The Stepbrother’s Hidden Desires

The beginning of June finally brought the day of the exams. Annabel and Logan, as usual, took the bus to their assigned exam locations, although they were a bit out of the way.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Just after finishing the morning exam, Annabel received a call from Christopher, instructing her to meet him at the school gate. Annabel was surprised by Christopher’s appearance; she hadn’t told him where she was taking the exams.

At the school gate, a group of parents anxiously awaited their children, their worry evident on their faces. Upon seeing their children, they immediately put on a nonchalant smile, asking about various things but avoiding the topic of grades, afraid of affecting their children’s mood.

Annabel looked on somewhat enviously. If her grandmother were still alive, she might have waited for her like this. It had been almost half a year since she last saw her grandmother, and she missed her dearly.

Parked on the roadside near the school gate was a black RV that had been converted into a bedroom and a meeting room. Christopher had been waiting for her in the car for a while.

There was no one else in the car. Christopher personally took out food from the thermal container-there were vegetables, soup, and fruits, rich and nutritious.

“Are you hungry?” He handed her a pair of chopsticks. “Eat up. After you finish, rest in the car.”

He pointed to the small bedroom. “There aren’t any good hotels nearby. I’ve been coming here for the past two days. You can rest here.”

Annabel was indeed hungry. Christopher didn’t eat, just watched her eat, occasionally picking up food for her. Over the past two years, Annabel had grown accustomed to him doing these things for her.

“How did the exam go?”

“Alright, I guess.”

“You should do well and try to get into Magic City Normal University.”

Annabel muttered, “Doesn’t matter. I plan to study abroad at Kenland. I’ve already applied to schools there.”

Christopher put down his chopsticks and looked at her quietly. “David is resigning this semester.”

Annabel hummed in response. Christopher continued, “Didn’t he tell you he got accepted into that graduate school? He’ll be starting school after this semester ends.”

Annabel, biting into a peach, accidentally dropped into the bowl. She casually said, “What’s it to me?”

Christopher chuckled. “What are you pretending for? Believe me, David isn’t a bad guy.”

Annabel was a little unhappy, feeling like she was being watched. “Why do you always ask about my business?”

She hadn’t really taken Orla’s words to heart; she firmly believed she was a child of the Green Family.

Christopher paused for a moment, reached out and ruffled her hair, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come to the exam venue without your consent, nor should I have inquired about your affairs.”

Christopher appeared quite youthful on the surface, but whenever he sighed, Annabel felt as though he had lived for a long time and was nearing old age.

He withdrew his hand and took out a cigarette from the side, but didn’t light it. He held it in his mouth for a while before taking it out. “Because no one else is doing these things for you. Essem’s child has no one looking after her, and I don’t want her to be unhappy in heaven.”

In that moment, Annabel thought, if he really were her father, it wouldn’t be bad.

On the evening after the exams, the classmates gathered for a celebration, marking the end of their high school lives.

After three years of suppression, the group let loose, singing, drinking, and having a wild time, making such a racket that it seemed like they might bring down the roof.

Someone started singing “Farewell,” causing a wave of tears among the girls, even the boys had teary eyes.

Aria cried delicately, which made her particularly pitiable. Compared to Colleen, whose mouth was almost deformed from crying next to her, Aria looked much better. Ryan probably wanted to comfort her but seemed somewhat at a loss.

Annabel quietly approached Louis and said, “You see, beautiful girls are different. Even when they cry, they look better than others.”

While speaking, she subconsciously glanced at Logan, who was the calmest one that night. He drank plenty of alcohol, but it was unclear whether he was happier or sadder. Annabel wondered if he hadn’t done well in the exams. But Logan’s excellence wasn’t about whether he could get into a top-tier university; his excellence was about being the first.

Louis seemed distracted and didn’t respond to her. His gaze remained fixed on Molly, a girl from Class Five who was something of a special guest. Harry, with a face flushed like a monkey’s bottom from drinking, nudged Annabel’s elbow. “This guy has a crush on Molly and was planning to confess today.”

