All Chapters of My Ex-Boyfriend is my New Step-Brother: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

107 Chapters

The Pregnancy Gala Prep

The house was full of people in white gloves. They were moving huge trees into the ballroom and hanging sparkly lights from the ceiling. I stood at the top of the stairs, watching them. My stomach felt tight because of the secret photos on my phone."Scarlett! There you are!" my mom called out. She was wearing a dress that looked like a shiny cloud. She looked very pretty, but she looked tired too."Hi, Mom," I said. I walked down to meet her."Come here. I have to tell you something wonderful," she said. She grabbed my hands. Her rings felt cold. "We are going to make a big announcement tonight. At the gala. Before all the cameras.""What is it?" I asked."I'm having a baby," she whispered. She squeezed my fingers. "You’re going to be a big sister, Scarlett. Isn't that amazing? A real family at last."I felt like I had been hit by a wave. "A baby? With Marcus?""Of course with Marcus!" she laughed. "He is so happy. He says this baby is the glue that will hold the Reed and Wood names

Director Leo Hart’s Arrival

The house was too bright. Every chandelier was turned up, and the smell of expensive steak filled the halls. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the straps of my dress. Chloe was behind me, her hands shaking as she tried to fix my hair."Stay away from him, Scarlett," Chloe whispered. "Leo Hart is a shark. He’s here to talk about the movie, but he’s really here to see if you’re still a 'safe' investment after that video.""I know," I said. "I’ve seen how he looks at the girls on set. He’s been creepy since day one.""Just smile. Don't go anywhere alone with him," Chloe warned.I walked down to the dining room. Marcus was already there, pouring a glass of dark red wine. Leo Hart was already sitting at the table, looking like he owned the place. He looked at me and his eyes traveled up and down my body like I was a piece of fruit he wanted to buy."There she is," Leo said. His voice was oily. "The star of my next picture. You look beautiful, Scarlett. Come, sit next to me like a g

The Secret in the Vent

The house was finally quiet, but I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Roman’s face when Marcus yelled at him. I kept thinking about the two million dollars. I felt like I was living in a house made of glass that was cracking everywhere.I sat on the floor of my closet. It was the only place that felt safe. I noticed a little draft of cold air coming from the corner. I moved a pile of shoes and saw a metal vent. It was loose."That's weird," I whispered.I pulled on the metal grate. It popped right off. Behind it wasn't just a wall. It was a dark tunnel that went toward Roman’s room. I grabbed my flashlight and crawled inside. It smelled like dust and old wood.After a few feet, I saw a little wooden box hidden in a hole in the wall. I pulled it out and crawled back into my room."What is this?" I asked myself.I opened the box. It was full of papers. They were letters. Dozens of them. They were all addressed to me, but they had never been sent. I picked up the one on top. The date

The Confrontation with Lydia

I didn't sleep at all after Roman left. I just sat on the floor and stared at the letters. Every time I thought about Marcus paying that girl to lie, I felt a hot, itchy feeling in my chest. But then a scary thought popped into my head.How did Marcus do it all alone? My mom was always with him. They shared everything.I waited until the sun started to come up. I walked down the hall to my mom’s room. She was sitting in a big chair by the window, rubbing her stomach and drinking tea. She looked so happy."Mom?" I said. I was still holding one of Roman’s letters behind my back."Scarlett! You’re up early," she said. She patted the chair next to her. "Come sit. We need to talk about the baby's room colors.""I don't care about colors, Mom," I said. I walked right up to her. "I found Roman’s letters. The ones he wrote from Switzerland."My mom stopped rubbing her stomach. Her face went very still. "Letters? What letters?""The ones where he says Marcus paid a girl named Elena to lie," I

The Street Race Bet

The wind was cold as we sped away from the mansion. Roman’s car felt fast and loud, like a big animal growling. I sat in the passenger seat and watched the trees go by. I felt like I was finally awake after a long, bad dream."Where are we going, Roman?" I asked. "This isn't the way to the beach.""We’re going to the canyons, Scarlett," Roman said. He kept his eyes on the road. "I need money. A lot of it. And I need it tonight.""Why? Marcus has all the money in the world," I said."Marcus has money he uses like a leash," Roman said. "I need my own. Zane told me there’s a race. A big one. The buy-in is high, but the prize is enough to get Marcus off my back for good.""Zane?" I remembered the boy with the gold coin. "Roman, Zane told me you were obsessed with me. He showed me your tattoo. I don't think he’s a good friend."Roman let out a short, mean laugh. "Zane isn't anyone’s friend. He’s a shark. But he knows where the money is. Just stay in the car when we get there. Promise me."

