Chapter 1
Escape From My Step–Brother’s Dangerous Obsession
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“Mom, Uncle Dan, I got accepted into the study abroad program in Florence!” Skylar announced quietly in the living room of their Upper East Side apartment, her voice as
gentle as a ripple on still water.
Her mother, curled up on the leather sofa, lit up with excitement. “You got in? When do you leave for Italy?”
“In ten days.”
Her mother hadn’t expected such a rushed timeline. While excited, worry lines creased her forehead. “I’ll help you pack everything. Since this is your first time in Europe, especially Italy, I reached out to Patricia – you remember my old sorority sister? Her son is doing his master’s in Florence. You can reach out to him if you need anything. And don’t feel awkward about it – you two were actually promised to each other when you were kids, back when our families were close. If you hit it off, great. If not, at least you’ll have a friend
there.”
Skylar nodded absently, fiddling with the acceptance letter. “Sure, Mom.”
Her mother looked surprised at her easy agreement. “Skylar, honey… you’re okay with this? Does this mean you and your boyfriend… finally broke up?”
Skylar fell silent, her fingers stilling on the paper.
Uncle Dan immediately caught on, slamming his hand on the coffee table. “That guy never even showed his face at our holiday dinners – clearly wasn’t serious about you. Good
riddance!”
“Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”
A sharp voice cut through the room’s heavy atmosphere.
All three turned to see Callias standing in the doorway.
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Catalogue
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Setting
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He stood there in a crisp black shirt and tailored slacks, his presence commanding the room with an innate grace that spoke of old money and prep school polish.
Skylar trembled slightly as she stood. “Brother.”
Callias responded with a meaningful “hmm,” tossed his car keys in the crystal bowl by the door, and headed upstairs.
That evening, their mother prepared a feast and opened a bottle of aged Chianti.
She raised her glass, beaming at her family, ready to announce the news. “Come, let’s celebrate together. Skylar is about to-”
Sensing danger, Skylar quickly interrupted, “Mom, this wine tastes off. Maybe we should open another bottle?”
Her mother looked puzzled – the wine was perfectly fine. But Skylar had already pulled her into the kitchen under the pretense of selecting a new bottle.
“Mom, please don’t tell Callias about Florence yet.”
Her mother found this strange at first. But thinking of how protective her stepson had always been of his sister, she understood their close sibling bond and agreed.
After picking at her dinner, Skylar retreated to her room upstairs. She showered and lay in bed, slowly drifting off to sleep beneath her down comforter.
At midnight, right on schedule, someone joined her.
Hot breath fell on her neck, followed by soft lips grazing and nipping at her skin. The cool sensation fully woke Skylar from her drowsy state.
She stiffened, instinctively pushing him away. “Callias!”
“So, mom’s little matchmaking with some Italian grad student has you pushing me away now?” In the darkness, Callias’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, his voice dangerously soft. “What was I then? Just a convenient fuck all these years?”
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Skylar knew he’d misunderstood but didn’t explain.
Callias’s expression darkened in the silence.
He pulled her close. “Skylar, haven’t I told you? No boyfriends. You’re mine alone.”
Feeling his heat against her back, Skylar wanted to avoid an argument. She lied: “It’s my time of the month. I don’t feel well.”
Hearing her soft excuse, Callias’s expression softened, though he frowned.“Wasn’t your cycle just last week? Running out of excuses, baby?” His tone softened slightly, though his grip remained firm. “But I won’t force you. Not tonight. Get some sleep.”
He held her tightly in his arms.
Listening to his steady breathing beside her ear, she lay awake.
No one knew that her boyfriend was her brother, Callias!
At twelve, when her mother remarried into the wealthy Harrison family, she and Callias, their only son, became step–siblings.
At fourteen, she called him brother, he called her sister – the picture of sibling harmony to their private school classmates and socialite circles.
At eighteen, he found her diary filled with secret confessions of love. He lounged against her desk, smiling as he read it over and over, then caught her hand as she tried to snatch it back, planting a kiss on her blushing cheek.
At twenty, their first night together happened during a thunderstorm. After that, they became addicted to each other, unable to stop.
Siblings by day, secret lovers by night, hiding their passion from Manhattan’s elite social
circles.
Skylar had always been the perfect Upper East Side daughter – straight A’s, charity committees, Junior League events. Her relationship with Callias was the only wild card she’d ever played.
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She loved him so much that she didn’t mind keeping their relationship hidden forever –
they could elope to Europe someday, start fresh where no one knew them.
But these dreams shattered two weeks ago when she overheard his conversation at his private club.
It was pouring that day. She’d gone to bring him his forgotten umbrella, but just before opening the oak door to the members‘ lounge, she heard his friend’s voice.
“Cal, what’s your endgame with the stepmom’s daughter? Thought you were just going to hit it and quit it? Why’re you still stringing her along?”
“Yeah, weren’t you just getting back at her mom for marrying into your family? Don’t tell me you’ve actually caught feelings.”
Revenge?
Their relationship wasn’t about love – it was revenge!
Skylar’s face drained of color. Her mind went blank, her body trembling, but she stubbornly stayed to hear Callias’s response.
Then his cold, cruel voice reached her ears.
“The longer the game, the sweeter the payback, isn’t it?”
The room erupted in laughter while she stood frozen outside, her world crashing down.
So he never loved her. Dating her, calling her his, their passionate nights together – it was all revenge for her mother taking his mother’s place in the family?
Her mother still had to live in the Harrison household. She couldn’t let this become fodder for the society gossip columns.
After much thought, her only escape route was Florence – leaving Manhattan, leaving him.
Now, only ten days remained before she would disappear into the Italian countryside.
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Looking at the countdown on her phone, Skylar removed Callias’s arm from her waist.
Minutes later, he embraced her again. Each time she moved away, he unconsciously drew
closer.
Her patience wore thin with this back and forth. Finally, she placed a pillow between them.
This time, he stayed put.
Skylar found her peace at last.
She knew their story would soon reach its end.
She would no longer belong to him, no longer be his dirty little secret.
