Semua Bab The Playboy Stepbrother's Rules: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Alex woke to the sound of voices downstairs.For a second the room felt safe—Kevin’s steady breathing beside him, the faint smell of the detergent on the borrowed sweatpants, the soft gray light through the blinds. Then the voices sharpened enough to recognize.Troy. Paxton.Alex’s stomach dropped.He sat up too fast. The mattress shifted. Kevin stirred, eyes blinking open, still heavy with sleep.“What—”“They’re downstairs.” Alex’s voice came out low and tight. “Both of them.”Kevin pushed himself up on one elbow. The worry returned to his face instantly. “He knows.”“He always knows.” Alex swung his legs over the side of the bed. His hands felt cold. “You should go. Out the side door before—”“No.” Kevin was already reaching for his shirt. “I’m not sneaking out like I did something wrong.”Alex turned. “Kevin.”“I’m serious.” Kevin pulled the shirt over his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong either. We talked. We slept. That’s it.”Alex wanted to believe the simplicity of it. Th

The conference level of Morrison Global smelled like polished glass and strong coffee. Troy stepped out of the elevator with his expression already locked in place. The morning’s unfinished conversation with Alex sat under his skin like a low current. He adjusted his cuffs once and walked toward the main boardroom. Silas was already at the head of the long table. Several senior board members occupied the near side. On the opposite side sat the Harrison contingent—two executives Troy recognized from industry events, and at the center, Stolas Harrison, glasses catching the overhead light, posture perfect. Stolas looked up as Troy entered. Their eyes met. Neither smiled. “Troy,” Silas said. “Sit. We’re starting.” Troy took the chair to his father’s right. The seat put him directly across from Stolas. Silas didn’t waste time. He opened the folder in front of him and began outlining the preliminary partnership—shared logistics corridors, joint risk modeling for the eastern expansion

The car was quiet until Alex broke it. Troy drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the gearshift the way he always did. The city moved past in clean lines of glass and steel. Alex watched the buildings for a full minute before he spoke. “The ‘stay in your sight’ rule,” he said. “How far does that go?” Troy’s eyes stayed on the road. “As far as I need it to.” “That’s not an answer.” Alex turned his head. “I agreed to the physical side. I didn’t agree to you deciding whether I keep the work I earned. If Stolas is in the building, I still have a job to do. I can’t do it if I’m only allowed to stand where you can see me.” Troy’s fingers tapped once against the gearshift. “You’re not standing anywhere. You’re sitting in a meeting. I’ll be in the same meeting.” “And if we’re assigned to different breakout groups? If Silas asks me to stay behind with the risk team?” Alex kept his voice level. “Are you going to walk into every room after me like a guard?” “If I have to

Alex took the train.It still felt strange—standing on the platform with ordinary people, no black car waiting at the curb, no Troy’s hand on the gearshift. The limited freedom from the earlier deal hadn’t been fully revoked, and today was a class day. He used it.The university library was half-full when he arrived. Morning light cut through the high windows in long pale stripes. He found an empty table on the second floor near the economics stacks and spread his notes out. For twenty minutes he actually worked. The numbers made sense. The quiet felt almost normal.Kevin dropped into the chair across from him without warning.“You’re early,” Kevin said. He set a coffee down in front of Alex. “And alone. That’s new.”Alex closed the folder. “Class day. I took the train.”Kevin studied him. The usual worry was still there, but it had sharpened into something more focused. “You look like you haven’t slept properly in a week. And you’re still wearing collars like you’re hiding something.

Alex woke up to a quiet house and a dull ache in his body.Sunlight cut across the bed in thin lines. The sheets still smelled faintly of whiskey and Troy. For a moment he lay still, staring at the ceiling, replaying the night in pieces—the easy way Troy had kissed that man, the way the woman had smiled against his mouth, the harder way Troy had kissed him afterward and taken him while the music still played downstairs.He sat up slowly. Marks from Troy’s hands showed on his hips in the mirror when he passed it. He buttoned his shirt all the way to the top before going downstairs.The kitchen smelled like coffee and toast. Bridget was at the stove. Silas sat at the table with his tablet. Troy leaned against the counter in a black T-shirt, hair still damp from a shower, looking completely rested.“Morning, sweetheart,” Bridget said. “You disappeared early last night. Everything alright?”Alex poured coffee. “Just tired.”Troy’s eyes flicked to him over the rim of his cup. He didn’t say