Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother novel Chapter 226

KESTER.

I headed downstairs to join the others who were already chatting away at the dining.

The table reeked of discomfort.

My maternal uncle, Greg, was there–of course. Along with my fathers cousins, Ralph and Vincent. The kind of men who wore expensive suits to hide the mediocrity clinging to their bones.

Everyone I despised seated neatly around the table like some perfectly plated disease.

Especially Uncle Greg.

The man reminded me so much of my mother. Same passive–aggressive smirks. Same polished speech. Same Hazel eyes. The woman I hated. The woman I still, fucking tragically, loved. A contradiction hadn’t learned how to overcome yet.

And what the fuck was Karina doing here?

Family dinner? She wasn’t family. She was an asterisk in this gathering.

She wasn’t family for fuck’s sake!

Jorja, bless her diplomatic little heart, had that signature ‘ignore–it–all–and–smile‘ expression smeared across her face like it was waterproof. She was clearly committed to enjoying her evening, even if the house was on fire and Karina was holding the match.

This was my father’s doing. Of course, it was. He had a knack for opening our doors wide enough for snakes to slither in.

A few hours ago, I had replaced Karina’s new favorite wine. The one kept for her two days ago was empty. She surely loved it.

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I know she must have attempted to look for the exact wine to buy for herself, but fuck me if I wasn’t smart enough to make sure the

wine had no label.

She seemed happy. Overly, unnaturally happy. The kind of happy that switches on and off like a faulty light bulb. Dim one moment, practically glowing the next She looked pale sometimes, and other times, she looked all energetic and pumped up.

–

I couldn’t wait for the puzzle I was carefully building beneath her feet to finally fall in place.

My phone beeped beside me again, and I picked it up. It was a worthy distraction from this uninteresting dinner I was being forced to have with people I could call strangers.

It was from Alfred

Alfred: Alpha, it is done Kex fell for the bait. They are set to sign the legal contracts in five days.

My lips curled around a smirk as I picked up my glass of whiskey, raising it slightly in a silent toast to a bloodless war. Another win.

Me: How much are we looking at?

Alfred: Our guys made him strike a mouthwatering deal of a hundred and fifty million.

I scoffed, taking another sip of my whiskey in silent celebration.

87%

It was about power and payback..