All Chapters of Tempting The Graves Brothers: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

68 Chapters

Chapter Twenty One

By the time dinner was over, it was nearly to 9:00pm. The atmosphere in the dinning room felt like it had been scrubbed raw—at least on my end. I pushed my chair back, the legs scraping against the hardwood with a finality that I hoped would signal my escape.“It was a beautiful dinner, Mrs. Graves,” I said, my voice sounding a bit too breathless. “But I really should get going. It’s already late.”Zion’s hand instantly found mine again, his fingers lacing through mine with a firm possessive squeeze. “Stay, Khi. Just for the night.”I blinked, the “static” in my head giving a sharp, warning buzz. “Zi, I can’t. It’s not Friday yet, and we have school tomorrow. You know how my schedule is.”“So what?” Zion shrugged, his eyes pleading with that boyish charm that usually worked on everyone. “Stay. We can just drive together to school tomorrow.”“Zion, I don’t have school clothes here,” I hissed under my breath, trying to keep the conversation private, though I could feel Noah’s eyes trac

Chapter Twenty Two

By the time I had finished trying on all 5 dresses, an hour had already slipped through our fingers. Between Zion’s theatrical rounds of applause, his constant teasing, and the way he made me twirl until I was dizzy, the clock had ticked past 10:00pm.I finally slipped out of the last Parsian silk and into the bathroom to wash the day off. After a hot shower, I emerged wearing one of Zion’s baggy, heather-grey-t-shirts. It was soft, smelled faintly of his citrus cologne, and reached mid-thigh. I pulled my damp hair into a messy bun, feeling more like myself but still vibrating with the low-level “static.”Even in the baggy shirt and bare feet, Zion looked at me like I was under a spotlight. “You know, couture is great, but I think the Kay-Graves look suits you best,” he joked, patting the space on the bed next to him.I climbed in, pulling the heavy duvet up to my chest. An awkward silence settled between us—the kind that usually didn’t exist in our decade-long friendship, but now fe

Chapter Twenty Three

The heavy, dreamless sleep didn’t last nearly long enough. I was jolted awake by the mechanical, booming chime of the Graves house monitor. Years of sleepover, and I still hated it with passion.“Good morning, Graves! Seven o’ clock. Time to greet the day!” The automated voice chirped through the ceiling speakers.I groaned, burying my face back into Zion’s citrus-scented pillow. I couldn’t even stand the standard buzzing of a normal alarm clock; being summoned to consciousness by a surround-sound loudspeaker felt like a personal attack. It was so….Graves. Everything in this house was designed to be efficient, loud, and impossible to ignore.Beside me, Zion was already stirring. He looked far too alert for someone who had stayed up watching Heartbreak High until the early hours. He leaned over, shaking my shoulder gently. “Come on, Sunshine. School waits for no one.”“School can wait ten more minutes,” I mumbled into the duvet.He laughed,sliding out of bed. “I am going in first. If y

Chapter Twenty Four

As we pulled into the school parking lot exactly thirty minutes later, the scent of the lattes Zion insisted on grabbing still lingering in the air. As Zion killed the engine, he reached over, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.“Ready for the circus?” He joked, though his eyes warm and sincere.“As I’ll ever be,” I murmured, adjusting the strap of the borrowed designer bag.The moment we stepped out of the car and crossed the threshold of the main hallway, the atmosphere shifted. It was like a physical wave of heat. The typical morning chatter didn’t just quiet down; it morphed into a low, frantic hum. I could feel every pair of eyes tracking us—the red soles of my heels clicking like a countdown.I had always been “The Blueprint,” but today, my aura had transformed into something untouchable. Something royal. I guessed Xalia had been busy—within less than 24 hours, the news of our “official” status had been clearly spreading like wildfire. We weren’t just Khione and Zion anymore; w

Chapter Twenty Five

The rest of the hour was a blur of blue paint and stifled silence. Everytime I glanced at the Caraviggio, I felt the “static” flare, a low-voltage reminder that my own light was thinning out. When the bell finally chimed, I packed my brushes with hands that were still unsteady.As we stepped out of the classroom and the chaotic stream of students, the cool air of the hallway did nothing to chill the heat Xalia was bringing. She didn’t even wait for us to cleat the doorway before she dived right back in, her voice dropping to that sharp, intrusive whisper that she only used for the most scandalous topics .“Okay, Sterling is gone, so no more “duplicity” speeches”she said, bumping her hip into mine as she maneuvered through the crowd. “Seriously, Khi. Spill. I need details. How does it feel? Losing your virginity to the literal golden boy of Carli? Was it like a movie?”My grip tightened on the strap of the Graves bag until the leather bit into my shoulder. The noise of the hallway—the

