The Warning

I stared at the glowing phone screen, my thumb hovering over the blocked number. A cold chill ran down my neck, but I refused to let my hands shake. Whoever sent that message wanted me to panic. They wanted me to pack up my brushes, hide the painting in fear, and run straight to Adrian for help.I turned away from the desk, walked to the closet, and pulled out a clean white sheet. I draped it over the easel, tucking it tightly around the wooden frame until every inch of The Silk Ribbon was hidden. I was not backing down.By eight o'clock the next morning, two police officers were standing in my studio. Officer Hayes, a tall woman with sharp gray eyes and a notebook, checked the lock on my front door while her partner looked at the back window."There's no sign of a break-in, Miss john," Officer Hayes said, clicking her pen. "The door frame isn't damaged and the lock works fine. Are you completely sure you locked up before you left yesterday?""I'm positive," I said, putting two

Last Updated : 2026-09-06

The old connection

I stared at the name on the report until my eyes burned. Arthur Pendelton was not just a museum assistant. Years ago, long before he ever worked at the Vance Institute, he worked for my late father. After my father passed away, Arthur went to work for his old business partner, Richard Sterling my father old rival.My fingers pressed hard against the edge of the desk. The past was not just creeping back into my life. It was walking right through my studio door.I grabbed my coat, locked the door behind me, and took a taxi straight to the Vance Institute. I did not call ahead. I did not ask for an appointment. I walked past the front lobby, skipped the main elevators, and took the back stairs up to the office floor.Arthur was sitting at a glass desk outside Eleanor Vance's main office, typing on a keyboard. When the heavy stairwell door shut, his head snapped up. His face lost all its color the moment our eyes met."Miss John," Arthur said, standing up so fast his chair rolled bac

Last Updated : 2026-09-07

All Chapters of Addicted to My Stepbrother : Chapter 81 - Chapter 82

The Warning

The old connection