My stepbrothers seduction

Adria’s Anguish

Adria Collins stood in the center of her room, a sanctuary turned battleground.

Sunlight filtered through her sheer curtains, illuminating the dust motes that danced in the air.

She was surrounded by remnants of her past: posters of her favorite bands plastered on the walls, sketches pinned above her desk, and the faint scent of vanilla lingering from the candles she often burned.

Yet today, the familiar comfort of her space felt stifling.

At 18, Adria was strikingly beautiful, a blend of resilience and vulnerability. Standing at 5’6”, her slender yet curvy figure hinted at a dancer’s grace.

Long, wavy chestnut hair fell to her mid-back, catching the light in shimmering strands.

Her vibrant green eyes, often bright with passion, now reflected a storm of emotions—anger, betrayal, and confusion.

High cheekbones accentuated her heart-shaped face, while a light dusting of freckles across her nose added a touch of youthful innocence.

Adria was no stranger to attention, but today she wished to fade into the shadows.

As she gazed out her window, the sight of a moving truck parked in the driveway filled her with dread.

This was it—the moment she had been dreading since her father announced his engagement to Claire.

Her father, once her unwavering protector, had chosen to move on, leaving Adria feeling abandoned and resentful.

The laughter and chatter of unfamiliar voices outside pierced through her thoughts, echoing in her mind like an unwelcome reminder of her new reality.

Her father’s new family arrived in a flurry of activity.

Claire, radiating warmth, was busy directing the movers with a cheerful energy that made Adria’s stomach churn.

Claire was everything Adria felt she wasn’t: poised, outgoing, and effortlessly kind.

Adria’s resentment bubbled beneath the surface as she observed her father smiling, clearly enamored by Claire’s presence.

It was a smile that had become all too familiar, one she hadn’t seen since her mother passed away two years prior.

Then there was Nathan, Claire’s son, who stepped out of the truck with an air of casual confidence that made Adria’s blood boil.

At 22, he was tall—6’2”—with an athletic build that spoke of hours spent in the gym.

His dark hair was tousled just enough to appear effortlessly handsome, and his piercing blue eyes held a glint of mischief that made him seem both alluring and infuriating.

Adria couldn’t help but notice the way he carried himself, exuding an undeniable charm that drew others in, but to her, it felt like an insult.

He caught her gaze and smirked, the expression a mix of amusement and challenge, as if he knew the negative effect he had on her.

“Welcome to our home!” Claire called, her voice bright and inviting, as she gestured for Nathan to help with the boxes.

Adria could hardly bear to watch, her heart clenching at the sight of her father blending seamlessly into this new family dynamic.

The thought of sharing her home—and her father—with these strangers sent a wave of nausea through her.

“Dad, do you really think this is a good idea?” She could give them space.

Adria’s voice was laced with bitterness as she stepped into the living room, where the chaos of boxes and unfamiliar faces overwhelmed her. She crossed her arms, her stance defiant as she faced her father.

He turned to her, his expression a mix of surprise and concern. “Adria, this is a fresh start for all of us. We need to—”

“I don’t need a fresh start,” she interrupted, her voice rising. “I need you to remember what we had! What you’re throwing away.” The words hung in the air, heavy with grief and frustration. She hated how easily he seemed to forget the past, how easily he was moving on.

She didn’t want to move on, even though her mom died years ago.

She didn’t want to stay there, she even thought to pack out of the house.

Good thing she lived in her own apartment close to school, so a few days after this pleasantries,

She’d go back.

Now, the new family reached where she was standing.

Just Nathan, Claire was right behind him.

Nathan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the exchange with an amused smirk.

"Hello, sister." His tone dripped with sarcasm, igniting a fire within her.

Who did he think he was, strolling into her life and acting like he owned the place?

This was the second time she'd seen him; their first encounter hadn't ended well, with tears streaming down her face and her screaming at her dad.

"I am not your sister," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "I'm never going to be." She muttered the last part under her breath.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he replied, feigning innocence. "I didn't mean to offend you...

Adria's heart raced as she turned to her father, desperate for him to choose her side.

"See, you're letting this woman and her children come in and change everything. Don't you care about what I want?"

Her father's expression softened, but his resolve remained firm. "Adria, Claire is here to help us heal. We all need to give this a chance."

The disappointment in his voice struck her like a physical blow. She sighed, her face darkening. For months, seeing her dad with Claire – sharing laughter they'd once shared – felt like betrayal.

Nathan walked past; his mother followed. Adria didn't understand why Claire stood there, receiving them as if she owned the place.

"Hi, Adria, you beautiful girl. You look stunning as always," Claire said with a bright smile, holding Adria's chin in her hand.

Adria felt irritated, almost jolting back at the touch. She smiled awkwardly. "Hello."

"Let's go in," Claire said, pulling Adria into the house.

"Is that her?" a little girl's voice asked from behind.

Before Adria could turn, she felt the girl tugging at her sundress.

She turned and looked down at Lily, Claire's youngest child, 14 years old.

Adria couldn't bring herself to be mean to Lily. She smiled. "Hi, Lily."

This was their second meeting, and Adria had grown to like Lily's accent and playful demeanor.

She was obviously like her mother, but Adria didn't find her behavior repulsive.

