All Chapters of Ruined by my Stepbrother : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

As the last button of his shirt gave way, the music ended, and I paused there. I spread it wide open, exposing the firm planes of his chest and his rock-hard, sexy abs. I didn't know why, but it made my heart flutter. It wasn't supposed to do that. My fingertips trailed lightly over his skin, savoring the warmth radiating from him. In high school, I had a crush on him and wanted to be part of his life. I could still remember how I had fantasized about trailing my fingers over his chest and abs, until the incident that made me see him as the worst human being alive. He drew on his cigarette, then offered it back to me with a slow exhale that curled around my face. “Are you okay?” he asked, his hands still settled possessively on my waist. I took the cigarette, my lips brushing against his fingers, and took a long drag before blowing the smoke back in his face. “Why would I be okay?” I asked, looking up at him. “When I have no choice in this?” “You did.” He tossed the cigarette i

“We’ll be moving into Victor’s house today.” Sophia’s words made me turn so sharply I nearly dropped the spatula in my hand. My brows pulled together instantly. Making Kayden my stepbrother apparently wasn't enough for her. Now she wanted me to live under the same roof as him too? Not a chance. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked without even bothering to glance in my direction. She sat at the kitchen table, carefully painting her nails a bright shade of red, completely unbothered. “You want me to move into your new husband's house with you?” I had been stirring scrambled eggs in the frying pan, but my hand froze the moment she said it. “Yes,” she replied calmly, like we were discussing the weather. “You heard me clearly.” “Well, I wish you the best of luck with your new husband,” I said dryly. “But I'm not moving in with you.” I turned back to the stove. A faint burning smell was already creeping into the kitchen. “What did you say?” From the corner of my ey

His eyes dropped to my lips while his hand was still circled on my wrist. I should have pulled away. I wanted to. But for some reason, I couldn't. This was the first time Kayden had ever looked at me like that. Not with arrogance. Not with that infuriating smirk he always wore. Just... softness. Like I actually mattered. But that didn't change anything. It didn't erase what he'd done to me in high school. The endless teasing. The humiliation. The way he and his friends had made every day feel like a battle I was destined to lose. There had been days when I'd wanted to transfer schools just to escape it all. But I couldn't. Because my own mother hadn't cared enough to do anything about it. The thought hit me like a splash of cold water. Immediately, I yanked my hand from his grip and looked away, clearing my throat. “Thank you for showing me to my room,” I said, forcing my voice to remain detached. I couldn't let him see even the smallest crack in my armor. For a moment, ne

After I left Mr. Devereaux’s room, I went straight back to mine, his offer still circling through my head. Kayden had already offered me enough money to cover my college tuition, but that wouldn't help me all the way through college. I pushed open my bedroom door and headed straight for the bed. The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I collapsed onto it and let out a loud breath, staring up at the ceiling. The room was quiet. And it only made my thoughts louder. I tried to push Mr. Devereaux's offer out of my mind, but it kept creeping back in, gnawing at me like a parasite that refused to let go. God, what was I supposed to do? I needed the money. I needed it more than I wanted to admit. But at the same time, I didn't want to accept anything from Mr. Devereaux until I was absolutely sure he was offering it because he genuinely wanted to, and not because he expected something in return. The thought twisted uncomfortably in my stomach. Just then, the sound of my door opening

Kayden’s POVI stood by the window, watching trails of rainwater crawl down the glass, each drop merging with another before sliding into the darkness below. The steady drumming against the roof filled the room, but my mind wasn't there.It was stuck on what Ashley had said earlier."Who died and made you like this?"A smile tugged at my lips, but there was nothing pleasant about it. It tasted bitter.I knew she had spent almost half her life hating me because of that picture that circulated in high school.I still remembered the look on her face the day I told her it was my doing. The shock. The hurt. Then the punch that came flying toward me a second later. My jaw had rung for hours afterward, and I was pretty sure I had nearly lost a tooth.But how was I supposed to look at her now and tell her the truth? That the entire thing had been a lie. That I only took the blame because I was protecting my friend, Louisiana, and by the time I found out Diego was the real culprit, it was alre