Sleeping With My Step Daddy-Chapter 32: "Rico’s Lonely Truth"

At Home

Ethan prepared breakfast in the kitchen, humming softly. Miles walked in, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his arms around Ethan’s waist. Ethan smiled, glancing over his shoulder.

"Are you hungry?" he asked gently.

Miles rested his chin on Ethan’s shoulder and said, "A little bit."

Ethan turned around, his hands resting on Miles’ waist. "Let’s eat breakfast. After that, I’ll drop you at college."

Miles nodded. "Okay."

Ethan patted his head with a fond smile. "What do you think about marriage?"

Miles blushed, looking down shyly. Ethan lifted his chin with two fingers, making him look into his eyes.

"Is it too soon?" Ethan asked softly.

Miles shook his head a little. "No... I was just thinking about it."

Ethan traced his fingers over Miles’ lips, then leaned in and kissed him. "You don’t need to think too much. Just relax. I’ll handle everything. Don’t worry."

He smiled warmly. "Now let’s eat."

---

At College

Kai sat in the classroom, scrolling through his phone while waiting for Miles. He sighed when a call appeared on the screen—Rico.

"Again, more stress," Kai muttered and answered the call.

Rico’s voice came through, cheerful. "Ohh, that’s good. You finally answered."

Kai rolled his eyes. "What if I didn’t?"

"I’d still find a way," Rico chuckled. "By the way, you look great in that pink shirt."

Kai frowned and looked around. To his surprise, Rico was standing just outside the classroom door. A second later, Rico walked in confidently and sat down beside him.

"I told you to pick up my calls," Rico said, his tone soft but direct. "But you keep ignoring me."

Kai stood up. "I don’t think I need to talk to you."

Rico quickly grabbed his wrist. "Let’s go for a coffee. I need to talk."

Kai tried to pull away, but Rico didn’t let go. Instead, he led him outside, all the way to his car. Kai tried to protest and open the door, but Rico locked it.

He leaned over, buckled Kai’s seatbelt, and started the engine.

Kai stared at him. "Are you kidnapping me?"

Rico smiled with a shrug. "I think... yeah."

Ethan parked the car and turned to Miles with a soft smile. "We’re here."

Miles looked around and frowned. "Kai must be waiting for me in class... I need to go."

Ethan nodded. "Okay. See you later."

Miles quickly kissed Ethan on the cheek and rushed toward the college gates. Ethan watched him fondly for a moment before driving off.

---

At Rico’s Office

Jeff walked into the tall, sleek building where Rico worked. He stepped up to the front desk and spoke politely.

"I’m Jun. A friend of Mr. Rico’s," he said.

The secretary looked up. "Mr. Jun, Mr. Rico isn’t in the office at the moment."

Jeff nodded and glanced around. The atmosphere was busy; workers were bustling, papers flying, phones ringing. As he walked through the hallway, he suddenly bumped into someone.

"I’m sorry! I’m so sorry," Jeff said quickly.

"It’s okay, it’s my fault," the young woman said with a shy smile.

Jeff looked down to see a coffee stain spreading on his shirt. She gasped. "Oh no—your shirt is so messed up! I spilled my coffee—"

Jeff raised a hand. "It’s okay. Can you tell me where the restroom is?"

"Let me guide you," she offered, flustered.

As they walked down the hall, several coworkers whispered among themselves, their eyes on Jeff.

"He’s so handsome..."

"Who is he? He’s really cute..."

In the restroom, Jeff wiped at the stain under running water. The woman stood nearby, still apologizing.

"I’m really sorry—it looks bad."

Jeff gave her a calm smile. "It’s fine. If you really want to apologize, maybe join me for a coffee?"

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Ohh... why not?"

"I’m Jun," Jeff introduced.

"I’m Page," she replied quickly.

Jeff smiled. "Okay, Miss Page. Let’s go."

---

At the Café

They sat across from each other in a quiet little café nearby. Page stirred her coffee, still a bit nervous.

"You look tired," Jeff said. "You must be a hard worker."

Page laughed softly. "Just a little sleepy, that’s all."

Jeff leaned forward slightly, wanting to find out more. "Isn’t your boss kind of strict? I’ve heard he puts a lot of pressure on the staff."

She shook her head. "No, Mr. Rico just looks strict. On the inside, he’s really kind."

Jeff nodded slowly. "Oh, I see... I imagine his family must be kind too."

Page smiled. "Well, he only has a sister. She’s married and moved to London. His mother died about six years ago. After that, he left for a while, but then suddenly came back to America."

Jeff listened carefully, his heart tightening.

