All Chapters of Addicted to My Stepbrother : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Julian's phone rang at seven in the morning. I was still half tangled in his sheets, one eye open, when he answered on the second ring."Dr. Aldous." He sat up, bare shoulders catching the grey window light. "Tell me you found something."I sat up too, pulling the blanket around me, watching his face for a clue."Say that again," Julian said.A pause. His hand tightened around the phone."You're sure it wasn't filled here." Another pause. "No… no, that's not a problem. That's exactly what I needed."He hung up. Sat there a second, staring at the wall like it owed him something."Julian.""The prescription never came through his pharmacy." He turned to me, eyes sharp now, all the exhaustion from last night burned off. "Someone called it in under your name, but it was picked up somewhere else. A private clinic across town. Not one the family uses.""Then how did it end up in my bag?""That's what I want to know." He was already out of bed, pulling on a shirt. "Get dressed. We're going."

Julian didn’t pull away. He stayed heavy over me, his broad frame crushing the air out of my lungs while his breathing rattled against my collarbone. His fingers were still dug into my outer thighs, keeping me pinned flat against the leather cushions.When I tried to shift my hips, his weight drove back down a sharp reminder that the rage hadn't left his body, it had just gone quiet."Julian," I rasped, my throat raw. "Get off."His jaw worked against my neck. His stubble dragged rough across my skin before he lifted his head, his face still flushed dark from the rush of blood. He didn't look reasonable. He raised his thumb, dragging it across my bottom lip to wipe away the thin smear of his own blood where I’d bitten him, his hand trembling just enough for me to feel it."He stood right in front of me," Julian muttered, his voice dry and low. "He put his hand on you.""And you almost killed him," I said, catching his chin in my palm and shoving his head back until his eyes locked ont

The old clock in Andrew’s study struck three times, each chime cutting through the quiet.Andrew leaned back against the desk, silver cuff links catching the lamplight. He tapped his watch with a slow click of his nail. “Four seconds, Tamara. Once five hits, my boys won't be polite anymore.My knuckles whitened around the metal drive in my pocket. Inside lay years of my father’s work the paper trail that proved Andrew had set up the fake transfers, the only thing left that could clear Julian's name.Julian stepped forward, blocking me. A muscle worked in his jaw. “Leave her out of this, Dad. You want the drive? Then take it.”“You don’t have anything left to trade, son,” Andrew said, voice smooth. “Five.”“No!”I shoved past Julian’s arm, pulled the drive out, and slammed it onto the desk. The metal clattered against the wood.Andrew picked it up, turned it once between his fingers, and slipped it into his inner jacket. He patted the fabric smooth. “Smart girl. You always did have be

I sat at that long dining table, the crystal glasses throwing sharp little sparks every time someone moved a hand. My mother sat at the far end, her back so straight she looked carved out of stone, her fork hovering two inches above her plate.Julian sat directly across from me, his knife screeching against the porcelain as he hacked at his steak. At the head of the table, Andrew leaned back with one ankle resting on his knee. He looked like he owned the whole place and was doing the rest of us a favor by letting us sit there."You still haven’t explained why the foundation accounts are three weeks late, Andrew," Mom said, setting her fork down with a clean, sharp click. "The board is asking questions I can’t answer, and I have no patience left."Andrew turned his wine glass by the stem, watching the dark red liquid coat the crystal before settling. "The board can wait, Victoria. Family comes." His eyes slid toward me, lingering long enough to feel like a physical weight on my skin.

The main hall doors slammed back against the wall, bringing a wave of wet wind with them. Margaret marched in first, her wet coat leaving a trail of fog and damp wool behind her. Right on her heels was a tall guy in a grey suit, jaw locked, eyes tracking the room as he’d rather be anywhere else.​I stayed on the bottom stair, my hand on the banister. Above me, Julian paused with his whiskey glass, staring down at Margaret. The guy with her didn't miss a beat; his eyes flicked over Julian, then locked onto me.​"David," Margaret said, her voice flat and completely in control. "This is your brother, Julian. And this is Tamara, who has been staying here." She gave a quick, dismissive wave between us. "David will be acting as my personal estate advisor from today. He has full access to the grounds, the accounts, and the staff. I look forward to your cooperation.”Julian’s fingers tightened around the glass until his knuckles turned white. “Your son?” He chuckled once, shaking his head, hi