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Home / Romance / The Scandalous Step Siblings: First Enemies, Then Lovers / Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

All Chapters of The Scandalous Step Siblings: First Enemies, Then Lovers : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

174 Chapters

21

Anya’s POVThe silence of the Rhodes estate wasn’t peaceful; it was heavy, the kind of silence that felt like it was pressing against my eardrums.After the jagged violence of the Chicago streets and the cold, transactional air of my father’s warehouse, this Gothic revival fortress in the Berkshires felt like a different planet. A planet where the laws of physics were replaced by the laws of Kai Rhodes.The foyer was a cavern of dark oak and white marble. The air was chilled, smelling of floor wax and something floral that felt out of place—lilies, perhaps. Funereal and expensive.I stood by the heavy front door, my boots leaving damp prints on the pristine rug. I was waiting for the sarcasm, the bite, the immediate dismissal that usually followed my arrival in Kai’s presence. But Kai didn't speak. He remained on the bottom step of the grand staircase, his silhouette elongated by the moonlight streaming through the high, arched windows."You came," he said finally. His voice didn't ha

22

The sun didn't just rise; it hit the room like a debt collector and filled the space with a harsh, blinding white that made the silver stars on the nursery wallpaper look like cheap stickers. I woke up alone and spent a few minutes staring at the ceiling, wondering exactly when my life had turned into such a low-budget thriller.The spot on the bed beside me was still warm, and the sheets were a total wreck because Kai had been clinging to me all night during his night terror. For a guy who acts like a Roman General during the day, he’s a massive space-hog when the ghosts come out, and my limbs felt heavy as I realized that every "almost" moment we shared was starting to feel like a physical bruise. I looked at the silver key on the nightstand where it sat like a silent reminder that I was a guest with a very messy agenda.I dressed fast and headed downstairs while my head was banging—and not in the fun way. I found Kai in the library looking like he’d been in a fight with a photocopi

23

Anya’s POVThe drive back to New York was a study in charged silence.The Berkshire mountains blurred into the grey, industrial landscape of the New Jersey turnpike.Kai sat in the back of the town car beside me, his laptop open, his fingers moving over the keys with a sharp, mechanical rhythm.He was back in "Legacy" mode—the distant, untouchable star but every time the car hit a bump and our shoulders brushed, the air between us crackled.I kept my hand in my pocket, my fingers curled around the silver key.I was thinking about the signature on that contract. The way the ink had faded, but the betrayal felt brand new."We’re staying at the Carlyle," Kai said, not looking up from his screen. "Ethan has booked the penthouse. It’s easier to control the press from there.""Control the press, or control me?"Kai finally looked at me, a slow, sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. "You're the one who writes the reviews, Anya. I thought you liked being the one in control.""I like the truth,

24

Anya’s POVKai’s heart was thumping against my ribs, a fast, heavy rhythm that didn't match his calm voice. His lips were so close that every time he breathed, I felt it in my own lungs.He had just told me the vault was open. He was basically handing me the knife and baring his neck."The vault is open," I repeated, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Is this the part where you tell me you trust me? Because we both know that's a lie."Kai let out a short, dry laugh that vibrated against my chest."Trust? No, Anya. I don't trust anyone who looks at me the way you do… like you’re trying to find the exact spot to stick the blade. I’m just bored of the game. If you’re going to rob me, do it while I’m looking at you."He didn't move away. If anything, he pressed closer, his good hand sliding from my fingers to the small of my back, pulling me flush against his heat. The silver key was still trapped between our palms, biting into my skin."My father is waiting for me to walk out of here

25

Anya’s POVThe silence in the penthouse was a living thing, stretching between us as the shower water finally cut off. It was replaced by the muffled roar of Manhattan traffic far below, a world away from the suffocating luxury of the Carlyle.I stood by the window, my fingers digging into the velvet of my messenger bag. I didn't move when the bathroom door opened. I didn't move when the scent of sandalwood and steam drifted into the room."You’re still here," Kai said. It wasn't a question. It was an observation, delivered with that low, gravelly rasp that always felt like a physical touch.I turned. He was standing there with a towel low on his hips, damp hair clinging to his forehead.The bandage on his left hand looked stark against his skin… white, sterile, and a reminder of everything we were currently pretending wasn't happening."I'm on the clock, Kai," I said, my voice as dry as a desert. "And according to the schedule Ethan sent, you’re supposed to be dressed and downstairs