Chapter Twenty Six

“What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped, my defensive walls shooting up so high I could practically feel the stone cold air between us. “Do you think I am some kind of masochist, X? That I’d say yes to being Zion’s girlfriend if I hadn’t chosen him?”I didn’t give her a chance to breathe, the word spilling out of me in a frantic, sharp rhythm. I needed to convince her—because if I convince her, maybe the “static” would finally shut up.“Xalia, it was just a kiss,” I hissed, leaning so close our forehead almost touched. “Nothing more. It was a mistake by a guy who lives to break things. There shouldn’t be any fuss between two brothers over a moment that meant zero to either of us. Zion knows that. He handled it, he took it well, and it’s over. End of story.”Xalia’s mouth opened, her hazel eyes clouded with a mix of pity and a sharp, nagging disbelief. She started to form a word—likely my name, or another “but”— as she reached out to touch my arm. I flinched back, my chair scraping

Chapter Twenty Seven

The drive back to the Graves estate felt shorter than usual, the hum of the engine barley drowning out the frantic thumping in my chest. When Zion pulled into the familiar winding driveway, he didn’t even kill the engine.“Sorry I can’t walk you in, Sunshine. The guys are already at the court waiting,” he said, leaning over to press a quick possessive kiss to my lips. “Have fun with Spanish. See you tonight?”“Actually, remember? My house tonight,” I reminded him, my hand already on the door handle.“Right. My mistake,” he grinned, completely unfazed. “Catch you later.” I stepped out, the gravel crunching under my borrowed heels, and watched the car disappear down the drive. I took a long, shaky breath. Time to face Noah.I reached the massive front door. I knocked. Silence. I knocked again, my heart mirroring the rhythmic thud against the wood. It wasn’t until the third knock that the door swung open with a sharp impatient jerk.Noah stood there,his expression surprisingly energized—

Chapter Twenty Eight

“Mom? What are you doing here?” I managed to choke out, my voice still rough from the screaming matched with Noah. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”My mom tilted her head, her eyes sweeping over the mountain of expensive fabric in my arms. “I sent you a message, Khione. My shift ended early today.”I fumbled for my phone in my pocket, my fingers trembling as I tapped on the screen. Sure enough, there was a notification from three hours ago. My phone was on DND.“My bad,” I muttered shoving the phone back into my pocket. “I didn’t see it.”“Khione…..” her voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she truly took in the labels on the garment bags—the distinct, gold-embossed lettering of boutiques that usually only existed for us on the pages of glossy magazines. She reached out, her fingers hovering over a sleeve of Parisian silk. “What’s all this? Who gave you these? And why do you look so….stunning?”“Mrs. Graves,” I said, my voice sounding thin and exhausted. “She gifted them to me.”“Ouuuu!

Chapter Twenty Nine

“Perfect timing! I just finished dinner,” Mom called out, her voice floating happily from the kitchen. She appeared in the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron, her eyes lighting up the second she saw Winter."Oh, you must be the girlfriend Kiesel has been hiding! Come in, come in!"I was already leaning into the door, ready to swing it shut and lock myself back into my pink-pajama-clad bubble, but Winter held up a delicate hand, her green eyes darting back toward the driveway."Wait," Winter said, her melodic voice dipping slightly. "My sister is right behind—"Before she could even finish the sentence, a second figure stepped out of the shadows of the porch. The air in my lungs didn't just vanish; it turned to solid ice. Because, of course, nothing good ever comes without a price. And for me, that price was standing on my doorstep, looking like the embodiment of every secret I had tried to bury.Petra.She stepped into the light of the entryway, and the world seemed to tilt. She h

Chapter Thirty

We filed into the small dining room, the air thick with the smell of Mom’s jollof rice and the suffocating scent of Petra’s expensive perfume. I sat as far away from her as possible, clutching my water glass like a lifeline.Mom was already in full hostess mode, her eyes practically sparkling as she watched Winter settle into her seat. “Winter, honey, I have to say it—you are absolutely stunning,” Mom said, leaning forward with a teasing glint in her eyes. She glanced over at Kiesel, who was already digging into the side dishes. “I’m trying to figure out how a girl like you ended up with a boy like my nephew. Did he save your life? Or did you lose a very serious bet?”For once, I found myself nodding along in silent agreement. It was the only thing Mom and I had seen eye-to-eye on all day. Kiesel just grinned, his mouth half-full. “Hey! I have charms, Auntie. Hidden ones.”Winter let out that melodic laugh again, the sound making the static in my head dip for just a second. “He’s actu

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