My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 668

Chapter 668

Claire watched us without speaking. Jules handed Aurelia half of her sandwich as if sharing it were the most important thing in the world.

I opened my tnouth but no words came out. Vincenzo didn’t push. He simply nodded once, as though silence was an answer too.

“We’re here whenever you’re ready.”

I couldn’t stay in that kitchen any longer. It was too much. I slipped out quietly before anyone could stop me.

I climbed the stairs without looking back. I heard someone call my name. The sound faded behind me until all I could hear were my own footsteps against the wooden floor.

I reached my bedroom door. My hand rested on the handle for a few seconds before I pushed it open.

The room was dim, only the bedside lamp was on. Raphael sat at the edge of my bed, one ankle resting over the opposite knee, his phone in one hand. His jacket was folded neatly beside him. His tie had been loosened but everything else about him was still precise.

I stopped in the doorway. He looked up the moment he heard the door. Our eyes met and he stood up immediately. He slipped his phone into his pocket without taking his eyes off me.

The lamp behind him cast a warm light around his shoulders. His shirt was still perfectly pressed despite the long day. His hair had fallen slightly over his forehead. Even exhausted, he looked like someone who belonged in a world that had never been touched by chaos.

I didn’t.

I looked down at my own hands. There was still dried ink beneath my fingernails. A faint smear of dirt from Mom’s grave stained the cuff of my sweater. My hair hadn’t been brushed. I couldn’t even remember changing my clothes.

The distance between us suddenly felt enormous.

Raphael took one careful step toward me, just enough to close a little of the space, “Gianna…”

He lifted his hand and my heart tightened. My body froze. A strange panic spread through my chest. I looked at him and everything about him seemed…

Right.

Perfect.

Salvatore’s voice echoed inside my head.

“Raphael has been blessed in ways very few people are. He has a brilliant mind. The kind of qualities families spend generations trying to build. I’ve always wanted those qualities to continue.”

The words wrapped themselves around my thoughts like vines. Raphael deserved someone who didn’t have to fight herself every single day.

I couldn’t let him touch me, not like this, not when all I could think about was everything I wasn’t.

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