Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

KESTER.

I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat, exhaling slowly as I rubbed my palm over my face. For the hundredth time, I had checked, second-guessed, and reassured myself that I was doing this right. It felt unnatural, unfamiliar-but the urge to make Kasmine happy had become something I could no longer ignore

I didn't know how to do things like this. Romance, relationships... they had never been my forte. Not because! didn't indulge in women, but because I had never actually felt anything for any of them, but now I was willing to learn.

I had never been in a relationship where I actually felt something for the woman before. It's safe to say Kasmine was the first. The only one who had ever made me feel anything real. And whatever this feeling was-this restless, possessive, all-consuming need-it was evolving into something I couldn't define.

Something more.

I had no guide for this. No experience to draw from. So, like a goddamn fool, I had resorted to seeking help.

I'd taken advice. Read things I would never have otherwise considered. Even enrolled in some absurd online classes meant to teach men how to treat a woman in a relationship.

The sheer ridiculousness of it had made me scoff at myself. I'd almost laughed out loud as I transferred the payment for one of the classes two days ago, rolling my eyes at the irony of a man like me paying to be taught feelings.

Norlan, my best friend, was still not back from Germany, even after he had promised to return last week. He should have been here. He was the one person who knew me better than I knew myself, the only one I trusted to help me navigate this madness.

But he's been trying in his own capacity. He had done his best from afar, sending me tips and suggesting things I could do to make Kasmine happy.

Yes. Norlan knew. He knew everything about my obsession, my frustration, the way Kasmine had wormed her way beneath my skin in a way no one else ever had.

I stepped out of my car in the parking lot of the grand shopping mall, Carla Verloza-every young woman's dream shopping center.

Opulence dripped from every inch of the place. Gilded accents, high glass windows, a polished white exterior that gleamed under the afternoon sun. Everything about it screamed wealth, indulgence, and exclusivity. Not my usual kind of setting

I checked my wristwatch once more, a subtle attempt to steady myself before pushing forward as I headed straight for the reception.

This had better be worth it.

perfumes and luxury skincare products. The soft hum of elegant chatter filled the space,

to take in the details before a woman at the reception desk turned her

highlighting the high curve of her cheekbones and the glossy pink hue of her lips. Her fitted cream-colored dress was

Chapter 79

figure

smile-bright, professional, yet brimming with something

honor to have you here at Carla Verloza's. I must say, we don't often get visitors of

this. If she expected me to be flattered, she'd

sliding my hands into my pockets. "I need somewhere

with a practiced, graceful motion, she gestured toward a hallway leading deeper into

said. "Right

posture shifted subtly, the deliberate sway of her hips, the way she

I had none.

frosted glass doors, placing a manicured hand against the panel to push them open. Inside, the exclusive waiting ball was exactly what I expected lavish yet minimalistic. Plush seating, sleek black furniture, and soft

stepping aside as I walked in. "Feel free

at her. Just long enough to make her stiffen slightly under my

"That'll do," I said.

curiosity, maybe even intrigue at my lack of interest. She looked like a lady no man could ignore... But I guess she hadn't

yet.

my wine and spoke, "Stories about your conquest and achievements had traveled so far and wide that I knew about you even before I returned from the Philippines, where I went to study." She said, and I only nodded. Of course, everyone should know about

glass, her

murmured. "And if there's anything else you need... anything at all, just let

too long, but I was already dismissing her,

to my phone. After a moment, she took the hint and

sip of the wine

needed to

Again