All Chapters of Dirty Little Secret With My Stepbrother : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

JULIAN’S POVI had just finished bathing when my phone started ringing from the counter.Water still dripped down my chest as I grabbed the towel around my waist and walked toward it, already annoyed by the interruption. The moment I saw the caller ID, my irritation doubled.Father.I stared at the screen for a second, contemplating whether or not to ignore it. But then it rang again almost immediately, persistent as ever.With a groan, I answered. “What?”His cold voice came through the speaker without greeting. “Meet me at the office in thirty minutes.”I frowned instantly. “No.”There was a pause before he spoke again, calmer this time, which somehow made it worse. “That was not a request, Julian.”I rolled my eyes. “Then I guess it’s unfortunate because I’m not interested.”“Come willingly,” he said flatly, “or I will make your week difficult.”My jaw clenched. There it was. The threat. He always knew exactly how to get under my skin.“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered.“And yet, y

MAYA'S POV The morning after Killian blocked my number, I dragged myself into the boutique feeling like a hollow shell of a person. My head pounded with a dull, persistent ache, and my reflection in the bathroom mirror before I left the house had horrified me, pale skin, dark purple shadows under my eyes, and lids so swollen from crying that makeup could barely disguise the damage. I tried to slip past the front counter quietly, but the moment Riley caught sight of me, her cheerful smile instantly vanished. She didn't say a word in front of the morning shoppers. Instead, she quietly motioned to one of the part-time sales assistants to cover the main floor and grabbed my wrist, gently but firmly pulling me toward the back fitting room lounge. She shut the heavy curtain behind us, cutting off the rest of the store. "He called last night, didn't he?" Riley asked softly, her eyes filled with a quiet, knowing sadness. I tried to hold it together. I swallowed hard, forcing my head up,

MAYA'S POVRiley's question hung in the cool air of the boutique like a physical drop in temperature.My heart did a strange, violent flip in my chest. A breathy, defensive laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. "Riley, what are you even talking about?" I said quickly, pulling my arm away from the counter and fixing my handbag strap."You know how insane the last few weeks have been for me. I haven't been sleeping, I haven't been eating properly... severe emotional stress can delay a person's cycle for weeks. It's completely normal."Riley didn't push. She didn't argue or try to back me into a corner. But the quiet, heavy concern etched across her face didn't fade for a single second. "I know, Maya," she murmured softly, her eyes searching mine with gentle caution. "I just... I care about you. That's all."I brushed it off, changing the subject to tomorrow's shipment, but the question lodged itself deep in my mind like a jagged thorn.Throughout the drive back to the Yates esta

MAYA'S POVThe faint, unfamiliar hum of morning traffic outside Riley's apartment window was the first thing that pulled me out of sleep.The morning light filtered softly through the beige blinds, casting warm lines across the small, cozy living room. For one brief, beautiful second, a floating moment of pure oblivion, I forgot everything.I forgot the crushing weight of Killian’s cold voice, the humiliation of being blocked, the dark void in my chest, and the sterile hospital lights from yesterday.Then, I shifted on the couch to sit up, and the world tilted violently on its axis. A sharp spike of dizziness hit my head, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut and press my palm against my forehead until the room stopped spinning.From the adjacent kitchen, the rich, buttery scent of toasted bread and frying eggs drifted into the room. Riley was already awake, humming softly to herself as she moved between the stove and the small dining counter."Look who's finally awake," Riley called out

MAYA'S POVThe days that followed settled into a quiet, hollow routine that felt painfully empty.Every morning, I woke up, stared at the ceiling for a few long minutes, and forced my legs to swing over the edge of the bed.I washed my face with cold water, carefully blended concealer over the dark circles carved under my eyes, and pasted on a polite, practiced smile before stepping out of my room.I went to work, talked to customers, and folded clothes as though my entire world hadn't crumbled into ash beneath my feet.Riley kept her promise with fierce, unwavering loyalty. She never uttered the word pregnant in front of anyone, not to the other boutique employees, not to customers, and certainly not to Carter.But the quiet, watchful concern in her eyes never faded for a single second. Throughout our shifts, Riley moved around me like a protective shadow.She quietly made sure I ate small, bland snacks every few hours, gently placed glasses of water within my reach, and subtly stepp