All Chapters of The Stepbrother I Crave : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Sophia woke up to a pounding headache, a sharp reminder of the excessive alcohol she had consumed the previous night. Even an elephant would have struggled under the weight of such indulgence. Strangely, the relentless throbbing served as a welcome distraction from the blurry memories of the evening before. She had not forgotten everything, but she deliberately chose not to bring those fragmented recollections into focus.After a quick shower, she made her way downstairs, briefly wondering why she had risen so early. Any regret over the early hour vanished the moment her stomach rumbled loudly, demanding attention.She needed food—plenty of it—even if her appetite was nearly nonexistent. Was this how depression felt? She wasn’t sure it was fair to label herself as depressed.She had almost everything a person could want to be happy, except… a man.Upon entering the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of cold orange juice, Sophia froze as hushed voices reached her ears. The conversat

Julian watched helplessly as Sophia ran back into the mansion, her cheeks streaked with tears and her eyes swollen and red. The sight made it painfully clear how deeply he had betrayed and shattered her. He was the far greater traitor. He had broken every promise he had sworn he would never break. He had spoken words he knew would mercilessly destroy her heart.Damn it. Deep down, he had always known it was the wrong choice, yet his own doubts had pushed him forward. In the end, he had ruined everything. Now he had lost Sophia, destroyed the friendship he tried so hard to preserve, and the very pain and losses he had desperately tried to protect her from had happened anyway.She had just endured it all right in front of his eyes, and he, like a fool, had simply stood there doing nothing.His own insecurities had driven him into this disaster. All he had ever wanted was for Sophia to be happy. That was his only goal from the start. He had convinced himself that a clean break might

Sophia felt his lips meld perfectly against hers, as though they belonged together for eternity. The familiar softness she had longed for, the intimate closeness she craved, and the scent of his cologne created a dangerous mix that overwhelmed her senses. Her resolve to keep him out began to crumble. How could she possibly resist him? Being wrapped in his arms felt like her true destiny,she was meant to be his and his alone. Forever.For the first few seconds, she tried to pull back, to suppress the rising emotions and smother the flames reigniting between them. Yet the fire burned as fiercely as ever. In the end, she gave in completely—to him and to the desires that refused to be denied.She let go of every restraint, just as she had on that first day in the restroom when he had pinned her against the wall. A passionate blaze consumed her once more. She drew him nearer and returned the kiss with equal fervor. He was her favorite sin, one she would gladly repeat endlessly without sh

Sophia lay wrapped in Julian’s arms beneath the duvet, their bodies still pressed together. His fingers traced lazy paths along her spine as their shared warmth tried to make up for all the lost time apart. She looked up at him and gently brushed back the stray strands of hair covering his striking green eyes—the same ones she had fallen for from the very first day.“What are your plans once you leave?” she asked, her thumb lightly stroking his stubble.“I’ll head back to Paris for a while,” he replied. “We know Arthur is taking Maya on a two-month trip to Santorini, so things should calm down by then. There are also some business matters I need to resolve. It turns out Olivia deliberately slept with one of the investors and is threatening to make him withdraw his funds. She’s clearly been planning to blackmail me for some time. I’ll deal with it, whether by phone or in person.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Hopefully, within six months, everything will be sorted o

Julian stood watching Sophia, who remained frozen in shock, completely speechless. She simply stared at him, her mind clearly racing as she tried to determine whether this moment was real or some vivid illusion. It was undoubtedly real, yet he chose not to ease her uncertainty just yet.He hid his smile as she blinked once, then twice more. He understood her thoughts perfectly; right now, she probably believed her imagination was deceiving her.At that moment, he felt a strong urge to kiss her until her soft pink lips grew swollen, but he could not risk such a move with Arthur nearby. He still lacked full freedom to act as he wished with his girlfriend while her father was present. He had already calculated that it would require several more months."Am I dreaming?" she finally whispered. An instinctive grin spread across Julian's face. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to one soft cheek, then the other. They felt as delicate as rose petals."Do you still believe it's a dr