His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 12

**TITLE: Betrayal Births by Joseph King**
**Chapter 12**

Claire’s POV

Perched on the edge of my bed, I pulled my knees tightly to my chest, feeling the weight of Elijah’s venomous words echoing relentlessly in my mind, like a record that had long since cracked…

“Tell your gold-digging mother to count her days in this house… They’re numbered…”

The sheer cruelty of his statement made my heart ache, but the truth was, I didn’t have the strength left to engage in another battle with him.

My body felt drained, a mere shadow of its former self, while my mind was a tangled mess, worn thin from endless hospital visits and heated arguments with my mother.

Yet, no matter how diligently I tried to evade Elijah, he always seemed to find a way to invade my personal space, his harsh words striking me like daggers.

I glanced down at my chest, the insecurity creeping in like a thief in the night. Was I truly that flat-chested? Was that the reason boys overlooked me?

What was I supposed to do to shake Elijah off my back?

And the most agonizing part? I couldn’t confide in my mother.

She was too engrossed in her role as a devoted wife, lost in the fairy tale she clung to with a desperation that was almost palpable.

Initially, she assured me that her marriage to Alpha Ethan was purely a financial arrangement—an act of survival to clear my father’s debts and to manage the relentless stream of hospital bills that seemed to drown us.

But today, the way she defended him, the softness that enveloped her eyes when she uttered his name, it was evident that the façade was crumbling.

It almost felt as if… she was genuinely falling for him. Or perhaps she had already succumbed to those feelings.

The realization twisted painfully in my chest, a far more potent ache than any illness I had ever faced.

With a sigh, I pushed the pillow aside and reached for my phone, my mind heavy with dark thoughts that threatened to pull me under. I needed something—anything—to distract me from the storm brewing within.

Maybe a conversation with my friends could provide a lifeline, even if my circle had shrunk to a mere handful.

I first checked for any updates from Naomi regarding her party. Nothing. Just an unsettling silence since that night. Not even a simple “Hope you’re okay?” after I had literally collapsed in front of everyone.

Wow… this friendship hadn’t even had a chance to blossom, and she was already weary of me.

Perhaps I truly was a burden to everyone I encountered… It seemed everyone eventually tired of me… just like my mother, who couldn’t even bring herself to voice it. That was likely why she had sent Alpha Ethan to me in the hospital.

It was amusing in a tragic way that my contact list consisted of just five names: Mom, Dad (whose number I couldn’t bring myself to delete), Lily, June, and now… Naomi.

In moments of profound loneliness, I would find myself dialing Dad’s number, even though I knew he would never answer.

I just yearned to hear his voicemail message, a fleeting reminder of what it felt like when someone genuinely wanted me around.

Suddenly, a notification popped up from my group chat with Lily and June. Finally, perhaps talking to my friends would help me feel somewhat human again.

Lily’s message arrived first, filled with warmth.

Lily: “Hey babe! How are you? You went offline yesterday, and you promised to chat, but then nothing. What’s wrong? That’s so unlike you.”

Before I could respond, another message chimed in from June.

June: “Well… What do you expect from the Alpha’s stepdaughter? She’s probably living in luxury, that’s why she forgot her friends.”

June’s words were meant to be playful, yet they stung, a sharp reminder that she believed I could forget my friends so easily, simply because I had experienced a few days of luxury.

If only they knew the truth…

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