Claimed by His Stepbrother
Then it grew fast, faster than I could breathe.
I banged on the door, shouting, but the roar of the flames drowned me out. For a moment, I thought I was going to die right there, suffocated in smoke and heat.
And then—someone opened the door.
Not a teacher. Not help.
Paul.
He looked at me through the smoke, eyes calm. Too calm.
He didn’t step closer. Didn’t offer a hand.
He just stared, like he was deciding whether to let me burn or not.
Then he smiled—small, cruel—and said, “You should’ve stayed in your place.”