Alex’s P.O.V.Two Weeks LaterIt’s been two weeks since Stella has been living in the same house as me and going to the same college. And somehow, every single day, she finds new ways to test my patience. Since she entered my life, I haven’t been able to concentrate anywhere. I don’t know why, but she’s driving me insane, and it frustrates me even more. Maybe it’s because she’s always around. Maybe I think she and her mother are after my father’s money, or maybe it’s something more—something I don’t want to admit.The attraction.I clench my fists at the thought. No. She’s off-limits. My dad’s remarried her mother, for fuck’s sake. She’s practically my stepsister. She’s forbidden.That’s probably why I can’t stop picking fights with her. The more I feel this stupid pull towards her, the more I push her away.During basketball practice, I’m trying to focus, trying to keep my head in the game. The ball is in my hands as I dribble across the court, sweat running down my face. The thud o
Alex’s P.O.V. At night, I come home, my thoughts still a mess from everything that happened with Stella at basketball practice. I can’t get her out of my head, and it’s driving me insane. As I pass by the dining room, I hear voices. It's Stella’s voice, and I stop. She’s sitting at the table, but she’s not alone. One of the maids is there, wobbling slightly as she tries to serve Stella her dinner. “Are you okay?” Stella asks, her voice filled with concern. The maid, looking pale and unsteady on her feet, gives a weak smile. “Yes, ma’am. I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine to me,” she responds, pushing the maid’s hand away from the serving dish. “I’ll serve myself. You need to take a break.” The maid shakes her head. “No, ma’am, it’s my duty—” Stella cuts her off in a firm but kind tone. “I’ve got it. I’m used to doing things on my own, anyway. And besides, I think you haven’t eaten dinner yet—that’s probably why you’re feeling dizzy. Come on, sit down with me and have something to e
Stella’s P.O.V.I walk into the classroom, still trying to process everything that happened with Alex. The way he acted this morning—it was so out of character. No sarcastic remarks, no grumpy attitude… just calm and polite. And the way he poured me juice? What the hell was that about?I spot Zoe and Selena sitting near the back, chatting and laughing. I head over to them, dropping my bag on the table as I plop down in the seat next to Zoe.“Hey, you look deep in thought.” Selena raises an eyebrow.“I’ve had a weird morning,” I admit, rubbing my temples. “And it’s all because of Alex.”“What did he do this time?” Zoe asks, leaning closer, and Selena waits for my answer with curiosity.They must be thinking that Alex did something to annoy me again because every morning, I walk into the classroom complaining about him. However, they have no idea what actually happened this morning.I shake my head, still baffled. “He didn’t show me his usual grumpiness for the first time since I moved
Alex’s P.O.V.I’m returning home with Stella sitting beside me, and I can’t take the image of her out of my mind. On the court, she had tied her shirt around her waist, revealing her toned stomach and the way her tank top clung to her body. The sight was captivating, and I found myself struggling to concentrate on the road.Usually, Stella dresses in long dresses or jeans and tops that cover her up. I don’t know why she covers herself so much. She has such a sexy figure.Control yourself, Alex. Don’t forget, she is your stepsister. Stop thinking about her body and concentrate on the road.It’s shocking that, for the first time, I wasn’t angry at seeing someone else winning. Instead, I felt happy to see Stella jumping with joy after winning the basketball match.God! Seriously, there is something wrong with me.“I never thought that I would say this to you, but thank you, Alex. I enjoyed it a lot today.” As she places her hand on my bare arm, I freeze. Her mere touch sends a jolt of el
Stella’s P.O.V.As Alex pulls into a parking lot at Rockefeller Center, I glance out the window and then back at him. “Alex, I visited here with Zoe and Selena last week. I was expecting you to take me somewhere else.” I blurt out.He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Well, I guess my tour is off to a bad start, then.”I smirk, leaning back in my seat. “Not bad, just... predictable.”He turns off the engine and faces me. “Trust me, I have a few surprises up my sleeve. Just because you’ve been here doesn’t mean you’ve done it in my way.”I shoot him a sceptical look. “You’re really hyping this up. It better be good.”He chuckles, stepping out of the car. “Just wait.”I follow him as we walk through the familiar plaza. It’s still crowded, even early in the morning, but Alex seems to know exactly where he’s going.“Come on.” He gestures for me to follow as we head toward a line of food stalls I hadn’t noticed the last time I was here. I glance around, half expecting him to drag me into som
Alex’s P.O.V.I love Ice Skating, but I’m enjoying it even more with Stella.I can’t believe the girl I thought I would hate, I like her company. Not even liking her company, I’m doing things with her that I never did with any girl before.I used to take them to my bedroom, not to my favourite spots, making them sit in my car.But Stella isn’t the type of woman I slept with. She is different. Also, if I want to take her to my bed, I can’t. She’s my stepsister. A forbidden fruit.For the first time in my life, I like a woman. God knows why she has to be my stepsister.Right now, as she falls on me during Ice Skating, I freeze. She’s on top of me, her body presses against mine, and for a few seconds, time seems to slow down. I can feel the heat radiating off her, her breath mixing with mine as our faces hover inches apart. Her wide eyes lock onto mine, and I swear my heart skips a beat.As she lies on top of me, I can feel every inch of her body against me—her soft curves, her hands gri
