The Forbidden Mark Of My Stepbrother

I am the invisible step-daughter of the billionaire Wilder family, a "guest" in a mansion of gold fixtures and cold hearts. For years, I’ve occupied the secret spaces of my step-brother Cornelius’s life, waking up in silk sheets that still smell of our shared nights before slipping out the side entrance like a criminal. The illusion of our connection shattered during a family breakfast when Cornelius calmly announced his engagement to socialite Emerald Kerr. Without a flicker of warmth, he swept his eyes over me—the woman he had just held hours before—and reminded me to take the morning-after pill because his "real" bride was returning to claim him. The cruelty only escalated from there. While I worked myself to the bone to pay for my dying step-father’s medical bills, Cornelius used his power to keep me trapped. He sabotaged my career prospects to keep me dependent, humiliated the only man who treated me with respect, and stood by as his sister physically assaulted me, coldly reminding me that I was nothing more than an interloper in his home. He tracked my phone and monitored my every move, all while playing the part of the devoted fiancé to a woman he didn't even want to touch. I couldn't understand why he treated me like a shameful secret he hated, yet refused to let go. I was drowning in the injustice of being his sister in the light and his property in the dark, a transaction disguised as brotherly charity. I finally reached my breaking point, blocked his number, and tried to disappear into the city lights. But as I sat in a dive bar miles away, the door was ripped open. Cornelius, who was supposed to be in Boston signing a billion-dollar merger, stood there with murder in his eyes, ready to burn my world down just to drag me back into his cage.

Chapters

Chapter 3

The bass from Sloane's stereo thumped through the floorboards. Kelsie sat at her small desk, her hands pressed over her ears, trying to memorize case law for the interview. It was hopeless.

There was a soft knock on the door. Aunt Beatrice poked her head in. She was the only Wilder who treated Kelsie with anything resembling kindness, though it was often laced with pity.

"Kelsie, dear," Beatrice said, stepping inside. She placed a document on the desk. "I was speaking with Silas. There's an opening in the archives department at Wilder Corp. It's mostly filing, but the pay is steady. We think it would be... good for you."

Kelsie looked at the paper. Junior Archivist. It was a pity job. A way to keep her quiet and fed in the basement of the family empire.

"Aunt Beatrice, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yale Law," Kelsie said, her voice tight. "I'm not looking for filing work."

"Oh, look at her," a voice drawled from the doorway. Sloane leaned against the frame, holding a glass of champagne. "Too good for the family charity?"

"Sloane, please," Beatrice murmured.

"No, let's be real," Sloane walked into the room, looking around with distaste. "Your family didn't exactly summer in the Hamptons before your mother met Arthur. You should be happy we're offering you a place under this roof at all."

Kelsie stood up, snatching the application and shoving it back toward Beatrice. "I don't need your charity. I have an interview with Sterling & Associates tomorrow."

Sloane froze. Then she threw her head back and laughed. "Sterling & Associates? You? Oh, honey. That's the shark tank. You're a guppy." She took a sip of champagne, her eyes narrowing. "How did you even get in the door? Let me guess. Cornelius pulled some strings, didn't he? We all know how you get him to feel sorry for you."

Kelsie's heart skipped a beat. She had applied anonymously, but the doubt wormed its way in. Had he?

"Cornelius is a businessman," Kelsie said, channeling as much ice as she could. "He wouldn't risk his reputation doing favors for me."

"Right," Sloane sneered. "Just remember, when they chew you up and spit you out, the archive job will be gone." She turned to leave. "Oh, and try not to wear that polyester rag you have on. It smells like desperation."

Beatrice gave Kelsie a sad, apologetic look and followed Sloane out.

Kelsie sank back into her chair. Her hands were shaking. She looked at her closet. Sloane was right about one thing; her suits were old. Threadbare.

Her phone buzzed. An email from Sterling & Associates. Interview Confirmation: 9:00 AM.

She looked at the black card still sitting on her nightstand where she had dumped it. It gleamed under the lamp light. It was a leash. If she used it, she was admitting she needed him. That she was exactly what Sloane said she was.

She grabbed her purse and dug out her own debit card. She had savings. Not much, but enough.

She drove to the mall, bypassing the designer boutiques Cornelius frequented. She went to a department store, finding a navy suit on the clearance rack. It fit well enough. It was clean. It was hers.

On the drive back, her phone rang. It was Arthur.

"Kelsie?" His voice was weak, raspy. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm fine, Arthur. Just preparing for a big interview."

"That's my girl," he wheezed. "Listen, don't worry about the hospital bills. I know the co-pay is high this month, but..."

