All Chapters of Surviving My Psycho Stepbrother: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

"All liquid assets, full operational control of the consortium, and the Vance clan's veto power are hereby transferred unconditionally to the eldest son, Bastien Vance."The family attorney, Miller, let his voice ring out, shattering the heavy silence that hung over the Vance estate's grand dining hall.Vivienne Sterling gripped the edges of her velvet armchair. The carved teak wood beneath her fingers was ice-cold—a sharp, grounding sting against the madness of her current reality.Three weeks ago, she had woken up in a four-poster bed, her lungs burning with agony. The choking sensation of freezing rainwater mixed with the cloying stench of funeral lilies had been the first things to greet her in this foreign world.In her past life, she had been an independent forensic accountant. That life ended abruptly on her office floor after drinking a poisoned cup of coffee—courtesy of a shadowy syndicate whose secret ledgers she had dared to tear apart.Fate, however, had an even deadlier s

Bastien’s calloused fingertip pressed into the soft skin of her neck, resting right over her wildly hammering pulse. The heat of his breath grazed the shell of Vivienne’s ear, a jarring contrast to the freezing windowpane pinned against her back.Vivienne fought down the urge to swallow. In her past life as a forensic accountant, she had faced off against world-class corporate fraudsters and master manipulators across interrogation tables. The golden rule never changed: never let them see you flinch.Lifting her chin, Vivienne forced herself to look straight into Bastien’s dark, fathomless gray eyes."I have no intention of running from anyone," she said, keeping her voice as steady as possible despite the tremor in her chest."Then what is this?" Bastien’s gaze flicked down to the brown folder clutched between her fingers. "A passport, property deeds, and two thick stacks of cash. That's a cheap excuse, little sister.""These belonged to my biological father. Sterling family property

"Shoot her in the legs if she won't stop!"Hector Caldwell’s grating roar boomed from the distance, distorted by the howling wind and the deafening roar of the storm.Vivienne didn't look back. She dragged herself across the black marble bridge spanning the artificial lake. The slick stone ground against her bare knees and elbows, tearing at her skin and leaving a trail of searing pain in her wake.Glass shards were still lodged deep in the sole of her left foot. Every time she hauled her sprained leg forward, white-hot agony flared straight into her hip, forcing her to bite down on her tongue to keep from blacking out.Dark crimson welled from her toes, smearing the wet marble before being instantly washed away by the torrential rain.Behind her, the baying of attack hounds tore through the darkness. High-powered flashlight beams cut erratic arcs through the dense sheets of rain.Four burly guards in black tactical uniforms sprinted after her, flanking two muscular Rottweilers strain

"Touch me, and I'll make sure you lose that hand before this dress comes off."Vivienne stared straight into Bastien's stone-gray eyes, barely inches from her face. His grip on the silk strap of her nightgown was so tight the delicate threads groaned under the strain.She didn't flinch. Refusing to show an ounce of weakness before a man this dangerous, her right hand darted out and seized the thick charcoal cashmere throw draped over the back of the sofa.In one swift, fluid motion, she wound it tightly around herself. The heavy wool cocooned her shoulders, chest, and waist, shielding the shredded silk completely from his sight.Only her bare legs, streaked with dried blood and caked with mud, remained exposed against the dark carpet.A faint twitch pulled at the corner of Bastien’s mouth. His grip on the torn strap slackened as he drew his hand away."Good," he muttered dryly, straightening to his full height. "A rabbit that knows how to guard itself is far more useful than a doll th