Sleeping With My Step Daddy-Chapter 48: " Love’s Jealousy"

Bast remained seated at the café, his coffee now lukewarm as his thoughts wandered. He pulled out his phone and dialed his secretary.

In Tokyo—

Jeff answered promptly. "Hello, sir."

Bast (serious): "Have you found anything?"

Jeff: "No, sir. Not yet. The house you mentioned was sold two years ago. According to the neighbors, the old woman who lived there passed away. As for the name you gave me..."

Bast leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "What about Mr. Takeshi Haruto?"

Jeff: "I’ve been searching, sir, but there’s no trace of him. None of the neighbors seem to know him either."

Bast (calm but sharp): "Alright. Come back to America."

Jeff: "Yes, sir."

Bast ended the call, his gaze drifting out the window. A heavy silence followed, his expression unreadable.

Bast grabbed his car keys, muttering under his breath,

Bast (low): "Time to pay Mr. Rico a visit..."

---

At an old building—

The room was dim, shadows crawling across the cracked walls. Rico sat tied to a chair, his eyes wide with confusion. A strip of tape covered his mouth as he struggled slightly, his breathing uneven.

Where am I? Who did this?

Moments later, the heavy door creaked open. A figure stepped inside, face hidden in the shadows. Rico squinted, trying to make out the man’s features, but the room was too dark.

Suddenly, the light clicked on.

Bast.

He was seated casually in front of Rico, sipping wine like it was just another evening. Rico’s eyes widened in shock. The man at Bast’s side peeled the tape from Rico’s mouth.

Now, they were alone.

Rico (angrily): "What the hell are you doing, Bast?"

Bast didn’t flinch. He swirled the wine in his glass, calm and collected.

Rico (shouting): "Bast!"

Bast (coldly): "I warned you, Rico. I told you to stay away from Kai. If you approached him again, you’d die. And yet, here we are."

Rico: "I didn’t do anything! You’re paranoid—"

Bast (interrupting, dark): "You met him. Again. Multiple times. And last night, at the club—what were you doing?"

Rico sighed in frustration, shifting in the chair.

Rico (taunting): "You’re such an old man. I don’t know why that innocent kid is so obsessed with you..."

Bast’s eyes darkened dangerously. In one swift motion, he placed a gun on the table and leaned forward.

Bast (threatening): "Because he’s mine. Anyone who tries to take him from me... dies."

Rico (firmly): "Enough! I wasn’t trying to do anything with him. He invited me. If you don’t believe me, check my phone—he messaged me first."

Bast’s jaw clenched. He lowered the gun but didn’t move his eyes from Rico’s face. The room fell silent, thick with tension.

Bast picked up Rico’s phone from the table and began scrolling through the messages.

Kai’s name appeared at the top, and the texts were clear—Kai had been the one to contact Rico first.

Bast’s jaw tightened. Without a word, he gave a subtle nod to his man. The man stepped forward and untied Rico from the chair.

Rico rubbed his wrists and straightened his shirt, his expression sharp with anger.

Rico (coldly): "You really went this far without even asking me once?"

Bast didn’t apologize.

Bast (flatly): "You deserved it."

Rico scoffed, walked over to the couch, and poured himself a glass of wine.

He took a long sip before speaking.

Rico: "If you’d just asked me like a normal person, we wouldn’t be here. But no—you had to pull this mafia-style stunt."

Bast: "Why did Kai invite you?"

Rico swirled his glass and leaned back.

Rico: "Because he needed my help."

Bast (serious): "Help? With what?"

Rico looked at Bast, dead in the eyes.

Rico: "You know Mr. Victor, don’t you?"

Bast froze. His expression shifted slightly, the name catching him off guard.

Bast: "Victor...?"

Rico (firmly): "He’s been trying to abuse Miles. That bastard cornered him at a hotel. I was the one who stopped it—who saved him."

Bast’s eyes widened.

Rico: "Miles went through hell that night. And Kai—he’s been trying to fix the damage ever since. That’s why he reached out to me. That’s why I met him. It was never about stealing him from you."

The room fell into a heavy silence as Bast absorbed the truth. His grip tightened around the wine glass.

Rico (smirking): "You think you’re smart, old man? If you’re so sharp, then tell me—why did Kai come to me for help?"

Bast’s face twisted with anger. His jaw clenched, and he stood up abruptly, grabbing his coat.

Bast (coldly): "I’ll deal with you later."

He strode to the door without sparing Rico another glance.

Rico (half-joking, half-serious): "Hey! Don’t leave me like this. Your guard’s terrifying! At least give me a ride home—it’s your fault I’m here!"

Bast (without turning around): "They’ll take you back the same way they brought you."

Rico (eyes wide, muttering): "No way! I’ll go by myself..."

Bast stepped out of the building, but his expression remained stormy. As he sat in his car and started the engine, his mind raced with confusion and fury. Why did Kai go to Rico instead of him? What else didn’t he know?

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his thoughts spiraling into darker places.

In The College ____

Miles, Kai, and Eden sat quietly in the café. Miles stirred his drink absentmindedly, doing everything he could to avoid looking at Eden.

Suddenly, Kai glanced toward the entrance and stiffened.

Kai (muttering): "Ethan...?"