"I have it covered," Kelsie lied, her stomach twisting. "Don't worry about money. Just get better."

She hung up, the weight of the lie pressing down on her lungs. She needed this job. She needed to be independent. She needed to get out of this house before it suffocated her.

Continue to next part

For ten years, I disguised myself as my dead twin brother, fighting bloody mob wars to build the Falcone family's bootlegging empire. When the war ended, I thought I could finally take off the men's suits and be Anya again. Instead, my parents stole my victories to secure my father's power, demanding I disappear forever. When I tried to expose the truth, my family dragged me into a soundproof basement. My younger brother forced a metal funnel past my teeth and poured corrosive chemicals down my throat, dissolving my vocal cords into a blistered ruin. They chained me to a freezing pier, whipped me bloody, and let the men I used to lead spit on me as a jealous traitor. Then, under the guise of a family reconciliation dinner, my mother drugged my wine. While I lay paralyzed but fully conscious on my bed, my brother took heavy iron pliers and crushed all ten of my fingers, bone by bone. They wanted to ensure I could never hold a gun or write the truth again. I had slaughtered for them, bled for them, and craved only their love. In return, they pulverized my body and painted me as a hysterical madwoman just to keep the crown I had won for them. The foolish girl who wanted a family died in that agonizing pain, leaving behind only a ghost. Dragging my mangled, bandaged body into the rival Romano family's charity gala, I collapsed at the feet of their ruthless matriarch. "I invoke the sacred code," I rasped through my chemically burned throat. "I demand a Vendetta."

Action Mafia Modern

9.3

Heartbroken; From Ruin to Being the Queen of Them All

9.3

Betrayed by the man she once adored, a woman's world crumbles into total ruin. Left with nothing but a shattered heart, she refuses to let her spirit break. Instead, she embarks on a fierce journey of transformation and power. Rising from the ashes of her old life, she navigates the elite circles of high society and business. Through grit and newfound ambition, she secures her place at the top, eventually ruling over those who once sought to destroy her.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.4

Hiding His Twins From The Underboss

8.4

I saved a man bleeding out in the snow. He had no memory, so I called him Ben. We lived in a cabin, fell in love, and married by firelight with no witnesses but the ghosts of my parents. Then one day, he disappeared. Two years later, he returned. Not as my husband, but as Bernard Logan, the ruthless Underboss of the city's most dangerous crime family. And he didn't remember me. He brought his cruel new fiancée to my clinic and treated me like a stranger. When she threw my father’s antique music box into a cactus display, he watched as I tore my hands apart trying to save it. He called our past a "drug-induced hallucination" and threatened to destroy me if I spoke up. Worst of all, I found out I was pregnant. He cornered me in the hospital room, his eyes cold and devoid of the warmth I used to know. "Is it mine?" I knew if I said yes, he would turn my child into a killer like him. Or his fiancée would ensure we never survived. So I looked the love of my life in the eye and lied. "No," I said. "It's not yours." I signed his NDA, took his hush money, and vanished to Europe to raise my twins alone. I thought I was free. I found a good man who actually loved me. But three years later, at an art gallery in Zurich, the crowd parted. Bernard was standing there, staring at me with a terrifying hunger. He had found out the truth. And he was ready to burn the world down to get us back.

Modern Mystery Romance

9.0

I Lost Our Child the Day He Chose Her

9.0

For five years, she endured a loveless marriage, only to be abandoned when her husband's first love returned. On the day she was meant to announce her pregnancy, he chose to protect another woman, leading to the tragic loss of their unborn child. Devastated by his cold indifference and the death of her baby, she signs the divorce papers and vanishes. Now, as she seeks a fresh start, the man who once broke her heart is desperate to find her.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.8

La profesora del hijo del CEO

9.8

Elena is a dedicated educator whose life takes an unexpected turn when she is hired as a private tutor for the young son of a cold, powerful CEO. While navigating the billionaire's strict rules and intimidating presence, she begins to break through his emotional walls. As their professional boundaries blur, a deep attraction sparks between them. Elena must decide if she can handle the complexities of his elite world and a hidden past.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.0

Love in Disguise

8.0

Isabella, a talented but struggling artist, finds herself in a bind after her sister's sudden disappearance. To save her family's reputation, she must step into her sister's shoes and marry the cold, enigmatic billionaire, Alexander Sterling. As Isabella navigates the treacherous waters of high society, she discovers that Alexander isn't the monster she expected. Amidst secrets and lies, can their forced union blossom into a genuine love?

Billionaire Modern Romance

The Forbidden Mark Of My Stepbrother

Chapter 3

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