Falling for My Mafia Stepbrother

Harper's POV"Hi, sweetie, happy new semester," I said, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.I tied my soft, golden-brown hair into a high ponytail and wore a lemon-yellow knit sweater over a white shirt, paired with a white skirt. This outfit wasn't exactly glamorous, but it made me look youthful and cute—perfect for spring. Luckily, I had taken the time yesterday to iron my clothes; otherwise, I'd definitely be rushing around in a panic right now.Oh, it’s already 8:45. I need to leave for school soon. Matthew has a game today, and as his girlfriend, there's no way I’m missing it!Grabbing my backpack and swiping a bit of lip gloss on my lips as I ran downstairs, I nearly tripped over myself on the way. These complicated stairs!"Sweetie, have breakfast—""No time, Mom! I’m in a rush!"With time running out, I couldn't sit down for breakfast with my family. Oh, I'm so excited about the new semester. I didn’t fall asleep until late last night, and my alarm had to go off four or fi

Harper’s POVI had such a great time with my friends. Amid everyone's teasing, Matthew took out the gift he’d prepared. Besides the championship ring already on my finger, he had carved my birthstone into a rose and made it into a necklace.I can’t even describe how moved I was when I saw the gift. My father left me when I was young, and my mother had to work just to make ends meet. We never really had time to celebrate birthdays properly. When we were at our poorest, we couldn’t even afford a cake. I never thought I’d ever receive a real birthday present.My grandmother once said that my mother was a beautiful young woman, but fate hadn’t been kind to her. She endured a lot, so I could never blame her. She gave me life and raised me.I don’t know the full love story between my mother and my stepfather, but I imagine it was something sweet. No matter what kind of person my stepfather is or what kind of past he has, I’m thankful. He took away the hardship from my mom’s life.I never da

Harper’s POVAfter showering, my body felt much lighter. The exhaustion was washed away, and even my emotional burden felt less heavy. But I was still so tired today, barely able to keep my eyes open.It was already late, and there was no sound from downstairs. Everyone must have gone to bed.I wanted to go down to the kitchen to grab a glass of water before going back to sleep.The servants had cleaned up and left the villa. The living room was pitch dark and incredibly quiet. I didn’t turn on the lights; I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I knew the house well by now. Yawning, I navigated the dark living room. Sometimes, I’d come down for water in the middle of the night—this route had become muscle memory.But as I passed the couch, my leg bumped into something hard yet warm.Someone was sitting on the couch!My body reacted faster than my mind; I stumbled back, taking two quick steps away. In the moonlight, I saw it was my stepbrother—Marco.I clutched my chest, trying to make my vo

Harper’s POVThe next morning, I was woken up by my mom. I almost overslept again.Yawning as I brushed my hair, I pulled on my shirt and skirt. Parties really weren’t for me, I thought.More precisely, it was the “adults’” kind of party. I felt like a kid sitting there, watching adults talk about things I couldn’t understand at all.Once I finished fixing my hair, I went downstairs, grabbed a few bites of breakfast, and then got in the car for school.In the car, I received a friend request from an unfamiliar number.“Harper, I was a guest at the party yesterday. It was love at first sight for me, so I asked your father for your contact information.”I didn’t know who he was, but since he was someone from the party, I thought it best not to offend him. So I accepted the request.“Hi.”“Hi.”“Let me introduce myself. Yesterday, you met my father, Jack Conti. I am his successor, Angelo. We will have many collaborations with the Moretti family in the future. I know this may seem abrupt,

Harper's POVIn the days since breaking up with Matthew, I thought I would feel terrible, but time does heal all wounds. Angelo often invited me out; he was a gentleman and understanding, and many of my uncertainties were quickly resolved. Eventually, I even found the breakup somewhat relieving.I also gave careful consideration to my father’s suggestion. He said that, aside from any idea of an arranged marriage, he thought Angelo was a good person. I agreed and started to consider the possibility of us dating.This morning at school, Matthew came to apologize. Having dated him for a while, I knew very well what kind of person he was.When we were together, I liked his pride and the way he shone; those were good qualities. But when his pride turned into arrogance and started to hurt me, I began to hate it. He was a conceited person, and for him to swallow his pride and apologize was as rare as rain falling upward. But I didn’t care anymore about someone who had betrayed me.As I was s