My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 260

Chapter 260

I felt a cold shiver of reality hit me. Sometimes I forgot who I was dealing with. In the quiet of the garden, or when he was me with homework, it was easy to see a different side of him.

But moments like this were a blunt reminder of the truth. Outside the bubble of his family, Raphael was exactly what people said he was: rude, mean, and incredibly arrogant. He didn’t see people, he saw functions and obstacles.

The only reason I wasn’t just another invisible employee to him, the only reason he even bothered to show me his “soft” side was because I’d been forced into his inner circle.

I hadn’t earned his kindness; I had just become a part of his family. I was the exception to his coldness, but only because I was his responsibility.

I wasn’t special, I was just lucky enough to be on the right side of the door.

I walked towards his office, my thoughts kept swirling. I thought about the kiss on the cheek, the way he had frozen, the way his jaw had turned to steel. I had felt so happy for a second, so light, and then his reaction had made me feel like I’d committed a crime. That rejection was what pushed me to the laptop last night.

It was what made me look for Leone.

I reached for the handle, my fingers cold. I didn’t know if he was going to yell at me for the kiss or if he was going to act like it never happened. I didn’t know if I wanted him to forget it or if I wanted him to do it again.

I pushed the door open. Raphael was standing with his back to me, looking out at the skyline. He didn’t turn around immediately, but I knew he heard me.

“You’re late,” he said.

I stood there, the door clicking shut behind me, my heart beating hard against my ribs. I realized then that no matter how many “Hi’s” I sent to my past, I was stuck right here in the present.

We walked out of his office and back toward the private elevator. As we stood in the small space, waiting for the doors to close, a cold chill settled in my chest. He was standing right next to me, but he felt miles away. He was staring at the floor, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Usually, there was this heat between us, a pull that made me want to lean closer, but today he felt like a wall of ice.

I looked at him, my playful mood vanishing. I couldn’t handle the mystery. I needed to know if I’d ruined everything with one impulsive move on a terrace.

“Raphael?” I whispered.

He didn’t move an inch. He kept his eyes fixed on the glowing floor numbers, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, “Yes?”

“Did I do something wrong?” My voice sounded smaller than I wanted it to, “Last night… if I crossed a line, you can just tell me. We’re both adults, you don’t have to act like—”