Alle Kapitel von Fake Fiancée To My Bully Stepbrother : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

POV: ElenaThe drive back from the greenhouse was so quiet that the sound of the tires rolling over the pavement seemed unnaturally loud.Jace didn't attempt to start a conversation, and I wasn't sure I could have answered him if he had. My mind was still trapped inside that abandoned greenhouse, replaying the note over and over.YOU'RE LATE.Whoever had written it had expected us.Not hoped. Expected. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared out the passenger window as the familiar gates of the Calloway estate came into view. For the first time since moving into the house, the iron fences and security cameras didn't make me feel protected. They only reminded me that someone had managed to get close despite all of them.Jace parked in front of the house and switched off the engine, but neither of us moved. "You shouldn't have gone," he said quietly. I kept my eyes on the windshield. "You followed me." "Because you left without telling anyone." "I knew you would've tried to stop me."

POV: ElenaThe laughter lingered between us for only a moment before Jace pulled away from the curb and merged into the afternoon traffic.For a while, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable anymore. That realization caught me off guard. When we had first moved into the Calloway house, every quiet moment had felt like a battlefield waiting for someone to throw the first punch. We had argued over everything—whose turn it was to use the bathroom, who had left dishes in the sink, whether he listened to music too loudly, or whether I was capable of relaxing for five minutes without opening another textbook.Now the silence simply... existed. I wasn't sure when that had changed. "You've been spending a lot of time in the library," Jace said, his eyes fixed on the road. "My professors have this strange habit of assigning work." "I'm serious." "So am I." He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel before glancing at me."You've been with Aiden almost every afternoon this

POV: ElenaThe conversation around us shifted almost immediately.Several donors turned toward Camille with polite smiles, greeting her as though she were an expected guest. Judging by the warmth of their reactions, she knew many of them personally.Of course she did. People like Camille had grown up attending events like these. She understood the unspoken rules, remembered names without trying, and moved through the room with the kind of confidence that she navigated the room with an unteachable confidence, effortlessly recalling names and grasping the unspoken rules.She stopped in front of us, her smile perfectly composed. "Congratulations," she said, looking between Jace and me. "The engagement seems to be making everyone very happy." "Thank you," Jace replied evenly. Camille's gaze settled on the ring on my finger. "It suits you, Elena," I said, offering a polite smile. "That's kind of you." "It wasn't a compliment." The words were so soft that only I heard them.Before I could r

POV: ElenaThe ride home was quieter than usual.Jace drove with one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel while late-afternoon sunlight stretched across the dashboard. The radio played softly in the background, but neither of us paid much attention to it. Ever since the photograph from the alumni luncheon had begun circulating around campus, an awkwardness had settled between us that neither of us seemed willing to acknowledge.It wasn't the picture itself that bothered me. It was what it had captured.For a few careless seconds, we'd forgotten the cameras existed. We hadn't been performing for donors or smiling for photographers. We'd simply been walking to the car, talking about nothing important, with my hand resting naturally in his. The entire campus had interpreted it as romance.Only we knew how dangerous that misunderstanding really was. "We have another event tonight," Jace said, breaking the silence as he turned onto the road leading to the estate. I groaned. "Please t

POV: ElenaThe photographer finally lowered his camera with a satisfied smile. "I think we've got everything we need."Melissa looked over several of the images on the camera's display and clasped her hands together. "These are perfect." "I'd like to officially retire from public appearances," I said as I stood from the bench. "I'm afraid that's not an option." "It was worth asking." Jace picked up his jacket from the back of the bench and threw me a sideways glance. "You lasted longer than I expected." "I'll take that as a compliment." "It wasn't." "It never is with you." A small smile tugged at his lips before he looked away.Melissa excused herself to speak with the photographer, leaving the two of us alone for the first time all afternoon. "I wasn't lying, you know," Jace said. I frowned. "About what?" "You're talking in your sleep." I stared at him. "I don't believe you." "You also threatened to fail someone's biology exam." "I don't even teach biology." "I know." Heat rushed t