Watch Me Love Your Stepbrother: Rejected, Pregnant , And Claimed

We didn’t break apart instantly. We were too far gone. It took a split second for the words your wife to penetrate the fog in my brain.

When they did, the ice hit me.

I tore myself away from him, and scrambled off the table.

Laziel hadn’t moved. He stood there, his hair disheveled, his tie hanging loose, his chest heaving.

He turned slowly, toward the door.

Standing there was his right-hand man, his chief of security, whose jaw was currently hanging somewhere near his chest. He looked like he’d just walked in on a murder. Or a miracle. His mouth opened, closed, and opened again.

"I... excuse me," he stammered, his eyes darting between me—disheveled, flushed, looking like a woman who had just been thoroughly ravished—and his boss, who looked ready to kill someone.

Everything came rushing back.

His wife.

I meant nothing to him. I was the secret. I was the thing he hid in a boardroom while his real life waited for him.

I looked at Laziel. He wasn’t even looking at the man. He was looking at me.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t look at him for another second.

I turned and bolted.

I ran past the security chief, not even seeing his shock, and sprinted down the hallway.

What did I just do?

I didn’t stop at the elevator. I didn’t stop until I reached the stairwell.

I leaned against the wall, gasping, my hands pressed over my mouth to keep from sobbing.

I had just kissed a married man.

I had let him touch me.

And the worst part? The part that made me want to scream?

I wanted to go back.

......

Laziel’s gaze was still fixed on the empty space where Mireya had been standing seconds ago.

He slowly raised his hand, thumb pressing against his bottom lip. He wiped away a smear of Mireya’s lipstick, looking at the smudge of red on his skin like it was a trophy.

He smiled. She had kissed him back. She had pulled his head down. That thought alone was enough to make his blood hum.

The chief swallowed.

He had worked for Laziel Monroe for twelve years.

He had seen hostile takeovers.

Political scandals.

Men dragged out of boardrooms in handcuffs.

He had never...

Not once...

Seen his boss smile after kissing a woman.

"...Sir?"

No answer.

"Mrs. Monroe has landed," the man said, his voice shaking. "She’s at the estate. She says she’s tired of waiting for you."

The smile vanished. Just like that, the room turned cold again.

"Tell her to leave," Laziel said.

"Sir?"

"Tell the pilot to warm the jet. She’s not staying at the estate. She’s not staying in the city. If she doesn’t get on that plane in the next hour, have security escort her to it."

The chief swallowed hard. "Sir... she’s your wife. She has people, she has the press..."

"She is a business liability that has outstayed her welcome," Laziel said, moving around the desk. "Do you understand."

"Yes, sir. Immediately."

"And one more thing," Laziel added, stepping closer, his shadow falling over the man. "If you ever mention her name while Mireya is in this building, you won’t be around to regret it."

.....

At the estate.

Valentina sat under the large umbrella by the pool. She had her sunglasses on, legs crossed.

She was a woman who owned everything—except the one thing she wanted.

Laziel.

She didn’t care that Laziel wouldn’t look at her. She didn’t care that the marriage was a contract. As long as the world whispered Mrs. Monroe when she walked into a room.

Around her, staff moved carefully, pretending not to look at her while looking at her every five seconds.

Nobody dared ask her to leave.

Nobody dared tell her Mr. Monroe wasn’t coming.

She was still Mrs. Monroe.

Whether Laziel acknowledged it or not.

Then, the gate creaked.

Valentina smiled

About time.

A black SUV rolled into the driveway.

She waited. Five minutes bled into ten. The footsteps she expected never came.

Instead, the back door burst open.

A tiny whirlwind jumped out.

"I’m home!"

Princess Anastelle took off across the garden at full speed, her backpack bouncing against her little shoulders.

Two bodyguards immediately chased after her.

"Princess! Slow down!"

"I wanna swim!"

"No, Princess!"

"My mommy isn’t home!"

"Exactly why you can’t swim!"

"But Snack Man always lets me—"

"Mr. Monroe is not home either!"

Anastelle stopped so suddenly that one of the guards nearly crashed into her.

Her bright green eyes landed on the elegant blonde woman sitting beside the pool.

She blinked.

Tilted her head.

Pointed.

"Who’s that?"

Nobody answered.

Anastelle looked at the nearest maid.

"Hey," Anastelle said, pointing right at Valentina. "Is that a new maid?"

The maid went white. She put her face in her hands.

Valentina’s face didn’t just turn red—it went purple. She looked as if she were contemplating whether to scream, throw her drink, or simply commit murder.

Anastelle didn’t care. She was already losing interest, looking back at the pool. "She looks grumpy."

Valentina stood up, "Excuse me?"

Anastelle looked back at Valentina. "Can you please make me a sandwich?"

The guards quietly looked at the sky, as if asking God not to let this become their problem.

Another maid silently started planning her resignation.

For the first time in her life, the great CEO, the fashion icon, the "Mrs. Monroe" didn’t know what to say.

She had been called a maid. By a toddler.

In her own husband’s house.

Authors note 💕

One thing I love about this story is that not every Chapter has to be heartbreak. Sometimes our characters need a little humiliation... and sometimes that humiliation comes from a brutally honest child with absolutely no filter.

As always, thank you so much for every comment, vote, gift, review, and collection. You guys have no idea how much they motivate me to keep writing. Every time I see your reactions, theories, and screaming in the comments, it reminds me why I started this story.

Now I have one question...

✨ If you were Valentina... what would you have done after being called "the new maid" in front of the entire staff? 😭

Would you laugh?

Cry?

Fire everyone?

Or adopt Anastelle because she’s too funny? 😂

Drop your answers below. I read every single comment.

And don’t get too comfortable...

Because this little meeting has only just begun. 👀

See you in the next Chapter. ❤️