Miles turned at the sound of his name and froze. Ethan stood at the entrance, his face a mixture of tension and fierce determination.

Kai (frowning): "Why is he here now?"

Miles stood instinctively, shocked to see Ethan. Before he could say anything, Ethan walked straight to him and pulled him into a tight hug. His breathing was uneven, his heart pounding so loudly that Miles could hear it against his chest.

Miles (whispering, panicked): "Ethan... everyone’s looking at us."

Ethan (softly, but firmly): "I don’t care."

At the table, Eden stared in shock.

Eden: "Kai... who’s that?"

Kai (with a soft smile): "That’s Ethan. Miles’ boyfriend."

Eden’s expression slowly shifted, his smile fading into a look of quiet disappointment.

Before Miles could fully process what was happening, Ethan cupped his face and kissed him right in front of everyone. Miles’ eyes widened in surprise.

Miles (breathless): "Ethan..."

But Ethan didn’t say a word. He gently grabbed Miles’ hand and led him out of the café, ignoring the stares and whispers around them.

Miles: "Where are we going?"

Ethan didn’t answer. He opened the car door, gently guided Miles in, and closed it. Miles looked at him, worry settling in his chest.

Miles (softly): "Ethan..."

Still silent, Ethan started the engine and drove, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with emotions. Miles kept glancing at him, trying to read his expression, but Ethan’s furious silence made the air heavy.

They reached the house. Ethan stepped out quickly, came around, and opened the door for Miles. As soon as he was out, Ethan grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside.

Miles (struggling): "Ethan—stop! What are you doing?!"

Ethan didn’t listen. His grip was firm, his emotions uncontrollable. As soon as the door closed behind them, Ethan spun Miles around and kissed him—hungrily, desperately.

Miles (pushing him away): "Ethan, stop it! What are you doing?!"

Ethan paused, his face still close, his eyes trembling—filled with tears.

Ethan (hoarsely): "I’m sorry, Miles... I didn’t mean to ignore you. You mean everything to me. You’re important, more than anything..."

Miles shook his head, his eyes welling up. He tried to be strong, but the pain finally broke through.

Miles: "You don’t care about me... You’re just playing with me. One day you’ll marry a girl, and I’ll be left behind."

Ethan’s expression collapsed.

Ethan: "What? Who told you that?"

Miles pulled out his phone with shaky hands and showed him the photo—the one of Ethan having dinner with a woman.

Ethan looked at it and sighed, then met Miles’ eyes.

Ethan: "Miles... that’s a business dinner. She works for our company. That’s all. I swear, it’s not what you think."

Miles stood frozen, tears sliding down his cheeks.

Ethan gently held his face in his hands and looked into his eyes.

Ethan (softly): "Believe me, Miles... I’m yours. Only yours."

He wiped Miles’ tears, holding him like he was something precious.

Miles (hesitantly): "Then... you don’t like her?"

Ethan (without hesitation): "No. I don’t. I only love you, Miles. No one else. Just you."

Miles stared at him, breath trembling, and suddenly wrapped his arms around Ethan, hugging him tightly.

Miles (softly): "Ethan..."

Ethan held him close, resting his hand on the back of Miles’ head as if afraid to ever let go.

Ethan (gently): "I’m sorry, baby. I’ll never let this happen again. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I promise—I love you, Miles."

Miles closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper.

Miles: "I love you too..."

Ethan leaned back just enough to look into his eyes. He cupped Miles’ cheek and kissed him softly—slow and tender, full of everything he couldn’t say in words.

Miles and Ethan sat together on the couch, a quiet tension lingering in the air. Ethan held Miles gently in his arms, their warmth slowly melting the walls between them.

Miles (softly): "I’m sorry, Ethan... for the way I acted." novelbuddy.cσ๓

Ethan ran his hand gently through Miles’ hair, giving him a faint smile.

Ethan: "It’s okay. Just... let it go now."

But deep inside, Ethan already knew—someone had twisted things, poisoned the space between them. Someone had manipulated Miles. And Ethan was going to find out who.

Miles (after a pause, hesitant): "Ethan... why did you kiss me at college? In front of everyone..."

Ethan’s lips curled into a small smirk, his tone casual but laced with something deeper.

Ethan: "Because I wanted everyone to know you’re mine. So no one dares to hit on you.

Miles blinked, slightly stunned, then looked down with a quiet smile, his cheeks turning warm.

Miles: "You’re so possessive sometimes..."

Ethan (teasingly): "Only when it comes to you."

At the college courtyard, Eden sat alone on a bench, his eyes glazed with unshed tears. The laughter and chatter around him blurred into a distant hum. All he could see—over and over—was the image of Miles in Ethan’s arms, the way they kissed like they belonged to each other.

His fingers trembled as he gripped the edge of the bench. He tried to hold it in, tried to act like he didn’t care—but the ache was too deep, too sharp.

Eden (whispering to himself): "Why... Why doesn’t he love me?"

The tears finally escaped, sliding silently down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away, looking around to make sure no one saw his weakness. But the jealousy inside him boiled—dark, relentless.

His jaw clenched, and his gaze turned cold.

Eden (quietly, through gritted teeth): "One day, Miles... you’ll be mine. I promise you."

A dangerous promise formed on his lips, and a new obsession began to bloom in his heart.