“No wonder he’s been bothering Molly all day. Turns out he’s trying to get her attention,” Annabel said.

Molly had good grades and was pretty, but more importantly, she wasn’t pretentious, which Annabel appreciated. She patted Louis on the shoulder. “Don’t be timid. If you like her, go for it. What are you waiting for?”

Harry and the others cheered him on. “That’s right! We’re all about to go our separate ways. If you don’t say it now, you’ll never get the chance.”

Amidst the lively atmosphere, Louis felt a surge of blood to his head. He walked up to Molly and took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

Everyone burst into laughter. “You’re something, preparing so thoroughly.”

“Is that a speech you’re preparing?”

“That’s a love letter, don’t you know? And it’s handwritten.”

…

Amid their teasing, Louis became a bit shy, but Molly’s shy expression gave him great courage.

His love letter filled an entire page, detailing everything from their first meeting to Molly’s likes and dislikes. Annabel was somewhat surprised; when a rough guy like Louis liked a girl, he was so attentive. He must really like her.

Her peripheral vision caught Logan, who was resting his chin on his hand, seemingly listening intently. Even his cold features showed a faint smile.

Amidst the cheers of their classmates, Louis and Molly hugged, and Louis took the opportunity to kiss Molly on the lips, giving everyone a taste of lovey dovey.

Annabel rarely showed a girlish side. “Molly is so hapyy.”

Someone clapped excitedly. “Who else wants to confess? Do it now!”

And he pointed at Logan. “There are so many girls who secretly like Logan. Come on, who’s first? First come, first served.”

Everyone laughed uproariously. Some boys stood up, pointing at a group of suddenly silent girls. “You girls don’t even have the courage to confess. How am I supposed to help you?”

Before they could react, a usually quiet girl stood up, her face red. “Although I know you don’t like me, I still want to tell you, Logan, I like you. But this is my own business, and it has nothing to do with you.”

The surrounding crowd cheered, but the girl felt embarrassed after speaking and buried her head on someone’s shoulder.

Everyone’s attention turned to Logan. Suddenly, another girl said, “In my opinion, Logan and Aria are the most compatible, right?”

It was common knowledge that Aria liked Logan. They were very close in middle school, but later, she deliberately annoyed Logan and ended up with Ryan. They had been in the same class for five years, so their feelings were definitely there. However, Logan was a cold person, and what others called closeness was just a few more words than usual.

Aria blushed and said somewhat angrily, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

She was reserved and wouldn’t confess publicly no matter what.

Annabel lowered her head and sniffed. She was craving a cigarette; she was feeling uncomfortable right now.

Harry pretended to sympathize and pushed Annabel. “Hey, you have a rival, and not just one.”

Annabel grabbed Harry’s neck with her hand, gritting her teeth. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t like him!”

She wasn’t really angry, just playing around. Harry cooperated by rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue, pretending to be dead. Finally, he commented, “You really have no taste.”

As the group continued to make a ruckus, no one noticed their little movements. The gaze of several tables was fixed on Logan, pressing him to choose one.

Logan smiled helplessly. He had drunk the most wine that night, and everyone else was flushed and red-necked, but he still looked neat and clean, with a cold and aloof demeanor.

He lightly tapped the table with his elegant and slender fingers, looking at everyone and saying softly, “I like someone.”

The surroundings fell silent instantly, and many girls showed a look of disappointment. Aria’s face turned pale, and she bit her lip, remaining silent for a long time.

This aroused even more curiosity among their classmates. Although they often teased him and Annabel, Logan had never admitted anything publicly. Now, he had publicly declared that he liked someone.

Everyone looked at Annabel. Annabel rolled her eyes helplessly. “It’s not me, you idiots!”

“Who then? Speak up, who is it?”

Logan actually thought for a while before saying lightly, “Wait four more years. Four years from now when we meet again, and if we’re still here, I’ll introduce her to you as my girlfriend.”

For some reason, Aria suddenly felt relieved, just glad it wasn’t Annabel.