The Crash and the Hospital

The smoke was thick and smelled like hot metal and burnt rubber. I ran as fast as I could toward the tree. Roman’s car was upside down. The wheels were still spinning, making a soft whirring sound in the quiet night."Roman!" I screamed. I fell on the dirt next to the driver’s side window. "Roman, please talk to me!"I heard a groan. It was low and painful. I saw a hand reach out from the broken glass. There was blood on his knuckles, but he was moving."Scarlett?" his voice was shaky. "Are you... are you okay? Did the truck hit you?""I wasn't in the SUV, Roman! I was on the road! I’m safe!" I cried. I tried to pull at the door, but it was stuck. "We have to get you out. There’s a fire starting near the engine!""Get back," Roman said. He sounded stronger now. I heard him kick the door. Bang. Bang. On the third kick, the door flew open with a loud pop.He crawled out of the car. He looked like a mess. His forehead was bleeding, and his leather jacket was torn. He stood up and wobbled

Detective Miller’s Move

I stayed in the hospital chair next to Roman’s bed until the sun came up. My pink dress was ruined, and my hair felt like a bird’s nest. Roman was sleeping, his chest rising and falling slowly under the thin hospital blanket.I went to the little bathroom in the corner to splash cold water on my face. When I came out, a man was standing by the window. He wasn't a doctor. He was wearing a long coat and a hat."Detective Miller," I said. My heart gave a little jump. He was the man Marcus hired to watch us. "What are you doing here? Did Marcus send you?"Detective Miller turned around. He held up a small black box. It was the memory card from the drone at the race."Marcus thinks I’m still looking for the 'source' of the leak," the Detective said. His voice was deep and dry, like old paper. "He doesn't know I caught the whole show last night. The race, the crash, and especially that kiss.""We aren't hiding it anymore," I said, trying to sound brave. "The drone already put it online. Chl

The Sabotaged Fitting

The mansion felt like a cold box. Marcus had guards at every door, and nobody was allowed to talk about the hospital or the crash. My mom was busy talking to florists, pretending like her daughter wasn't on the front page of the gossip news."Scarlett, come here!" Chloe called from the dressing room. Her voice sounded high and shaky. "The tailor is here for the final fitting! We have to move fast!"I walked into the room. There were big mirrors everywhere. In the middle of the room, on a gold hanger, was supposed to be my dress for the Gala. It was a beautiful emerald green dress, the color of a deep forest."Is it ready?" I asked.Chloe didn't say anything. She just pointed at the floor.I looked down. The green dress wasn't on the hanger anymore. It was in a hundred little pieces on the rug. It looked like someone had taken a pair of giant scissors and gone snip, snip, snip until there was nothing left but green strings."Oh no," I whispered. I knelt down and picked up a piece of th

The Night Before the Gala

The digital lock on my door was a little glowing red eye. Every time I tried to turn the handle, it let out a sharp beep that felt like a slap. Marcus had changed the passwords again. He was downstairs drinking expensive scotch and talking about the merger, while I was locked in here like a doll he didn't want to play with yet.I was sitting on the edge of the cold porcelain tub, staring at the floor, when I heard the metal plate behind the pipes start to rattle."Scarlett," a voice whispered from inside the wall."Roman?" I scrambled over and pulled at the panel. It popped open, hitting the floor with a dull thud. Roman crawled out, his face streaked with gray dust. He looked tired, and he was holding his side where his ribs were wrapped in bandages."The new codes on the doors are thick," Roman said, breathing hard. He stood up and kicked the panel back toward the hole. "But he’s a fool. He thinks everything can be fixed with a computer. He forgot I know how this house was built.""

The Gala Mask

The gold dress felt like a heavy suit of armor. I stood in front of the full-length mirror while Chloe pinned a lace mask over my eyes. It was stiff and scratchy. Downstairs, I could hear the music starting. It was loud and fast, like a heartbeat."You look perfect, Scarlett," Chloe said. She was shaking. "Just keep the mask on. Nobody can see your eyes. Nobody will know you’re scared.""I'm not scared," I said. I looked at the digital lock on my door. It was green now. Marcus had opened the cages because it was showtime. "I’m just waiting.""Marcus is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs," Chloe said. "The press is already inside. The 'Angel' is back."I walked out of my room. My mom was in the hallway. She was wearing a silver dress and a mask that looked like a cat. She didn't say anything to me. She just adjusted her pearls and pointed toward the stairs. We walked down together, looking like a perfect family.Marcus was standing there in a black tuxedo. He held out his hand

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