My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 523

Chapter 523

A stage assistant glanced at me, “What?”

I forced a smile, “Nothing.”

But it wasn’t nothing because people didn’t hand away pieces of their mothers. They didn’t give away things that mattered, not unless it meant something.

And if it meant something…

Then disappearing immediately afterward felt incredibly unfair.

My fingers tightened around the pendant. I wasn’t thinking about the performance. I wasn’t thinking about New York. I wasn’t thinking about the audience.

I was thinking about one infuriating man who had somehow managed to say everything and nothing at the exact same time.

The restaurant sat high above the city.

Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded us, turning the entire dining room into a sea of lights. New York stretched endlessly outside. Yellow taxis crawled through the streets below. Skyscrapers glittered against the dark sky. The table was covered with far too much food. Salvatore had apparently interpreted celebration dinner as feed everyone until they physically cannot move, not that anyone was complaining, Jules certainly wasn’t. She was halfway through her second dessert and somehow still talking, “I’ve decided.” Salvatore looked immediately concerned, “What have you decided?” he asked carefully.

Jules pointed her spoon dramatically toward the window, “I’m moving to New York.”

Salvatore closed his eyes, “Oh no.”

“Yes.”

“You are ten.”

“I’m planning ahead.”

“You’re ten.”

She ignored him completely, “I’m going to live here.”

“No.”

“I’m going to go to NYU.”

“No.”

“I’m going to own an apartment.”

“No.”

“I’m not going to ask you before doing all that.”

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Salvatore pointed his fork at her, “I’d like to see you try.”

Mom laughed so hard she almost spilled her water. The sound instantly pulled my attention toward her.

She looked happy tonight.

I wanted to freeze the moment, keep it forever. My fingers drifted absentmindedly toward the necklace resting beneath my dress. I traced the chain lightly then immediately forced myself to stop.

Because every time 1 touched it…

I thought about him.

And once I started thinking about Raphael, it became impossible to stop.

Where had he gone? The question kept circling through my head.

A part of me wanted to be angry, unfortunately, another part of me knew exactly who Raphael was.

Disappearing after emotionally devastating somebody was practically one of his hobbies.

“Gianna.”

I looked up.

Mom was smiling at me, “You still with us?”

Heat rushed into my face, “Sorry.”

Claire immediately narrowed her eyes, “Oh, she’s gone.”

I frowned, “What?”

“Mentally.”

Madeleine laughed softly into her drink.

Claire pointed at me, “She’s sitting here but nobody is home.”

“I’m literally right here.”

“No,” Claire said. “Your body is here. Your soul left approximately twenty minutes ago.”

Madeleine smiled, “I think she’s just tired.”

“I am, thank you for noticing,” I said.

Claire shrugged, “Or maybe, she is thinking about somebody.”

My face became even warmer and Maddie immediately sat up straighter.

“Oh?” Maddie raised an eyebrow.

“There is no ‘oh.”” I looked at Claire, “You’re impossible.”

Salvatore looked between all of us then sighed heavily, “I miss when family dinners involved fewer emotions.”

Claire nearly choked on her drink, “Fewer emotion?” she repeated.

“Yes.”

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She stared at him for a full second, “Salvatore, your family isn’t emotionally stable enough to recognize what less emotion would even look like. And you throw bigger tantrums than all of your sons combined.”

“I am a reasonable man.”

Claire ignored him, “Honestly, the testosterone levels in that house are so aggressive that Alessia literally ran away and fell in love with a man whose greatest achievement was only producing one son.”

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