My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 277

Chapter 277

Raphael

I stood near the center of the room, my suit jacket perfectly buttoned, playing the part of the supportive brother.

Kylie stood beside me. She was talking about some tech merger, but my attention was focused on the walls. Claire’s work was everywhere. The canvases were bold and raw, filled with strokes of color that looked like they were bleeding into each other.

“Your sister-in-law is incredible, Raphael,” Kylie said, leaning in to see a piece better, “The detail is insane.”

“She’s a force of nature,” I murmured, and for a moment, I felt a genuine spark of pride. Claire had worked herself to the bone for this, “She sees the world in a way most people are too scared to. I’ve watched her stay up for forty-eight hours straight just to get one shade of red right. I’m proud of her. This is exactly what she deserves.

I took a slow sip of my champagne, the bubbles sharp on my tongue. I was about to suggest we move to the next room when the world suddenly went sideways.

Across the crowded floor, past a group of critics, a woman stood with her back to me.

Everything else in the room-the art, the people, the music-just stopped. My brain stalled, the gears grinding to

a halt.

She was wearing a black silk dress that didn’t just fit her, it lived on her. But it was the back that made the glass in my hand feel like it was about to shatter.

The fabric dipped in a deep curve, exposing every inch of her smooth spine. It went lower and lower, past the small of her back, until it reached the very top of her curves, just barely hinting at the start of her ass in a way that was so bold it felt like a blow to my chest.

I knew that skin.

I knew the way she carried her head.

Gianna.

My pulse didn’t just speed up, it became a riot. I felt the blood leave my head and rush south, leaving me dizzy and wanting to do something stupid. I usually saw her in oversized shirts, pants, and messy ponytails.

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