Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother novel Chapter 72

I kept reading the notes over and over again, even when I willed myself to stop.

Kester’s possessiveness needed a degree. His will to become a man he wasfi’t…? It was impressive.

His obsession with doing things that he originally wouldn’t do was as consuming as a wildfire in winter. And it was becoming dangerous.

Kester was never such a man. And I never envisaged him being such a man, even in his next life.

But this?

“Who are they from?” Jake asked, yanking me back to reality. His brows were pinched while his eyes scanned my face like he could see straight through me.

I inhaled sharply, pressing the note between my fingers like it might disappear if I held it tightly enough.

“Uhm…” I swallowed, forcing my expression to stay neutral. “I… I don’t know, Jake. There’s no name on it.”

The lie slipped past my lips so smoothly that it frightened me..

He didn’t say another word. He just leaned into his seat, his expression saying everything his mouth couldn’t say

And, gods, I hated it.

I hated that made him feel this way just moments after making him feel appreciated.

The silence made my stomach twist. My fingers tightened around the luxurious arrangement of bouquet, which probably cost more than Jake made in two years from doing assignments for students in school.

I shoved it aside, my chair scraping against the floor as I moved closer to him.

“Jake,” I murmured, reaching out and resting my hand on his arm. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t lean into the touch either. “It doesn’t matter.” My voice was soft and careful. “Your rose is the one that made me happy.”

He let out a small, breathy chuckle, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Kasmine, you don’t have to-”

“I mean it,” I interrupted. I slid my fingers down his forearm, squeezing gently. “I don’t care about extravagant gifts. I care about thoughtfulness. And you, Jake… you always give me that.”

He exhaled, finally meeting my gaze, and the stiffness in his shoulders loosened.

“I don’t even know who they are from. Probably someone who doesn’t have the guts to approach me in person.” I said, “Can’t you see why you are way better than them?”

He took in a deep breath, “But…”

“Shh… There are no buts. Trust me,” I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

I looked into his sincere eyes and wondered when he planned on properly asking me to be his girlfriend.

But one question remained unanswered…

If Jake asks me to be his girlfriend, will I accept his proposal? Will I have to choose between a death wish for both of us and a taste of true love from Jake? Because I know Kester would never let us live if I ever dared to be Jake’s girlfriend.

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Chapter 72

The tension between us was starting to dissolve when my phone vibrated on the desk.

I almost ignored it.

Almost.

But then I saw the name flashing across the screen.

Kester.

My breath caught, my pulse stuttering in my throat.

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen. I didn’t want to answer this in front of Jake because I knew what the call would be about.

But if I didn’t answer, Kester would keep calling. I knew him well enough to be sure of that.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Kasmine.”

Just my name. Low, rich, and filled with that quiet, infuriating arrogance that never failed to unnerve me.

I pushed up from my chair, gripping the phone tighter. “I need to take this,” I told Jake, forcing a small smile before walking out of the office.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, I exhaled sharply, my voice dipping into irritation.

“Kester, what the hell were you thinking?”

A beat of silence.

Then he spoke, “I assume you got my present.”

“Of course I got it,” I hissed, my grip tightening around the phone. “You sent it to THE office, Kester. Do you have any idea what kind of attention it already drew?”

His laugh was quiet and utterly unbothered. “And?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “And? Are you serious? Do you not give a damn about the kind of questions this could bring up? Or did you want people to start talking?”

“I don’t give a fuck, Kasmine. Besides, it had no name from the sender, did it?”

I knew what he was doing. He enjoyed it when I was on the edge and at his mercy, wondering what next he was up

1. to.

“Kester-”

“You’re meeting me at The Amarante Spa in an hour.”

Iblinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Kester, I can’t-”

“An hour, Kasmine.”

Chapter 72

The line went dead.

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She had sat across from me in her little chair, saying what no one else would dare to.

The worst mistake of her life orced to tell my parents about it.