My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 745

Chapter 745

Perla’s hand quietly found Gio’s beneath the table.

Dad continued eating as though he hadn’t said anything unusual, “I used to think time would harden you. It didn’t. You’ve always been… gentle. There are people who admire that quality. I simply don’t happen to be one of them.”

I looked at Gio. His fork rested untouched on his plate. His shoulders had curled inward ever so slightly, not enough for most people to notice, enough for me to see.

Because…

I’d sat like that once too.

I’d learned to make myself smaller once too.

Dad reached for his coffee as though nothing had happened. As though he hadn’t just taken the smile off his son’s face.

I set my toast back onto the plate, “Dad.”

He looked at me, “Yes?”

I kept my voice calm, “You know….I don’t think he’s weak.”

Dad rested his cup on its saucer,.”Don’t you?”

I shook my head, “I think he’s still here.”

His brow lifted slightly, “What does that mean?”

“He survived something that would’ve broken most people,” I looked at Gio, “He wakes up every morning

in a body that doesn’t listen the way it used to and he still gets out of bed..So no,” I leaned back in my chair, “I don’t see weakness, or gentleness… I see someone very, very strong.”

Dad smiled, a slow patient smile, “You’ve confused endurance with strength.”

“Have I?”

“Yes. A man can endure because he has no other option,” His gaze shifted briefly toward Gio, “Strength is having options and choosing the difficult one.”

I nodded slowly, “I agree..Which is why I don’t understand something.”

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, “What?”

“You keep talking about what Gio isn’t but you’ve never once told him what he is.”

“No. I don’t. I’ve simply stopped confusing obedience with love.”

Dad stared at me, long enough that I could almost hear him thinking.

When he finally spoke, his voice had gone very quiet, “Your mother always wanted to make you soft.”

I smiled faintly, “That’s strange. Because the girl you raised, wouldn’t have survived telling you any of this.

He had no answer, his jaw shifted. A muscle ticked near his temple, then he pushed his chair back. The legs scraped sharply across the marble floor and Dad stood.

He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, “I have work to do. Finish your breakfast in the next ten minutes and then we’re leaving.”

I met his eyes without looking away. It almost looked like he wanted to say something else. Instead, he turned. His polished shoes echoed across the dining room as he walked toward the doors. The staff opened them immediately and he left.

I let out a slow breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and reached for my coffee. It had already gone lukewarm, “Well,” I smiled weakly, “I don’t think our first family breakfast could’ve gone much worse.”

Neither of them smiled, the joke landed and died right there. I looked between Perla and Gio. Both of them were staring at me with something that made my stomach tighten.

Fear.

Real fear.