26

Anya's PIVThe silk of the midnight blue dress felt like cool water against my skin and it fit too well, almost like it was a second skin I hadn't earned, so I stood there shivering in the middle of the room. It was the kind of dress that didn't just sit on your body but instead it claimed it, clinging to my curves and falling to the floor in a way that made me feel less like a broke music critic and more like someone who actually belonged in a penthouse.I was struggling with the side zipper while my fingers fumbled against the delicate teeth of the metal track, and then a sharp, rhythmic knocking echoed through the suite. I knew that sound because it was a sound that had no patience for the vanity of women or the malfunction of clothing, so I held my breath and prayed for the silk to cooperate."Anya? Kai? We’re five minutes behind and the car has been idling for ten," Ethan’s voice called out, sounding like a man who counted his life in seconds rather than heartbeats. I blew a stra

27

Anya’s POVThe underground parking garage of the Carlyle was a concrete tomb, smelling of exhaust and expensive rubber.A sleek, black Maybach sat idling, its taillights glowing like predatory eyes in the dim light.Ethan held the door open for me.He didn't offer a hand, he just stood there like a sentry, checking his watch again.I slid into the backseat, the midnight blue silk of the dress bunching around my thighs. I tried to pull it down, but the fabric was stubborn, clinging to my skin in a way that felt entirely too exposed.Then I realized I wasn’t alone.Kai was already in the back, sitting in the far corner. The interior of the car was cavernous, but his presence seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the cabin. He was looking out the window, his profile sharp enough to cut glass. He hadn't put on his tie yet. The collar of his white shirt was open, and the black silk tie lay across his lap like a dead snake."You’re late," Kai said. He didn't turn to look at me."Blame the dr

28

Anya’s POVThe lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House was a sea of black ties, champagne flutes, and the kind of perfume that smelled like old money and secrets.The air was thick with the hum of a thousand conversations, but as soon as Kai stepped into the room, a path cleared like the Red Sea.His hand was still firmly on my waist. I could feel the heat of his palm through the silk of my dress, a steady, grounding weight in a room that felt like it was spinning."Smile, Anya," Kai murmured, his voice barely audible over the chatter. "You look like you’re walking toward a firing squad.""In this room? I probably am," I whispered back, keeping my eyes fixed ahead."Just stay close. If anyone tries to corner you, look bored. It’s the only language these people understand."We were stopped every three feet. Women in diamonds draped themselves over Kai’s good arm, their eyes flicking to me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Every time a man lingered too long on the neckline of my dr

29

Anya’s POVThe backstage area was a labyrinth of shadow and cold drafts. It was a world of pulleys, thick ropes, and the skeletal remains of old sets, all hidden behind the velvet grandeur that the audience saw from the front.The air here was different, it tasted of dust and nervous sweat.I followed Kai through the wings. He walked with a heavy, purposeful stride, his tuxedo jacket flaring slightly behind him. He didn't look back to see if I was there. He knew I was. He could probably hear my heart thudding against the silence of the corridor.Ethan was a few paces ahead, conferring in low, frantic whispers with a stage manager wearing a headset."The lid is set to the full prop," the manager whispered. "Orchestra is seated. The donor intro is at the two-minute mark. Kai, you go on as soon as the house lights dim to forty percent."Kai didn't acknowledge him. He stopped near a stack of equipment crates and began to flex his left hand. I watched the tendons in his wrist move—stiff, s

30

Anya’s POVThe door didn't just open, it slammed against the wall with a violence that made my ears ring..My father stood in the doorway. He wasn't wearing the tuxedo of a proud parent.He looked like a man who had just watched his retirement fund go up in smoke. His face was flushed, his tie crooked, and his eyes were darting between my hands still holding Kai’s bloody fingers and the pale, exhausted face of the man leaning on my shoulder."What the hell was that?" Rahul’s voice was a low, dangerous snarl. He didn't look at me. He looked at Kai. "You stopped. You reached the climax of the first movement and you just... stopped."Kai didn't pull away from me. If anything, he leaned heavier into my space, his thumb tracing a slow, absent-minded circle on the back of my hand, smearing a streak of red across my skin."The music ended, Rahul," Kai said, his voice cold and drained of emotion. "Or didn't you hear? It was a silence three thousand people paid a thousand dollars a seat to exp

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