Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

KESTER.

I closed the door as carefully as possible so as not to wake Kasmine up. She was still sound asleep, her body curled beneath the covers, lost in the kind of deep rest only I could give her. I wasn't about to disturb that.

We were supposed to go scuba diving today, but after last right, I wasn't sure she'd have the energy for it. Maybe we'd take the day off and stick to something easier-like the bonfire at the villa tonight. She'd love that. For now, I had other things to deal with.

I strode to my room, my mind already shifting into work inde. A shower first- then emails. I knew there'd be a flood of them waiting for me, along with the hundreds of messages from my father that I'd purposely ignored yesterday.

I'd deal with him later.

The moment the hot water hit my skin, tension melted from my muscles. I let it run over me, closing my eyes for just a second longer than necessary, letting my mind drift. had been a long time since I felt this-contentment. Not peace. Not exactly. But something close. Something I only ever felt when Kasmine was with me.

After my bath, I stepped out, letting the cool air hit my skin I toweled off, applied lotion, and pulled on my usual -sweatpants and a black singlet, an easy go-to. As I reached for my laptop, my gaze caught on the tattoo on my arm.

A slow smile stretched across my lips.

Mine.

Every time I looked at it, it reminded me of her-of what she meant to me, of how deeply she was etched into me. Even when she wasn't physically by my side, she was here.

Getting these tattoos was the best decision I'd made in a long time.

For a brief moment, I stood by the window, soaking in the warmth of the morning sun. The air was fresh, the ocean breeze slipping through. The day promised calm.

Then I opened my laptop.

And just like that, the calm was gone.

Thirty-four emails.

My jaw tensed.

I grabbed my phone, unlocking it with a flick of my thumb Twenty-one texts. Forty-eight voicemails.

What the fuck?

Was my pack on fire? Had the world ended overnigh

A muscle feathered in my jaw as I stared

at my screen, irritation curling in my gut.

I decided to look at my emails first. They were all from the office.

I clicked on the first email, and Ryhs's name flashed at the top. My eyes skimmed

through the message, irritation shifting into something else. Worry.

Chapter 69

It came in as URGENT.

-29 BONUS

Ryhs: "I don't know what the fuck is happening, but our suppliers In Scotland have practically shut us out, We were already struggling with Belinzo prioritizing Valor Larte's shipments, but now even our backup suppliers are pulling back

I've spoken with Mellors Holdings-or tried to. They won't return my calls. Neither will Hexley Shipping That's not a coincidence. Someone is leaning on them hard.

Our latest shipment of semiconductors, scheduled for this week, has been rerouted. It was supposed to be ours. Instead, it's been redirected to Valor Lante. Again.

If we don't act fast, our Scotland branch will go under. We're already bleeding money trying to keep things afloat. Another quarter like this, and we'll be forced to cut operations.

We need leverage. We need a way to make Belinzo hurt for this. Tell me how you want to proceed."

I felt my heart pick up speed.

Fuck!

more than

exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening. They were cutting us off

no shipments.

email was from Logan Drake,

Belinzo-Valor Lante

Kester,

The exclusivity clause is

would take months-maybe a year-before we could get a

interesting. The clause only

we might be able to work around the

if you want me

Logan.

workaround. A risky one. If Belingo caught wind of

agreement and block us

we didn't

next email was from Maya Lome,

Chapter 30

a serious

and reinvests in Valor Lante, we'll lose nearly zo % of our

That's overnight, Kester.

28% of our market shares. If they pull out and

They'll vote you out."

More emails came in:

two new government contracts-both of which we

nightmare brewing. Journalists are

message, was like a hand tightening around my throat... Another shove toward the edge

Wescorpulling out.

Belinzo shutting us out.

Valor Lante taking everything

fingers curled into fists, my temples pulsing as I ground my teeth together. This wasn't just competition. This was war. A well-calculated attempt

Why?

didn't let him get my sister's

dip, they'd turn on me without hesitation. They'd vote me out and hand

some corporate puppet willing to

away from the bed where I sat. The very

thick with barely

by the window, my fingers

the glass vase

be there. Not so close to

I steady it. Instead, I watched it,

over on

move away from crashing. If

letting it sit

like I was

reached for my phone, preparing to call Rhys in order to start tearing through this mess,

Chapter 89

to look before it

ricocheting through the room like

actual fuck,

June.

grated on my nerves, adding gasoline to the flames of fury

when did June learn to be this

wearing yesterday's dress. Her arms were crossed tight over her chest, nails digging into her

single second-I didn't give a

all night!" She said,

No wonder she

up from

that," she snapped. "And when I woke up, was still

you have any idea how cold