Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

Chapter 196

Chapter 196

I blinked rapidly. "What?" I asked with a breathy scoff.

Mum didn't even flinch. "Yes, Kasmine. It was signed and agreed upon when his father helped your father seven years ago. He got us through a major crisis, and in return, a marriage alliance was secured. It is beneficial to us all in the long run."

Her voice was calm and steady as if she were simply reading out a bedtime story. Her words weren't making any sense. None of this was.

"Wait. I was payment? Gratitude? Appreciation?" I counted the words.

I turned to face her fully now, standing close, right in her face. I wanted her to look me in the eye and tell me it was okay to trade my life and future for the pack's 'beneficial

future.

"Don't see it that way, baby." She reached out to touch my arm, but I stepped back. “If this wasn't necessary, it wouldn't have happened."

There wasn't an ounce of regret in her voice. Not a single hint of remorse.

"This isn't happening." I shook my head, the words spilling out before I could even think.

"Kester will never let this happen. He won't. You'll see,

"Kester knows, baby." She said, and I froze. "He was there when it was all agreed upon."

The air in my lungs vanished.

Blood turned to ice.

The world tilted just slightly.

"What?"

***

The perfect day I had been looking forward to crumbled before my eyes, slipping through.

my fingers like sand. And there was nothing I could do to save it.

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Chapter 196

1 sat with Jake in our usual garden, the secluded spot on the school grounds where we

always snuck to. The place where, for a little while, the world didn't exist.

I wanted to be happy to see him. I really did. But my mind was too clouded, and my heart

too heavy.

a good job hiding it because he caught on immediately. "Kasmine," he said

eyes. "I'm fine. Jake. Sorry. I'm just..." My

about Karina? About the problems she's stirring up in

at him in

was he talking

blinked, my head tilting slightly. "What?" My

sincerely couldn't tell where

Or, well, your brother's stepsister,

confusion only

have no idea what you're talking about, Jake. My curiosity piqued, and for some reason, my heart began to

started forming in my stomach while

you don't know, then maybe you should ask

reaction. "They'll explain it better." He said, and before I could. protest, he had brought

It was a box.

of thing that looked both

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Chapter 196

asked, my curiosity spiking, pushing aside

twitching slightly as I stared at the small, elegant box

on edge from our previous conversation, but now it pounded for an entirely

breathed, my eyes flicking between the box and

smile-one that

"I planned to do this on your birthday, make it special, you

through me at the way the world suddenly seemed to

a delicate silver bracelet. Simple, yet stunning. A small charm in the shape of a crescent moon dangled from

stared at it,

said, his voice lower now, “but this..." He gestured slightly with the box. "This is me saying I want you,

sucked in

My voice wavered as emotion

know," he cut in gently as if he could already hear the turmoil in my head. "I know your brother is a problem. I know you're

your own choices. His jaw clenched briefly. "Screw that. I

until then. I'll wait. I'll wait as long as

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Chapter 196

My heart clenched painfully.

I hesitated, licking my lips. "What if I

that bridge when we

absolute faith in

about the decision I was about to

did.

Not Alpha Jaden.

I might be feeling for Kester, it would never end well. We were stepsiblings. Our little forbidden