The Stepbrother’s Hidden Desires

As Annabel left Christopher’s company, the sky had cleared, but a chilly breeze wrapped around the sunshine, making her feel cold. She tightened her coat around her. Standing by the street for a while, she felt a deep sense of disappointment-not just in Thomas, but now in Christopher as well. Each of them seemed to have a world inside them as deep as the ocean, with no visible bottom.

Annabel felt uneasy and lost. She didn’t have the experience to handle this situation calmly, and she couldn’t turn to anyone for help. She wanted to protect Christopher and couldn’t even warn Logan.

She wondered to herself: if this person, whom she had fought against since childhood, suddenly disappeared from the world, would she be sad? The answer was yes. Logan might be her future opponent, and she was prepared for the day they’d confront each other head-on, not for him to vanish quietly now.

Mason called and asked, “Do you have plans tonight?”

“I don’t think so. I’m in a cold war with David.”

“Perfect. We haven’t hung out in a while. Let’s have hotpot tonight.”

Mason had recently starred in a popular idol drama. The company wanted to stir up rumors of a romance between him and the female lead. They attended promotional events together, acting ambiguously. Annabel wasn’t in the mood for small talk. She set the time and place and hung up.

After driving around aimlessly, she gritted her teeth and finally headed onto the highway to the airport. There were many people at the security checkpoint, and the line was long. Logan’s tall stature and unique presence made him easy to spot in the crowd. He wore earphones, with the white cords extending to the black coat draped over his arm. His expression was relaxed, with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. She called out to him, but he didn’t react.

Annabel was puzzled why he chose economy class and stood in line instead of flying first class. Thomas was very generous with him, even more so than with her. Logan could easily lead the life of a rich second-generation, but he was so self-disciplined that it bordered on boring.

She walked over and took off his earphones. For a moment, she heard some noisy sounds from them; the music wasn’t particularly good. Logan was taken aback and quickly snatched the earphones back, asking calmly, “What are you doing here?”

Annabel felt she needed to do something to ease her conscience, but now that she was in front of Logan, she didn’t know what to say.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

Not a snowball’s chance in hell she’ll come to see him off.

Annabel quickly found a suitable excuse. “I came to see off a friend and happened to see you. Safe travels, take care.”

Logan’s gaze fixed on her dark eyes, trying to decipher something. Annabel felt anxious and guilty, and seeing Logan now didn’t help. But she didn’t want him to notice her emotions, so she forced herself to look impatient. “What are you looking at? Forget I said anything, I’m leaving.”

She put her hand into her coat pocket and turned to leave. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her collar, forcing her to turn around.

Normally, Annabel would have fought back, but her feelings towards Logan were complicated at this moment. She told herself that she wasn’t the one trying to harm him, so she shouldn’t feel guilty.

Logan bent slightly, leaning in close and asking calmly, “You’re here to see off a friend? Where are they going? Which flight? What time?”

Annabel’s mind was already a mess. His cold, probing questions left her stunned. Logan straightened up. “You really came to see me off?”

He smiled faintly, and the cold, dark eyes suddenly became animated. Holding onto the collar of her coat with his long fingers, he said, “Did you tell your dad that I kissed and bit you? Did that really happen?”

Annabel, unaware of the trap in his words, retorted confidently, “You don’t know if you bit me or not? I carried you all the way back, and you’re repaying me like this? You’re heartless!”

He glanced at her expressionlessly. “It was tough for you, huh? I still have bruises from the kicks you gave me that night. Also, because you said I kissed and bit you, your dad wants me to take responsibility. I told him you have David.”

Annabel was stunned. “Did you really say that?”

Logan’s eyes flashed with a mischievous smile. “So, you haven’t told your dad yet.”

It dawned on Annabel that he had tricked her again. Before she could react, he reached out and ruffled her hair, suddenly becoming gentle. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Annabel.”

She shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with this side of Logan. She was trying to figure out how to subtly warn him without making him suspect Christopher.

“Do you have a girlfriend abroad?”

“No.”

“Find one. At least you can take care of each other. Aria is okay; besides being a bit scheming and narrow-minded, she’s fine.”

He thought for a moment. “No, I have someone I like.”

“Are you together?”

He looked a bit regretful. “No, she doesn’t like me. But I want to be with her. I want her to be my wife.”

Annabel had always thought he was cold-hearted, but his words carried a touch of deep affection. He then asked, “Is five years enough time for a person to grow up?”

“You didn’t fall for a minor, did you? That’s a bit much.”

“She’s an adult, but here.” He poked her forehead. “Hasn’t grown up yet. Maybe I’ll keep waiting until she gets tired of playing and finally sees me. Or maybe one day I’ll feel tired and won’t wait anymore.”

Logan poked her with enough force to make it hurt. She yelped, “Why don’t you poke yourself!”

He tapped her forehead with his boarding pass. “Go ahead and chase after whatever you want. Try everything. It doesn’t matter as long as you don’t regret it.”

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He smiled, just as it was his turn to go through security. “Go back.”

He turned and entered the security checkpoint. Annabel watched his back, feeling inexplicably heavy-hearted. As he was about to disappear from her sight, she suddenly called out, “Logan.”

He turned and smiled. She paused for a moment and waved, “Take care.”

He went through security, and she quickly turned to leave. This was probably the most harmonious interaction they’d had in a long time, not because of affection, but out of guilt-guilt that made her come all the way here to find some peace of mind.