Alex’s P.O.V.On the way to campus, Stella and I remain silent, and I grip the steering wheel tighter than necessary, my knuckles turning white. I keep my eyes fixed on the road, trying to push all thoughts of her and her damn boyfriend out of my head.But it’s impossible. Why the fuck she has a boyfriend?Stella shifts beside me, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee. “Why match practice all of a sudden?” She asks, trying to break the silence. Her voice is low, but I can hear the slight disappointment behind it.Yesterday only, I decided to make things normal between us, but her boyfriend is again forcing me to go back to how things were earlier. How can I act normal when every time I see her, I’m reminded she’s with someone else?“I don’t know.” I shake my head, keeping my eyes forward. “It’s just the coach is riding me hard about the upcoming game.”“Okay...” she trails off, sounding unconvinced.I can feel her looking at me, probably wondering why I’m acting like this all of a s
Stella’s P.O.V.The Next MorningI can’t stop smiling as I rush around my room, throwing clothes into my suitcase. Today is going to be perfect—a trip with my best friend, Leah, and my boyfriend, Jade. It’s his birthday today.I’d met Jade a year ago in a coaching institute. He was the guy everyone noticed—popular, confident, and way out of my league. I, on the other hand, was just ordinary. Not stunning, not sexy, just me. I couldn’t understand why someone like him would even look my way.But he did. It started with borrowing my notes, sitting next to me during group projects, and eventually walking me home after class. I remember the day he asked me out. “Dinner? Just us?” I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t.After the packing, I sit, holding the small gift box in my hands and trace the ribbon with a smile on my face. Inside is a silver locket with pictures of Jade and me—a gift I’ve been so excited to give him for his birthday.I glance at the time on my wristwatch, mentally cou
Alex’s P.O.V.“I love you more, Alex.”These words are like a lifeline, pulling me out of the storm I’ve been drowning in. I can hardly believe my ears. For so long, I’ve waited to hear those words from her lips.Suddenly, all my pain disappears, and the only thing I feel is immense satisfaction. Stella’s confession means so much to me. It means she is finally ready to give me her heart completely. She trusts me. She is giving love a second chance.I stop walking, frozen in the moment. All the darkness, the guilt, the fear—it’s still there, but her words make it bearable.I glance down at her in my arms. Did she really say it? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?Carefully, I lower her to the soft sand near the water, the waves lapping gently at the shore, their sound as peaceful as always.I cup her face in my hands, brushing her cheeks with my thumbs. “Say it again, Please, Stella. Say it again.” I request, fixing my eyes on her.Her eyes are filled with immense affection, and she sm
Stella’s P.O.V.“Please don’t regret for a second for killing that monster, Stella. You’ve freed your mother from the unbearable pain. You have no clue how relieved I am. Thank you.” My mom expresses her gratitude when I lie her down on the bed at night in one room of Alex’s beach house.After my mother was discharged, nobody wanted to return to the place where we used to live with that monster. My mom has so many painful memories tied to that house, and I killed the monster there. Alex didn’t want any of us to be anywhere near a place haunted by his memories. So he made the decision to bring us here instead.I tuck the blanket around Mom. I’m glad I gave her peace, but what about the weight I carry now? The monster is gone, but the trauma of killing someone is unbearable. And I can’t share it with anybody. Alex and Mom, both are dealing with their pain. How can I burden them with mine when they’re already struggling to heal?“Mom, you don’t need to thank me,” I respond, sitting on th
Alex’s P.O.V.The next morning, I’m still seated in the waiting room of the hospital. Stella and I spent the entire night here, though sleep was a stranger. The load of everything that’s happened is suffocating me. I’m still trying to digest that my father was a monster who caused suffering to Stella’s mother. It’s like a nightmare to me.“I can completely understand what you’re going through, Alex.” Sky breaks the silence. He sits beside me. Stella is with Zoe and Selena inside her mother’s room.I know he can feel my pain because, a few months ago, he also discovered the evil deeds of his father. Since then, he’s been working tirelessly day and night to become stronger than him so that he can put his father behind bars.I glance at him with sorrowful eyes. “How did you do it, Sky? I mean, how did you even begin to understand the fact that your own father was… like this? I don’t know how to move forward from here. You know I feel like I’m stuck, drowning in shame.”Sky leans forward,
