The Stepbrother’s Hidden Desires

After dinner, they both returned to school. In the elevator, Annabel spoke first. “I didn’t know they asked you for help.”

Her deliberate explanations were a thinly veiled attempt to distance herself from him.

“I know.”

On the way back in the car, he received a call. In the confined space, she could easily hear a soft female voice on the other end, whether it was Sara, Nancy, or someone else, there were quite a few people who admired him.

After he finished caring for the girl on the other end, he hung up.

She snorted lightly. “Central air conditioning, take care of everyone.”

He frowned unhappily. “Me?”

Annabel snorted, turned her head away, and looked out the window. The floating light and shadow occasionally grazed her profile, which looked so beautiful it was intoxicating.

Her phone buzzed incessantly in her pocket. She picked it up, glanced at it, but didn’t answer, then tossed it back into her pocket.

He asked, “Why aren’t you answering?”

Her gaze flickered past him as she answered the call, her first words being, “Cody, what’s up?”

Hearing that name made David’s teeth ache.

Cody had waited for her for a long time. He said hurriedly, “What’s up? We agreed to play games together today. Did you forget again?”

Only then did Annabel remember. “I completely forgot. Wait for me at the school gate in ten minutes, I’ll be there soon.”

She hung up the phone. David asked her, “Where are you going later?”

An impatient expression crossed her face again. Before she could respond, David frowned. “Answer me quickly!”

He had drunk a lot, his face was not only red but his eyes were also bloodshot.

She was always good at changing the subject. “Rabbit.”

“What?”

She pointed at his eyes and teased, “I said you look like a rabbit. Your alcohol tolerance is really low.”

Seeing that she didn’t take his words to heart at all and dared to mock him, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

They arrived at the school gate in no time, and David saw three boys and a girl standing next to the security booth. Cody was among them. The guy’s popularity at Eastdown Uni was no less than that of a celebrity. It was cold, and Cody was stamping his feet from time to time, indicating that they had been waiting for a while.

As soon as the car stopped, Annabel pushed open the door to get out, but was suddenly pulled back by a hand. “Don’t go, okay?”

She frowned, clearly refusing. He softened his tone. “I’ve had too much to drink. Can you take me back to the dorm?”

She promptly pulled her hand back. “I’m busy. Call Perez.”

With that, she turned and got out of the car, jogging towards Cody, who was standing at the entrance. David saw him take off his scarf and put it around her neck. She hooked her arm around his, and the group chatted and laughed as they disappeared from his sight.

David felt all the alcohol he had just drunk churning in his stomach, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

***

December 24th, Christmas Eve

Annabel rented out a bar in the downtown area and organized a Christmas party, inviting almost all the classmates with whom she had good relationships.

After lunch, her roommates left with their boyfriends, and Annabel walked along the straight road towards the dormitory. She wanted to take a nap to rest up for the evening party.

The glass walls of the supermarket were covered with various Christmas decorations, and the street echoed with a cheerful “Jingle Bells.” People were selling flowers, chocolates, and apples on the roadside, and passing students were discussing topics related to Christmas, filling the air with a strong festive atmosphere.

However, Annabel felt lonely and deserted. It wasn’t like the loneliness she experienced in high school. Many boys here tried to please her, and she got along well with her roommates. But she still felt lonely, even silly Cody couldn’t keep her entertained.

On the TV screen at the supermarket entrance, Mason’s show was playing. She stopped to watch for a moment. When she left, she unconsciously glanced at the figure that flashed past the glass wall opposite her. Logan?

She took a closer look, but there was nothing there. She turned her head and searched the main road for a while, but there was nothing. She couldn’t help but find it amusing. Even if it was an illusion, why would it be Logan?

Her sleeve was tugged, and she looked down to see a seven or eight-year-old girl with pigtails, holding out a bright red apple. “This is for you!”

The little girl was in the process of losing her baby teeth, and half of her mouth was missing teeth. Annabel smiled and asked her, “Who gave this to you?”

The little girl pointed behind her. “That guy.”

Apart from the chilly wind swirling at the intersection, there was no one else around. The little girl scratched her head. “He was just here.”

Annabel lowered her head and rubbed the girl’s nose. “Maybe the wind blew him away.”

To prove that she wasn’t lying, the little girl insisted, “It’s true! He is a really handsome guy.” She then raised the lollipop in her hand. “See, this is what he gave me.”

“What did he say?”

“He said Merry Christmas to you and Merry Christmas to me too.”

The little girl took another bite of her candy, her voice crisp and pleasant.

Annabel patted the girl’s head. “Okay, thank you.”

She washed the apple under the tap at the supermarket entrance and leisurely bit into it on the way back. Although she didn’t know who it was from, was giving just an apple for Christmas a bit stingy?

Back in the dormitory, she couldn’t shake the image of the glimpse she caught on the glass door. Curiosity really could kill.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

She called her grandmother, chatting aimlessly until she was about to hang up, then asked casually, “Has Logan returned to the country?”

“No, Brenna said he found a girlfriend overseas. He must be spending time with her right now.”

She hung up the phone, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

At six o’clock in the evening, Cody was waiting downstairs on time. When he saw Annabel coming down, he looked at her with admiration for quite some time. “You look really beautiful today.”

Annabel usually wore light makeup, fresh and elegant. But her makeup today was mature and enchanting, wrapped in an oversized down jacket and wearing a pair of light-colored high heels, revealing a glimpse of her straight ankles, sexy yet lazy.

Cody glanced down Annabel’s slender white collarbone, wondering what kind of scenery lay within. Suddenly, Annabel heavily tapped the back of his head. “Let’s go.”

His flashy red sports car was parked at the dormitory gate. Annabel said, “I’ll drive.”

“You can drive?”

“When I was driving, you were probably still playing with mud.”

She took the keys he tossed to her and got into the car.

Cody felt a bit frustrated. She occasionally flirted with him, but there was no progress beyond that.

His reputation was well-known, but there were still girls flocking around him, mostly because of his wealth and generosity. But neither of these worked on Annabel. He wanted to give her a handbag, only to find out that she used not only LV and Hermes but also limited editions. He wanted to give her jewelry, but her earrings were all diamond. He took her out for food and entertainment, but she was more knowledgeable about it than he was. He only played with what she left behind. No wonder she called him a fool.

Annabel lazily glanced at him. “Hold on tight.”

As Annabel chuckled softly in his ear, before Cody could react, she had already floored the accelerator, and the car flew over a small hill. Cody’s heart raced as his face was pressed against the window. Just as he was still in shock, she took another sharp turn, executing a beautiful drift.

She shot him a triumphant look. “Told you I wasn’t lying.”

Annabel gave Cody a mischievous glance. “Let’s play something more thrilling.”

Cody swallowed back his saliva, feeling only fear at the moment. “Oh God, what are you planning now?”

The road was under construction, and it had just rained at noon, leaving puddles everywhere. She was driving fast, and the car was bouncing vigorously.

Ahead, there was a man and a woman, the man tall with broad shoulders and long legs, the woman petite. They were walking towards the school gate, chatting and laughing.

She floored the accelerator again, turned the steering wheel to the right, and the car zoomed towards the couple.

“Annabel!”

Cody’s head spun, and when he saw the face of the boy in front of them, he knew it was over.