DANGEROUS CRAVINGS: SINFULLY TANGLED WITH MY STEPBROTHER

Australia

N'S

three problems

I was forced to wear made me look like a guest at a funeral, a

-one years old final-year college student and future programmer, if life didn't take another turn before grad

m outside the room, her voice

rse we

rabbed my phone, stari

IONAIRE MOGUL AND TECH EXPERT, ROBERT BANKS, 58, IN A GRAND STYLE, 5 YEARS AF

ed. Everyone who remembered mom's messy divor

-be Aubrey Banks, stood in the hallway, glowing in white lace and expensive diamond jewelry. F

s the p

ssy divorce with dad, after five years of being a

come as a fifty-eight year old billi

pt her or they accuse h

y, searching my face when s

guing would change

e both pretend

ld accents everywhere. Wealth screamed from every corner.

groom almost

my soon-to-b

e lived long enough in affluence and extravagance. He smiled when he saw my

ly look

out of obligation, not emotion. Somewhere between the vows and

ent. I now belonged to a

introductions ha

d, gesturing toward two women standi

e dress with diamond studs, her Louboutin

d composed, already studying me like a p

er in a purple two piece

s smile, uncertainty fl

ring her hand. "Gues

could stop myself

"Good. I was hopi

inside of me. We

nd how awkward this all was. For the first ti

tarted closing in again. Too many whispers

oom, ignoring the distant clink

as quiet, coo

xclaimed. "W

et as I turned the corner, my head

as my phone slipp

." The voice was deep, fl

d up an

business meeting rather than a wedding. Sleek, dark hair brushed neatly back, sharp fea

he hallway," I snapped, stepping back

longer than necessary.

de," he sa

ce. "You bum

ked into

he air felt tight and charged in a w

ers as you grow older,

d. "Excu

, then brushed past me

oud in my ears, watchi

hell w

ttled, irritation clinging to my

u just lost a fig

unfortunate jer

ond, Robert's voice c

important I haven

urn

eat, expression unreadable, clasped hands

Robert said proudl

harder than i

o

nto place. Lucian's eyes met mine, recognit

brot

d in my head,

ust nodded politely as gues

the crystal chandeliers, I knew o

nged my family, it had dragged s