"You know," Page continued, "he had an affair with that model Alex. But they broke up recently."

Jeff’s eyes lowered to his untouched coffee. "And his friends?"

"He has friends, but none of them are really close to him. Yesterday was his birthday, and he didn’t celebrate. He hates celebrating his birthday... weird, right?"

Jeff exhaled quietly, a wave of emotion washing over him.

Page added thoughtfully, "Some of the older staff say Mr. Rico used to be in a relationship with Mr. Sebastian Vaughn. You know, the famous businessman? He has a son and lost his wife. They say Sebastian and Rico were involved while Sebastian was still married."

Jeff’s expression shifted, his lips parting slightly in shock.

Page’s tone softened. "They say Mr. Rico really loved him... but Sebastian broke it off."

Jeff stared at his cold coffee, suddenly not hungry anymore. He stood up slowly. "I think I need to go. I have work to do."

"Oh—wait!" Page said quickly. "Can I get your number—?"

But Jeff didn’t hear her. He walked out, lost in thought, his chest heavy with emotions he couldn’t name.

Jeff sat silently behind the wheel, his fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath and pulled out his phone. After a short hesitation, he dialed Bast’s number.

The line rang once before it was answered.

"Jeff?" Bast’s familiar voice came through.

Jeff exhaled slowly. "Hello, Mr. Sebastian. I have an update."

"What is it?" Bast asked, his tone sharp and focused.

Jeff leaned back against the seat. "I collected some information about Rico from his staff. They said his mother passed away six years ago. His sister got married and moved to London."

Bast remained silent.

Jeff continued, "They also mentioned... that you had an affair with Rico before. But you broke up with him. After you, he hasn’t had a serious relationship. He was recently involved with model Alex, but they’ve broken up too."

Still, Bast said nothing.

"And..." Jeff paused for a beat. "He hates celebrating his birthday. They said he never celebrates it—he always avoids it."

The silence lingered for a second longer before Bast finally responded, his voice neutral.

"Okay. Keep searching."

Jeff nodded, even though Bast couldn’t see him. "Yes, sir."

The call ended with a soft click.

Jeff lowered his phone, staring out the windshield—his mind now heavier than before.

Jeff stared blankly at his phone, then looked out the windshield, lost in thought.

"Why..." he whispered to himself, "why do I feel like Rico still loves Mr. Sebastian... and wants him back?"

He clenched the steering wheel tightly. "It hurts... it really hurts."

He shook his head quickly, trying to snap himself out of the spiral. "No. I feel nothing. Remember, Jeff—you feel nothing."

He started the engine, the sound of the car roaring to life breaking the heavy silence. Without looking back, Jeff drove off.

The atmosphere inside the office was unusually quiet. Bast sat on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together. His eyes stared into the distance, unfocused, as if lost in memories too loud to ignore.

Just then, Ethan entered the office. Noticing the odd silence, he tilted his head and asked with concern,

"What are you thinking about, my friend?"

Bast didn’t answer right away. His eyes slowly shifted to Ethan, his expression unreadable.

Ethan sat down on the couch, eyeing Bast with concern.

"Hey... you look stressed again."

Bast sighed, eyes distant. "I’m just thinking about work."

Ethan leaned forward. "Come on, Bast. Tell me the truth."

Bast poured himself a glass of water, took a long sip, and said quietly, "Rico’s mom died... around the time we broke up."

Ethan’s eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

Bast looked down. "And you know why he hates celebrating his birthday?"

"Why?" Ethan asked carefully.

"Because on his birthday... we broke up," Bast said, voice laced with guilt.

Ethan sat back, silent for a moment. "That’s... heavy."

Bast gave a small nod. "Jeff’s close to finding the whole truth. I’m just wondering what happens next."

Suddenly, Ethan’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and smiled slightly.

"Oh—Milk is calling."

He picked up. "Hey babe."

Miles’ voice came through, sounding worried. "Ethan, are you with Bast?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Kai didn’t show up at college today. He’s not answering my calls either. Can you ask Bast if he knows where he is?"

Ethan turned sharply to Bast. "Where’s Kai?"

Bast frowned, already sensing something was wrong. "I dropped him at college this morning like I always do."

"Well, he’s not there now," Ethan said seriously.

Bast’s heart began to race. He grabbed his phone and called Kai.

Powered off.

Without wasting a second, he called Jeff.

"Tell me where Rico is—right now," Bast demanded.

Jeff responded, "He’s not in the office. And he didn’t show up to meet me at the coffee shop either."

Bast didn’t reply. He ended the call, hands clenched.

"He’s not at work. Kai is with him,he muttered, his voice full of fury as his eyes darkened.