The stepbrother I shouldn't want

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Wedding

"You look beautiful, Mom. Really."

I stood behind my mother in the bridal suite, adjusting the soft veil on her head. She turned slowly in front of the mirror, smoothing the ivory fabric of her dress with nervous hands.

"I feel ridiculous," she said softly, a shy smile on her face. "Like I’m too old for this."

"You’re not," I said firmly, meeting her eyes in the reflection. "You deserve this. You deserve everything good that’s coming your way. Don’t you dare feel guilty for being happy."

She turned and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

The ceremony was intimate and beautiful. James looked at my mother like she hung the stars, and when they said their vows, I felt my eyes sting with happy tears. For the first time in years, my mother looked truly at peace.

The reception was held in a lovely garden venue. String lights twinkled overhead. Soft music played. Guests mingled with drinks in hand. I stayed near the edge of the crowd, sipping champagne, trying to enjoy the moment.

Then James stood to make a toast.

"I’d like to introduce my son," he said, smiling proudly. "Lucian, come say hello to everyone."

My heart stopped.

Lucian stepped forward from the shadows near the bar, looking devastating in a tailored black suit. His eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on me. The corner of his mouth curved into that same dangerous smirk.

No.

James gestured toward me.

"And this is Ariana’s daughter, Eliora. You two are going to be stepsiblings."

Before James could finish, Lucian spoke.

"I know Eliora," he said smoothly, his eyes never leaving mine.

My mother turned to me, surprised.

"You do?"

"We... we’ve met before," I managed.

Lucian stepped closer, extending his hand.

"It’s nice to see you again, Eliora."

I took it automatically. His grip was warm and firm, his thumb brushing once over my knuckles.

"How did you two meet?" my mother asked curiously.

Lucian’s smirk deepened.

"She was looking at me so intently, I had to catch her name."

I pulled my hand back quickly.

"That’s not..."

"You were staring," he murmured, low enough that only I could hear. "Quite thoroughly."

Heat rushed to my face.

"Stop."

My mother laughed, oblivious.

"Well, I’m glad you’ve already met. This will make things easier."

James smiled, but I noticed, for just a fraction of a second, his eyes flick toward Lucian’s hand, the one that had shaken mine, with something like scrutiny before softening back into warmth.

"You two are going to be stepsiblings. I’m sure you’ll get along great."

"I’m sure we will," Lucian said, his gaze still fixed on me.

⸻

The rest of the evening passed in a surreal blur. I smiled when I was supposed to smile. I made small talk with relatives whose names I forgot almost immediately. But my attention kept drifting back across the room... to him.

Every time our eyes met, that same spark of recognition passed between us. He knew. I knew. Neither of us said a word about the lab.

Once, while reaching for a canapé near the bar, I caught sight of his hand as he lifted his glass... a thin, healing line crossed his knuckles, mostly hidden beneath the cuff of his shirt. He noticed me noticing and shifted his hand out of sight before I could ask.

At one point, while our parents were dancing, Lucian appeared beside me near the edge of the garden.

"Stepsister," he murmured.

"Don’t," I whispered.

"Don’t what?" His smirk was back, though something behind it looked more tired than amused tonight. "Acknowledge how you were looking at me that night?"

I turned to face him fully.

"Please stop. This is already complicated enough."

His expression shifted, the humor draining from it.

"I know," he said quietly. "Believe me, I know better than you do."

"What does that mean?"

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze flicked briefly over my shoulder, scanning the crowd the way I’d seen him do once before... in the lab, right before the door burst open.

"Lucian."

"It’s nothing," he said, though his jaw had gone tight.

"It’s not nothing. You keep doing that. Looking around like you’re expecting someone."

"Eliora..."

"Is it them?" I asked, my voice dropping. "The men from that night?"

Something flickered across his face... not quite fear, but close enough that my stomach turned cold.

"Go find your mother," he said quietly, already stepping back. "Stay near James for the rest of the night."

"Lucian, what’s going on...?"

"Please." His eyes held mine, urgent now, all the earlier charm gone. "Just do this one thing for me."

Before I could push further, a man I didn’t recognize appeared at the edge of the garden, near the gate, dressed too formally for a guest who hadn’t RSVP’d. He scanned the crowd with the same cold precision I remembered from that night in the lab.

Lucian’s whole body went rigid beside me.

"Lucian," I breathed. "That’s one of them, isn’t it?"

He didn’t answer.

He was already moving, putting himself half a step in front of me, his eyes locked on the stranger, who was now walking calmly and deliberately toward the head table... straight toward James and my mother.

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