Ten Days to Leave My Stepbrother (Beatrice) novel Chapter 23

**TITLE: Across Quiet Meadows Rise Dreams Waiting For Their Moment**

**Chapter 23**

As the new semester unfolded, Beatrice and Greyson found themselves nearly glued to each other’s sides, save for the hours spent in the classroom. The transition into this new chapter of her life was swift for Beatrice; she was shedding the weight of the past like an old skin, leaving behind memories that once haunted her.

Celia, her old friend, would occasionally reach out, her voice a comforting reminder of the life they had shared. Their conversations often meandered through mundane family gossip, but one particular call caught Beatrice’s attention. Celia’s tone was laced with concern as she recounted the latest drama involving Maverick.

“After he returned from Europe,” Celia explained, “he just up and announced that he wanted to end things with Maribel.”

Beatrice could almost hear the disbelief in her friend’s voice. “Maribel was furious! She came over to our house multiple times, desperate to find him, but Maverick has been completely ignoring her. It’s like they’re in a silent war now.”

Beatrice listened intently, her heart heavy but her expression neutral. She had distanced herself from the Melton family, and her only remaining link was her mother. As long as her mother was alright, the intricacies of the Melton family drama felt distant and unimportant.

“Things have escalated,” Celia continued, her voice dropping to a whisper as if sharing a secret. “Maverick had a huge fight with Derek the other day. Out of nowhere, he’s decided he wants to quit the Melton Group.”

Beatrice remained silent, absorbing the information without offering a single word of her own. The Melton family felt like a world apart from her current life.

Once they hung up, Beatrice glanced at the clock, her mind shifting gears. She quickly typed a message to Greyson, inquiring about the end time for his class. His response came swiftly, informing her of a group dinner he had planned for the afternoon, and he urged her not to wait for him.

With a nod of understanding, Beatrice gathered her belongings and stepped out of the school, feeling the weight of her solitude settle in. She held her phone in her hand, pondering what to eat for lunch when, out of nowhere, a car screeched to a halt beside her.

Startled, she looked up, but before she could comprehend the situation, an unseen force seized her, yanking her into the vehicle. Panic surged through her veins, and she fought fiercely against her captor, biting down hard on the hand that restrained her.

“Does it really have to be like this, my brother?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to reach out to the person she once knew.

At the mention of “brother,” Maverick’s demeanor shifted dramatically. The smile that had graced his lips vanished, replaced by a fierce intensity. He grasped her chin, his grip firm yet conflicted, his face contorting with a struggle she could sense but not fully understand.

“Don’t call me brother! Beatrice, from this moment forward, I am your husband. We’re going to Portugal, and we’ll marry just like we promised!”

The gravity of his words crashed over her, and in that instant, Beatrice realized the depth of his madness. The fervor in his eyes was alarming, and she felt a rush of defiance surge within her. “I don’t want to! Maverick, I don’t want to marry you at all!” she declared, each word punctuated with clarity and conviction.

Maverick’s expression hardened, his gaze turning icy as he leaned closer, their eyes locked in a battle of wills. “There’s no such thing as want or don’t want, Bex. I told you, you can only belong to me.”

The air between them crackled with tension, an unspoken understanding hanging in the balance as the car sped toward an uncertain future.