My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 260

Chapter 260

I felt a cold shiver of reality hit me. Sometimes I forgot who I was dealing with. In the quiet of the garden, or when he was me with homework, it was easy to see a different side of him.

But moments like this were a blunt reminder of the truth. Outside the bubble of his family, Raphael was exactly what people said he was: rude, mean, and incredibly arrogant. He didn’t see people, he saw functions and obstacles.

The only reason I wasn’t just another invisible employee to him, the only reason he even bothered to show me his “soft” side was because I’d been forced into his inner circle.

I hadn’t earned his kindness; I had just become a part of his family. I was the exception to his coldness, but only because I was his responsibility.

I wasn’t special, I was just lucky enough to be on the right side of the door.

I walked towards his office, my thoughts kept swirling. I thought about the kiss on the cheek, the way he had frozen, the way his jaw had turned to steel. I had felt so happy for a second, so light, and then his reaction had made me feel like I’d committed a crime. That rejection was what pushed me to the laptop last night.

It was what made me look for Leone.

I reached for the handle, my fingers cold. I didn’t know if he was going to yell at me for the kiss or if he was going to act like it never happened. I didn’t know if I wanted him to forget it or if I wanted him to do it again.

I pushed the door open. Raphael was standing with his back to me, looking out at the skyline. He didn’t turn around immediately, but I knew he heard me.

“You’re late,” he said.

I stood there, the door clicking shut behind me, my heart beating hard against my ribs. I realized then that no matter how many “Hi’s” I sent to my past, I was stuck right here in the present.

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