Alex’s P.O.V.I feel so lost. Completely lost.When the doctor informed us about the condition of Stella’s mother, I felt like killing my father. How could he torture someone to this extent? Why couldn’t I ever see his true face?Before Stella’s mother, did he torture other women? Did he also hurt my mother?My chest tightens with immense pain as I sit outside Stella’s mother’s hospital room, lost in thought. How can I face Olivia, knowing that I carry the blood of the man who hurt her? How am I supposed to promise her I’ll keep Stella safe when my father inflicted so much pain on her? Will she ever be able to trust me?I stare at the floor, fists clenched, and try to steady my breathing. Thoughts revolve endlessly around my mind: Did I somehow miss the signs? Have I been blind to my father’s true nature all my life?The truth is, I don’t know who he is anymore. I don’t know who I am anymore. And worse, I don’t know how I’ll prove to Olivia that I’m not like my father—that I would rat
Stella’s P.O.V.I sit with Alex in the waiting room as the doctor treats our parents. Alex has been completely silent since I told him the truth about his father. That truth has shaken him deeply.On one hand, my heart aches for him, and on the other, for my mother, who has been suffering for who knows how long. Why did God make her endure the same pain she had in the past? Why didn’t she tell me?Alex’s hands are clenched tightly in his lap, and his jaw is tense, as though he’s fighting an internal battle. I can’t blame him. He would have never imagined his father would be a monster.This entire ordeal has taken so much out of both of us. But for Alex, I know it’s different. His world has been turned upside down in a way I can’t even begin to imagine.I glance at him, his face pale and his eyes distant, as if he’s locked away somewhere I can’t reach. The person sitting next to me looks so lost, like a stranger who endured a painful truth he never expected to face. This is a side of A
Alex’s P.O.V.As I sit in my car, waiting for Stella to return, my watch suddenly begins beeping.Damn it!Something is wrong with Stella.Without a second thought, I jump out of the car and rush inside, my mind spinning with worry. I keep praying in my mind that she’s alright.I head straight to her room, but she’s not there. I check everywhere—the bathroom, the balcony—but she’s nowhere in sight. The constant beeping from my watch only makes my heartbeat race with anxiety.What happened to her? She looked so happy when she walked into the house. How could things go wrong in just a few minutes?“Stella…” Desperately, I call her name as I step out of her room, but there’s no response.When I reach the door of her mother’s room, I stop, noticing Stella’s bag lying on the floor just outside.I wonder what her bag is doing here.Then I push the door open and step inside. My eyes widen in shock as I take in the scene. Stella is sitting, hugging her mother tightly, and both of them are cry
Stella’s P.O.V. "Can we have the same sandwich we had last time, please?" I ask as he opens my door and I step out. “No.” He denies it, shutting the door close. I look at him in shock. “Why?” He lets out a laugh, tapping my nose. "I was just kidding, Stella. Of course, we can have that sandwich. Today, whatever you want, we'll do. It's your day, my love." “Who could’ve thought that the Mr Grumpy would get so sweet one day.” I pull his cheeks, causing him to chuckle. “Now I’m yours Mr NMG.” He leans in and pecks on my cheek, making me grin. Then we head inside and eat sandwiches from the stall. My birthday is already going so amazingly. First, I woke up to my room decorated with so many gifts—it felt like a dream. And now, these delicious sandwiches! Wow! As we finish our sandwiches, Alex takes my hand and guides me towards the ice rink. When we enter, I notice something unusual—the entire rink is completely empty. My face falls as I glance around, thinking that the rink m
Alex’s P.O.V.“Anyway, what were you doing in the mall?” I question, glancing at Stella, who is sitting in the passenger seat beside me as I drive us back home.“Actually, I’ve also planned something for my birthday.”My eyes widen in surprise at her words. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because it was a surprise for you, Alex.” She pouts at me.I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re planning something for me on your birthday? Unbelievable.”“You deserve it.” She locks her eyes filled with profound love on me. “You’ve done so much for me, Alex. I want this birthday to be about us.”I glance over, feeling like I’m falling for her all over again. “You know, you’re amazing.”She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Then just wait. Tomorrow will be unforgettable—for both of us. And you won’t stop praising me.”“I’m quite excited now. But what about the surprise I’ve planned for you?” I raise my brows at her.“Your surprise?” She taps her finger on her chin thoughtfully, which brings a smi
Alex’s P.O.V.I end the call and grip my phone tightly. All I wanted was to surprise Stella for her birthday. But now, I’ve hurt her when I meant to make her feel special.I hurry toward the parking lot, my heart pounding with worry.Shit! I shouldn’t have lied to her. The betrayal of her ex-boyfriend has left deep scars on her which take time to heal. She is trying so hard to move on and give a second chance to love. And now, because of my lie, she’s reliving that pain.I’m such an idiot.As I reach the parking lot, I spot her near her car. She’s standing there, her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes moist. She looks small and vulnerable. My heart aches at the sight.I just rush towards her and embrace her tightly into my arms. “I’m so fucking sorry, Flower. Trust me, I had no intention of hurting you.” I apologise, pulling her closer to me.“I trust you, Alex. In fact, I’m sorry for doubting you in the first place.”A smile flashes across my face at her words, and I pull her back