My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 719

Chapter 719

“Yes,” he gave a nod, “Nothing has changed.”

I looked at Leone before turning back to Dad. “If I’m your heir…” I kept my low, “then the only person above me in this house is you. Which means he doesn’t get to give me orders unless you let him.”

Dad hesitated, “In principle… yes, but-”

I didn’t let him finish, “No. No ‘but.’ If I’m really the person you’re trusting with this family one day… then don’t stand there and let your Underboss treat me like I’m one of his soldiers.”

I pointed toward Leone without taking my eyes off Dad. Leone’s jaw tightened almost invisibly.

“I will not hand over my phone.”

Dad opened his mouth, “The council-”

“I don’t give a fuck what the Council ordered. That wasn’t the deal. The deal was between you and me! Not you, me, and the Council. You chose to bring them into this. You answer to their ruling. I answer to the promise you made me.”

He nodded, “Gianna, things aren’t as they-”

I shook my head harder, “You made me a promise. You told me I could speak to Jules whenever I wanted. You told me I could call the Capones. You told me I could go back to Chicago whenever I wanted. You said coming here wasn’t a prison. You said I would choose.”

My voice rose.

“So don’t stand there and start taking back every promise the second I walk through that door.”

Dad stood slowly, “I’m trying to protect you. You don’t understand what state you’re in.”

My eyes burned, “No, ” I whispered, “You don’t understand the state I’m in…”

My fingers shook around the phone.

“You keep talking to me like I’m the same girl who left this house six years ago. I’m not. You have no idea what losing Mom did to me.”

The words came out rough but I held back tears.

“You weren’t there. You didn’t watch it. You didn’t watch her disappear one piece at a time. You didn’t watch me become…” my voice cracked. “…whatever I became afterward.”

Dad’s expression finally changed. He reached one hand toward me, “My darling-”

I backed away again, “Don’t come closer.”

His hand stopped in midair.

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Chapter 19

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“If you keep pushing me,” I looked between him and Leone, “If you both keep taking things away from

1. It’ll make me worse.”

Dad suddenly looked shaken now, “Gianna…” 1

“You still don’t understand. My head isn’t okay. I know that. I’ve been trying so hard to hold myself together. I’ve been trying to stay functional but don’t mistake that for being compliant. You corner me, you trap me, you keep taking away the people keeping me alive…”

I shook my head.

“You’re not going to like who you’re left with.”

Dad looked at me and then at Leone as if he couldn’t recognize me.

“If you keep breaking your word, if you keep trying to cut me off from Jules, from the only family I’ve had for the last year,” my voice became frighteningly quiet, “Someone is going to get hurt.”

Dad scoffed, “Don’t say that.”

“I’m not threatening you,” I swallowed hard, “I don’t trust my own mind right now. I don’t know what I’ll become if you take away the only people keeping me even a little grounded.”

I pressed my phone tightly against my chest, like I could somehow protect everything inside it.

“So don’t.”

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