His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Claire’s POV

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The hallway had gone deathly quiet, the kind of silence that presses in from all sides when everyone knows something big is about to happen.

Phones were out, angled toward us like weapons. Students formed a loose circle, eyes wide, waiting for blood.

Elijah’s presence cut through the crowd like a blade, the air shifting as people instinctively stepped back.

His eyes were fixed on me, gold bleeding into the blue, his wolf right at the surface. The anger rolling off him wasn’t aimed at me-I knew that instantly-but it was fierce enough to make the hallway feel smaller.

Audrey turned toward him, that fake smile snapping back into place like a mask. “Elijah! I-”

“Enough,” he said again, voice low and dangerous, cutting her off completely. He didn’t even glance at her. His focus stayed on me, protective and furious all at once.

The crowd held its breath.

He stepped between Audrey and me, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine, a silent shield. Only then did he turn his head toward her.

“You’ve been told no,” he said, each word deliberate and cold. “Multiple times. In multiple ways. And you keep ignoring it. That stops today. I tried to be as polite as possible, but apparently you’re being intentionally ignorant.”

Audrey’s mouth opened, then closed. Her eyes darted to the phones still recording, to the faces watching.

“I was just-” she started, voice small.

“You were just harassing me,” he finished for her. “And harassing Claire. Touching me when I’ve moved away. Posting pictures I never agreed to. Acting like boundaries don’t apply to you. It’s not cute. It’s not flattering. It’s over.”

Her face went pale, then red. Tears welled up, but they looked more like humiliation than remorse.

“I didn’t think-” she whispered.

“You didn’t think,” he repeated. “That’s the problem. You didn’t think about anyone but yourself. And I’m done being polite about it.”

The hallway was dead silent now. No whispers. No movement.

Elijah turned back to me, voice softening just for me. “You okay?”

I nodded, throat tight. “Yeah.”

He looked at the crowd then, eyes hard. “Show’s over.”

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Chapter 201

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People started moving, phones lowering, conversations starting up in low murmurs as they dispersed. Audrey dood frozen for a second longer, tears spilling over.

Then she turned and pushed through the remaining students, head down, disappearing around the corner.

Elijah took my hand-right there in the open hallway, fingers lacing tight-and pulled me toward the art wing. We didn’t speak until we were inside the empty storage room, door closed behind us.

He leaned against it, breathing hard like he’d been running. “I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I should’ve shut. her down harder months ago. I thought being polite would make her back off. I was wrong.”

I shook my head, still processing. “You just did it in front of everyone.”

“I know.” He stepped closer, cupping my face gently. “I couldn’t stand hearing her talk to you like that. Calling you pathetic. Bringing up the stepbrother thing like it’s some weapon.”

My eyes stung. “She knew exactly what buttons to push.”

“She won’t anymore,” he said firmly. “I made sure of that.”

I leaned into him, forehead against his chest. “Thank you.”

He held me tight, one hand in my hair, the other around my waist. “I’d do it again. Louder, if I had to.”

We stayed like that for a minute, the adrenaline slowly fading.

Then he pulled back slightly. “Now tell me about Dr. Adrian. I saw him pull in this morning. What did he say?”

I exhaled, the anger from Audrey shifting into the heavier weight of the appointment. “He’s worried. The fireworks episode was worse than we thought. He came to school because he wants to talk about a more permanent fix.”

Elijah’s arms tightened. “What kind of fix?”

“Ablation,” I said quietly. “Catheter procedure. They go in and burn away the bad electrical pathways in my heart. High success rate. Quick recovery.”

He went still. “Surgery.”

“Minimally invasive,” I repeated the words Dr. Adrian had used. “But yeah. Surgery.”

He guided me to sit on a stack of canvases, sitting beside me, thigh against mine. “When?”

“Within the month if I want it.”

He took the folder from my hand, flipping through the pamphlets slowly. I watched his face-jaw tight, eyes scanning every risk, every benefit.

“No more restrictions,” he said finally, voice rough. “That’s what it says.”

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Chapter 201

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“Yeah.” I swallowed. “No more being careful at games. No more worrying a loud noise will drop me

He set the folder down, turning to face me fully. “And the risks?”

“Low,” I said. “Complications are rare. But they exist.”

He was quiet for a long moment. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m scared,” I admitted. “Terrified of going under, of something going wrong. But I’m also so tired, Elijah. Tired of living half a life. Tired of feeling broken.”

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