My Stepbrother 108

 

Chapter 108 

KASMINE 

Jaden had begun our “date” with questions and answers. No one told me I was coming for an exam 

“So, tell me, Kasmine..” He leaned back against his chair, swirling the wine in his glass like he was some aristocrat about to interrogate the help. “You’re what now Twenty–two?” 

I blinked, fork freezing, midway to my mouth. “I’ll be Twenty–one in two weeks.” 

He smirked. “Ah, still a baby.” 

My jaw tightened. “I wouldn’t call myself that. 

He let out a short, amused breath. “Of course, you wouldn‘ You probably think you’re all grown up, don’t you?” 

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. 

‘It’s just dinner. Get through it and go home.” 

Was he always this arrogant, or was he was just excelling at it tonight? 

I adjusted the napkin on my lap, keeping my expression neutral as I took a sip of water. This was meeting, and within ten minutes, I already wanted to leave 

s our first 

I stared at him, debating the best way to answer. With words? Or by throwing my drink in his face? 

Instead, I forced a smile. “I’d like to think so.” 

“Right,” he drawled. “I suppose as a grown–up, you’re busy with… what? Shopping? Gossiping? Maybe some charity work when you feel generous?” 

Wow. 

I let out a slow breath, forcing my fingers to relax around my fork. “I’m studying Computer Science and Technology.” 

Jaden chuckled. “Cute ” 

Cute? 

1 blinked at him. “You don’t think women can handle such?? 

He shrugged like the answer was obvious. “Some can. But let’s be honest, Kasmine, you’re never going to struggle. Your family has money, connections, almost everything” He set his fork aside before continuing, “My family, which you’ll be a part of soon, is also one of the most influential in the country. Whether you succeed or fail, you’ll always be comfortable. That’s not ambition. That’s just…” He smirked. “A hobby.” 

That’s it. I’m done.. 

I set my napkin down carefully, pushing my chair back. “Well, it’s been a pleasure, Jaden. Truly. But I think I’ve had enough.” 

He frowned like the idea of someone choosing to leave his presence was inconceivable. “Sit down.” 

“I have to go,” I said, checking my phone. 8:30 PM. 

“I’ll take you home when I feel like it,” he said condescendingly. 

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I stood up anyway, grabbing my purse. 

And then his hand shot out, gripping my wrist. 

I sucked in a breath from the sheet audacity of it. 

Slowly, I turned to him, meeting his amused, unbothered gaze. “Let go.” 

He didn’t. Instead, he tugged me back down, forcing me toit again. 

“Relax, Kasmine,” he murmured, smiling and showing his perfectly white dentition like he was doing me a favor. “I’m enjoying your comp. 

1 stared at him, disgust curling in my stomach. 

If there was ever a single doubt in my mind about rejecting this arranged nightmare, it was gone now. 

Over. My. Dead. Body. 

I didn’t want to create a scene because the first time I tried to leave, Jaden had made a spectacle of it, ensuring every pair of eyes in the restaurant turned toward me, making me look like some hysterical woman causing a 

scene. 

The embarrassment had forced me to sit back in my seat, my dignity burning to ash with every second I spent here. So now, I sat, my right foot tapping restlessly against the floor, listening to him drone on about his oh–so- impressive achievements. 

Gods. Goddess. Any divine being willing to listen, please get me out of here. 

I wasn’t even listening. At this point, his voice was nothing more than background noise, like the distant hum of fly too stupid to know it was about to be swatted. 

“…That’s why the wedding needs to happen as soon as possible,” he concluded a statement, and I immediately wished I had paid attention. 

What stupid wedding was he talking about? 

I felt my stomach drop. The audacity. The absolute nerve to think that I’d ever agree to this nonsense. 

“What? Why does what wedding need to happen immediately?” I blinked rapidly, focusing my attention on him: 

now. 

“Right” he bared his teeth before taking a sip of his wine, “You weren’t listening.” 

I was quiet. 

“Am I boring you?” He asked, and I couldn’t be more glad to answer his question. 

“Yes, you are, Mr. Jaden,” I answered honestly. “Didn’t you say you have a meeting to attend to?” 

He was silent for a while as if weighing if I was worthy of a response, “I canceled it. Apparently, I’m enjoying your company more than you are mine.” He leaned back in his seat. 

