 - Missing Person