"We meet again. I wanted to say I didn't recognize you, but I could never forget your beautiful face, even if I were in a 60-year coma," Lily said with certainty.

Adria couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, you’re just a baby but You sure have a sweet mouth."

Lily leaned in and hugged Adria. When Adria stiffened, Lily pulled back, looking worried. "I'm sorry. Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Adria felt bad. "No, not at all. I just... didn't expect you to... hug me."

Lily's face lit up. "Oh, then I'll hug you more often so you'll get used to it. I like to hug people I like.

That's why I don't hug Nathan." She said in a serious tone, but her desire to provoke her brother wasn't missed.

Everyone laughed. Adria thought Lily was good with words, even for a 14-year-old.

Nathan rejoined them in the living room as the maids carried in the remaining boxes.

Noticing his return, a scowl grew on Adria's face. She didn’t know why, but out of all of them, she disliked him the most.

And she knew why – he didn’t regard her father, just like she didn’t regard his mother.

But there was a way he seemed cool with everything, even though she could see through the wall he was hanging; he didn’t want a new family either.

And most especially, he didn’t want a new sister. He made that pretty obvious.

She hated that she’d lived her entire life being the only child, treated like a princess by both her parents, and now… this man comes in and becomes the second “man” of the house.

She hated that in the dad’s quest of building a happy home, he would allow him with all the leverages she was supposed to have because he was a man.

She hated that at some point, she’d have to listen to this stranger as an “older brother.” Just the thought of it made her feel like dirt was crawling on her skin.

“What?” She heard a voice that she barely knew say; she jolted back to reality.

She saw it was Nathan who spoke, and he was looking at her with pinched lips and furrowed brows, totally irritated.

She hadn’t realized that her gaze had been fixed on him as she thought about numerous ways to kill him.

See?

That was exactly the reason she didn’t like him.

He was so arrogant and persistently annoying. How could she live with that?

“What?” She shot back, sneering at him and eyeing him with disgust and equal irritation.

He chuckled in total amazement, wondering how she had the nerve to be rude to him when he just saw her forcing herself to be nice to his mother and sister.

It’s not as if he cared if she was nice to him or not; he just felt like making her uncomfortable about it.

Lily had pulled her to a chair that was far from where the others were, since the sitting room was so large, there could be a safe distance.

Taking advantage, Nathan walked to them and stood right in front of them with a stern face and his hands in his pockets.

He arched his brows as he looked down at her. Adria swallowed, not because she felt intimidated but because she didn’t understand how a man that annoying could possess his figure; he was f*****g tall.

Not in a bad way but in a way that women died for.

She frowned, because she disliked him, she wanted to be able to badmouth him to her friends.

To be able to tell them he was ugly and short as a penguin.

“You were looking at me? Smitten or hating?” He said with confidence.

She looked at his face with total disbelief and disgust. Smitten? She would never be smitten by a person who had piercing on his brow and a cut in it. He was obviously an attention seeker. And for a man, that was irritating.

“If you actually saw the way I was looking at you, you’d notice that I don’t like you one bit.”

He flinched at her words, but his lips curved to a full-blown smile. “If you say so, Nut.”

Her brows furrowed; Nut? He smirked as he looked at her hair. Oh.

He was calling her nut because of her chestnut hair? How typical of a 22-year-old boy.

Everything about him irritated her, including the right frame of his face.

She snarled, but before she could say anything, her father’s voice rang out.

“Aria” – she recognized that tone; it was him trying to call her back.

He noticed that the argument would turn into a heated one if he didn’t intervene.

He knew she would adjust to Claire and Lily with time; they were nice people, and Claire was just lovable.

But he didn’t understand the fued between the two – Adria and Nathan.

Aria was pissed; why wouldn’t he scold Nathan for provoking her?

With a furious shake of her head, Adria turned on her heel and fled up the stairs, leaving the chaos behind.

She slammed her bedroom door shut, the sound reverberating through the house.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and tears of anger blurred her vision. Actually, she had been needing to cry for a while now.

Today was the perfect time.

Adria pressed her forehead against the cool surface of the door, willing herself to breathe.

She felt like a stranger in her own home, watching her father's love for another woman grow while hers felt neglected.

The thought of sharing her space with Nathan and Claire's younger sister, Lily, was unbearable.

As she glanced out her window once more, allowing the cold breeze to flow through her, she knew she needed to calm down.

But she needed to let out her sorrow first. Just as she thought she could escape the noise below, her phone buzzed with a message from one of her friends.

"You okay? Heard about your dad's wedding." Adria's heart sank further. She had hoped to keep this from her peers, to avoid talking about it.

But her best friend Tiffany had already found out since she had missed school for a while, and it wasn't normal.

She sighed as she threw her phone onto the bed. She wasn't doing this anymore; she would go to school tomorrow.

Staying at home would only drive her crazy.

Just then, she saw Nathan walking to the car from the window.He opened it and picked up a tiny bag. His confident demeanor was evident, even when he knew no one was watching.

She would have frowned, but she didn't. She just watched him flatly.

Just when she thought she'd look away, he looked up straight at her, as if she'd called him. How did he know anyone was there?

She almost stepped back as her cheeks flushed.

He didn't think she was ogling him, did he? Like he knew what she was thinking, he smirked.