All Chapters of My Stepbrother's Secret Obsession : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦If I lost the Vanguard International Fellowship, I already knew exactly who would win it. Tristan.The thought alone was enough to make my jaw tighten.The glare of the laptop screen was beginning to burn holes into the back of my eyelids. I blinked hard, rubbing the heels of my hands against my face, before leaning back in the plastic chair. The university computer lab was dead quiet. A glance at the digital clock in the corner of my monitor told me it was 9:14 PM.Everyone else had gone home hours ago. Even the janitor had already done a lazy pass with the broom before leaving me to my misery.I leaned forward again, my messy, raven-black hair falling into my face, and grabbed my pen. I started tapping it rhythmically against my jawline—a habit I only fell into when my brain was redlining. On the screen was my application essay for the Vanguard International Fellowship.This wasn’t just a scholarship. It was a golden ticket. It was a full-ride, all-expenses

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦The heavy mahogany door swung open completely, and the muffled hum of the main restaurant vanished, replaced by the quiet, insulated luxury of the private dining room.I lifted my eyes, stepping into the warm golden light spilling across the polished hardwood floors. At first, my brain only registered the expected pieces of the puzzle. I saw a long dining table gleaming under a low-hanging chandelier. I saw a well-dressed middle-aged man with sharp features and grey hair at his temples standing up from his chair.My mom immediately smiled, her shoulders dropping in relief as she stepped forward.Then, another figure slowly stood up from the chair right beside the man.I looked at him, my eyes landing on him first, but my mind blanked out. He was towering—broad-shouldered, lean, and naturally imposing in a well-tailored dark jacket. He had thick, espresso-brown hair that was neatly styled, a clean haircut, and an expensive silver watch glinting from benea

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦I woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all.The very first thing I did was reach out and grab my phone from the nightstand, my thumb unlocking the screen before my brain was even fully awake. The chat thread was exactly how I had left it. No new notifications. No follow-up messages. Just those six words staring back at me from the dark screen.Unknown: For disappearing all those years ago.I stared at the blinking cursor in the text box. I tapped on it, bringing up the keyboard.Why didn't you say something sooner? I typed out. I stared at it for three seconds, then aggressively held down the backspace key until the screen was blank again.I tried a different approach. It's fine. Don't worry about it.I looked at those words and felt a sharp sting of resentment in my chest. It wasn't fine. Pretending it didn't matter felt like a lie, and I hated lying. I deleted that one, too.With a frustrated sigh, I tossed the phone face

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦The change from the night before didn't really fix my week. But it did change something I hadn't expected. For the first time in twelve years, I wasn't remembering Xavier with anger alone. By Thursday morning, I had buried the thought of those old photos under a massive pile of finance homework. I was finally starting to feel like I could catch my breath again.I was standing by the front door, putting my jacket on and double-checking that my fellowship notes were in my bag, when my mom walked out of the kitchen with her coffee."Don't forget about tonight, sweetie," she said, giving me a warm smile. "Richard invited us over to his place for dinner. We need to be there by six."I froze for a second, my hand resting right on the doorknob. I had completely forgotten about it. Between my library sessions and all the noise in my own head, the dinner invitation had completely slipped my mind.I let out a slow, quiet sigh and my shoulders dropped. "Right. I

✦ 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✦Campus was practical chaos on Friday morning, which turned out to be exactly what I needed to keep my mind busy. I spent three straight hours in the department office sorting out the final recommendation letters for the vanguard fellowship. Between tracking down professors who were already checking out for the weekend and double-checking the code requirements on my submission portal, my brain was completely fried by noon.It wasn't until I was walking down the library steps into the warm afternoon sun that a sudden thought hit me, making me pause on the concrete. I hadn't thought about Xavier all morning. Not once.A wave of pure relief washed over me. I let out a slow breath I felt like I’d been holding for weeks, a small smile touching my lips as I pulled my backpack strap tighter over my shoulder. Finally, I thought, looking out over the crowded quad. I’m getting my life back. The universe is resetting.Right on cue, the phone in my back pocke