“You do know it’s wrong to keep a lady out this late. Don’t you?” I asked with zero effort at hiding my irritation. Jaden checked his watch. “It’s barely past nine, Kasmine. Besides, I have every right to keep you here for as long as I want. Your parents already gave you to me years ago, which means you are mine to do with as I please. 

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Haven’t you gotten the meme yet, princess?” 

That was It. I was done. 

I opened my month, ready to rip him apart with every Insult I had been swallowing all night, but I stopped where i perceived an unmistakable scent wafting into my nostrils from the door. 

Even though I hadn’t gotten my wolf yet, I could still tell the scent from anywhere. 

What was he doing here? 

My head snapped toward the restaurant entrance, and there he was. 

Kester. 

He stood just inside the doorway, scanning the room, his coal–black eyes locked onto me like a wolf that had finally caught the scent of its prey. 

His black trousers were pressed, the sharp lines cutting clean down to his polished shoes. His shirt, dark and fitted, sat open at the collar, the first few buttons undone, exposing a sliver of warm skin. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the ink curling along his forearm with bold strokes of black against tensed muscle. Heat crept up my neck as the full image of his tattoo flashed across my mind. I almost smiled. 

His thick, dark hair was slightly tousled as if he’d run his fingers through it in frustration while driving here. 

My pulse roared in my ears. 

He was angry. 

I felt it before I even saw the tight set of his jaw, the barely leashed tension in his stride as he moved toward me. I sucked in a breath, gripping the edge of the table, trying to prepare myself. 

Jaden was totally oblivious to the storm rolling in because he continued speaking, though I no longer heard a word of it. My world had narrowed to the man closing the distance between us with terrifying speed. 

Before I could process what was happening, Kester was standing beside me, his hand wrapped around my wrist. My breath caught as he tugged me up from my seat in one smooth motion. His other hand grabbed my purse from the table with an ease that screamed ‘ownership.‘ 

His voice was low and rough, vibrating with suppressed fury. “Let’s go.” 

Jaden’s fork clattered against his plate. 

I barely had time to glance at him before he shot to his feet, shoving his chair back with a harsh scrape against the polished floor. 

“Excuse me?” Jaden’s voice carried an acute edge of disbelief as he held my other wrist in an attempt to stop Kester from pulling me away. He straightened his suit jacket with the other hand, his lips curling into a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We weren’t done having dinner” 

Kester ignored him and pulled me out of Jaden’s grip. He turned, already leading me toward the exit. 

Jaden stepped forward, closing the space between them and forcing Kester to pause. “I don’t recall inviting you to our date,” he sneered, looking up slightly to meet Kester’s gaze. Jaden wasn’t short, but Kester had a few inches on him, making a big difference, “You don’t have the right to interrupt.” 

Kester’s grip on my wrist only tightened, almost hurting. He slowly turned his head, finally looking at Jaden for the first time. 

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The temperature in the room seemed to drop. 

“You think you have the right to keep her here?” Kester’s vice was quiet and lethal 

Jaden scoffed, straightening his the. “Your parents her parents gave her to me. That makes her mine, remember?” 

I flinched at the words. I didn’t miss the way Rester’s jaw clenched, the flicker of something deadly in his expression. 

Jaden had no idea what kind of fire he was playing with. 

Kester exhaled through his nose, his patience razor–thin. “Let me be very clear,” he said, his tone dipping to something that sent a shiver down my spine. “She is not yours. And if you ever put your hands on her again gaze flickered briefly to my wrist, where Jaden had grabbed ne earlier, before meeting his eyes once more, you won’t have hands left to touch her with.” 

The promise in his voice was ice–cold. 

Jaden bristled. His mouth opened, maybe to argue or probably to push his luck further, but whatever words he’d been about to say died in his throat. Because Kester didn’t wait. 

He turned away, pulling me with him. 

I barely had time to stumble into step beside him before we were out the door, the restaurant’s ambient chatter and soft music fading behind us. The cool night air hit my skin, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm raging inside me. 

Kester didn’t stop walking until we reached his car–his sleek black car that matched the dangerous energy rolling off him in waves. He opened the passenger door for me. 

I hesitated, my pulse still racing. “Kester-” 

“Get in, Kasmine.” His voice was rough, his grip on the door tight enough that his knuckles turned white. “Before I do something you’d end up hating me for.” 

Chapter 109