My Alpha Stepbrother's Dirty Secret novel Chapter 287

Chapter 15

Diana’s POV

“W—what exactly are you saying?” Dalia asked‚ staring at me. She looked quite composed now‚ but I could still see the caution in her eyes.

“I just asked you a question‚” I said‚ trying to sound calm even though my stomach felt tight.

“If I liked Gabriel?” she repeated.

“Yes.”

Dalia smiled like it was the easiest thing to answer. “Of course I do. Gabriel is cool‚ and he’s a good friend‚ and he will soon be my brother-in-law.” She said it with a small laugh‚ as if I had asked her whether she liked food or sunshine.

I blinked at her.

True. She was right. Gabriel was indeed cool‚ and he would be Dalia’s brother-in-law soon‚ so it was fair.

Yet I still felt something heavy in my chest.

I nodded slowly‚ forcing myself to pretend that this feeling in my chest was not jealousy‚ and not fear‚ and not guilt mixed together.

Dalia’s smile faded a little.

Then she tilted her head and looked at me in that way she always did when she was about to know something I was trying to hide.

“What about you?” she asked gently. “What’s going on between you and Isaac?”

My heart jumped.

“Huh?” I laughed‚ but it came out strange. I could hear the fake sound of it myself. “N-nothing.”

Dalia raised an eyebrow like she didn't believe me. She studied my face‚ then shrugged.

“If you say so…” she murmured.

“Nothing really‚” I repeated quickly.

Then I turned and rushed inside.

I didn't walk like a normal person. I practically ran up the stairs‚ forgetting about the slight pain in my ankle just so I wouldn't stay in that conversation for one more second.

The moment I got to my room‚ I closed the door behind me and leaned on it.

My chest rose and fell too fast.

Why did she have to ask me that?

I walked to my bedside table and grabbed my phone. It had been there for hours‚ but I had kept my data off because I didn't want to see more rejection emails from companies I'd applied to. I sat on the edge of my bed and turned on my data.

Almost immediately‚ notifications started entering‚ one after another.

My screen filled up.

Some messages were from companies I had applied to. Some were from automated replies that always sounded polite but still ending up rejecting me.

I was a management science graduate‚ and I had been trying hard to find work without my father’s name opening doors for me. I had been running away from working in my dad’s company because I wanted something that was mine.

A job I could say I earned by myself.

Not a job I got because my father owned half the city and knew everyone here.

But it wasn't easy.

I opened the first email.

It started with “We regret to inform you…”

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