Stepback Book Novels & Stories

My secretary, standing beside me, looked like she wanted to disappear, but I ignored her and circled the main points of the meeting with my pen, speaking casually into the phone. "If you really had any backbone, you'd either stand up to Marshall and tell him to stop bothering Crystal, or you'd talk to her, tell her to be patient and wait until I'm divorced before she tries to get close. That way, no one would think the Paynes raised a homewrecker. Unfortunately, you're just a spoiled brat. After taking over the company, you'll still be relying on Marshall's company to feed you. You're too scared to offend him, so you come to me and try to act tough."

Would she be brave enough to let herself embark on the long, arduous trip to wholeness? Baby steps. She was going to take it one step at a time.. But.. she'll need a little help... Heart slamming against her ribcage with a frightening intensity, she clutched the book in her arms tightly and robotically retraced her steps back to the library. When she got to the entrance, she paused, grey eyes watching the man who'd stolen her heart years ago... And never gave it back...

⸻ As they prepare to leave Noah’s office… The steel door slams shut. Locks engage automatically. Red emergency lights begin flashing. A hidden speaker crackles. A new voice fills the room. Not Elias. Not the Keeper. A woman. Cold. Measured. At last. Subject B has arrived. Welcome home. The walls begin shifting. Entire bookshelves slide aside. Revealing dozens of observation windows. Behind each pane of reinforced glass… Someone is standing perfectly still. They all look exactly like Adrian. Different ages.

The stress from the exam was slowly starting to fade, replaced by a sense of calm. When we got to the library, we headed straight to our usual spot in the back, a small table tucked away near the reference section. It was quiet, save for the soft whispers of other students studying nearby, and it was the perfect place to hunker down and get some serious studying done. “Okay,” I said, pulling out my Biology textbook. “Let’s start with cell division. It’s going to be a big part of the exam.” Jessica made a face but sat down across from me, opening her own textbook. “Fine. But only because you’re the only one who can explain it in a way that actually makes sense.”

My heart was beating wildly in my chest, but I was a better actor than I thought. "What do you read?" "Um," I frowned, thinking quickly. "I'm in the mid-dle of a book called Christine right now. I circle different authors, and when I find ones I like, I go through the backlist, but not all at once, and I'm back on Stephen King for now. After that one, I'll read Carrie and The Shining, then find something else to read."

*Welcome to Exploit, book 2 of the step brother series! You have now entered into the sequel, where things will start to take a dramatic twist. This portion is a bit of a slow burner so please, buckle up your seatbelt and please stay along for the ride. For my twisted readers… I promise it’ll be worth it.* ~ Trigger Warning~ This portion of the book is for mature audiences only. This book is about an abusive relationship. Mentally, and physically. I really wanted to make the reader feel as though they are Amber and experience this with her while being able to see all sides of things.

It told me that regardless of who stood with me or who faltered, I could not give up. On a rainy morning, when a neighbor’s car slid off the curb, Mrs. Alvarez showed up at my door with a thermos and an umbrella, and I felt the thinnest skein of normal return. We drank tea and made lists. We compared calendars. We joked, something small and human, and the sound felt like a rebellion.

, a celebration not just of my work, but of my own revival. Every clothing item and piece of jewelry paired with it was sketched from my mind. I even showcased all my design drafts, sharing with the audience the stories behind each creation. That was when Sean appeared in my line of sight, his gaze fixed on the drafts inside the glass case, eyes filled with nostalgia. After the show, he came backstage to find me. “Jane… I came today to take you home.” Hearing his cautious tone, it almost made me laugh. “What makes you think I’d ever go back with you?

I know I’ve already asked you to call-“ “You c-can. Th-there’s no trouble. You c-can use it as much as you like.” I smiled, offering Aubrey one of my warmest thanks. The boy had a heart of golden. He was kind and patient and would feel bad only for stepping on an ant. Actually, he had a furmicarium at home because he was upset people were cruel to small animals, stepping on them as if they were insignificant. I think he somehow saw himself in them... little and unseen.

The crowd erupted in an uproar. Kenneth had not expected me to have a backup plan. He shouted angrily, "Don't believe her! She's a scheming woman who's always framing others!" "Really?" I shot back sarcastically. "The public isn't blind. Let them judge for themselves. Why are you getting so worked up all of a sudden?" As I spoke, I played the video on my phone. Burned once in my previous life, I had learned my lesson. This time around, I had befriended the banquet hall manager early on. Every move in the hall had been recorded from start to finish and downloaded onto my phone.