All Chapters of REVENGE KISS: FALLING FOR MY BAD BOY STEP BROTHER : Chapter 31 - Chapter 39

~SAFFRON~ The front door hasn't even fully clicked shut behind me before my mother intercepts me in the foyer. She is a whirlwind of expensive perfume and stressed energy, her iPad clutched to her chest while she frantically balances a heavy manila folder in her other hand. “Oh, thank goodness you're back,” she breathes out, looking at me like I’m a lifesaver. “Saffron, sweetie, I need a massive favor. Fred’s firm had a courier emergency, and these contract addendums absolutely have to be at his partner’s estate across town before five o'clock. It’s a legal nightmare if they’re late.” I groan, a bad feeling already blooming in my chest. “Mom, I actually have a lot of studying to do for—” “Jason is heading to Fred’s office right now to drop off the master file,” she cuts in smoothly, entirely ignoring my protest as she shoves the heavy folder into my hands. “I would handle this myself, but I’m currently in the middle of a conference call with the catering planners.” Right. My

~SAFFRON~One day. It has only been one day of silence, but it feels like a lifetime.My calls and text messages to Elixir sit in my phone—unanswered. The empty chair beside me in the main dining hall feels like a glaring hole where his steady, calm presence should be.My own mind is a mess. Every time I close my eyes, I am back in the passenger seat of Jason’s car. I have spent the last twenty-four hours trying to figure out how he can change from being vulnerable to being cold in a heartbeat.But Elixir’s absence is different. It feels like something is wrong. Like I have done something wrong.When I finally arrive at the Miller's Estate, everything feels quiet and cold. I find Eliana in the dining room. She looks tired, holding a cup of tea with both hands. She looks up when I walk in, her face turning into a kind, sweet smile, though her eyes are red and puffy.“Saffron,” she says softly, rising to greet me. She looks like she hasn’t slept at all.She studies my face for a moment,

~SAFFRON~The silence in the car is different today. Usually, the space between us fills easily with the radio or casual conversation about our classes. Today, the quiet is extremely suffocating, stretching like a physical wall across the center console.Elixir pulls up to the campus curb and puts the car in park, leaving the engine running."Here we are," he says softly. He forces a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. The bright, confident spark he usually carries is missing, replaced by a fragile, careful politeness that makes my stomach twist with guilt."Thank you," I murmur, reaching for my bag.Before my fingers touch the handle, Elixir is already out of the car. He walks around the hood and opens my door as usual, offering his hand to help me out. His fingers are warm, but the moment my feet hit the pavement, he lets go. He doesn't lean in for a kiss. He doesn't drape his arm over my shoulder as we walk toward the courtyard. He treats me like I am made of glass, keeping a saf

~SAFFRON~ I stand up slowly and walk toward the stairs without a word. Behind me, my mom calls my name, her voice tight with an anxiety I can't face right now, but I keep moving. Reaching my bedroom, I close the door, and slide the lock into place. Sitting on the edge of my bed and tracing the rough seam of my jeans over and over. Where is Jason right now? The question won't stop looping, driving me crazy as I picture him driving too fast down the highway, his face bruised and his hands raw. I can still hear the tremor in his voice when he told Fred how easily his mother had been replaced, a raw flash of grief that reminds me of my father. My bag slips off my shoulder, hitting the floor with a heavy thud, and inside, my phone buzzes against the hardwood—another text from Elixir, followed immediately by another. I pull it out, staring at his name until my eyes burn, then hold down the power button until the screen goes completely black. Tossing it onto the nightstand, I bury my f

~SAFFRON~ “Oh, honey. Turn around. Let me take a good look at you.” My mom steps back, her hands clapping together beneath her chin as she beams at my reflection. She looks utterly radiant in her deep emerald gown, her dark hair pinned up into a flawless, elegant twist. “Mom, you look beautiful,” I say, smoothing down the silk of my champagne-colored dress. “We look beautiful,” she corrects, leaning down to press a quick kiss to my cheek. Her expensive perfume envelops me. Then her phone buzzes sharply. She glances at the screen, her expression shifting into hostess mode. “The Millers are downstairs.” She mutters and my heart skips a beat. “I have to go now. Don't be long, sweetie!” With a frantic wave, she hurries out. The soft rustle of her gown fades down the corridor until the heavy click of my bedroom door leaves me in silence. I take a slow, shaky breath and lift my left wrist, tracing the silver links of the charm bracelet Elixir gave me. It feels cold against my ski