Chapter 14: The Stepsister's True Colors

Grace didn’t say anything to me for the first five seconds. But I could clearly see a whirlwind of things she wanted to say just by looking into her eyes. The only reason why she wasn’t screaming all of them in my face was because she was afraid of what I’d do to her. In fact, she began to wince at the growing numbness in her hand by how tightly I was clutching her wrist. She tried to futilely yank it free but we both know who’s the strongest asshole is right here. Eventually, her scowl turned into a snide as she finally gave that sweet, fake smile of hers.

“You don’t belong here and you know it. And you’ll get what’s coming for you, you filthy whore!” Though she didn’t scream in my face, her voice still held plenty of hateful venom. My smirk only grew wider, it took everything I had just to keep myself from busting out laughing. Seeing the pretty princess squirm will probably be the highlight of my day.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, princess, but we’re family now. Didn’t you know family sticks together? And who the hell do you think you’re calling a filthy whore? I haven’t fucked your dad to steal all his, and yours, money yet. And trust me, I easily could if I felt like it.” I muttered with a growl in my voice. For once, I felt shame behind my words. I would never disgrace my mother like that, but this little shit needs to know who she’s messing with.

Grace’s glare shows the fire of her fury and the sickening feeling in her gut over the fact that I would say such a sordid thing. But she seemed to get control over her fury fairly quickly as if she had a card up her sleeve because she returned a venomous smile at me. “Maybe not my dad, but you are fucking my brother. Did you think I wouldn’t know? All he does is stare at you all day! HA! I wonder what Mom will think if she ever found out about how much of a slut you are?”

Julian’s twin laughed twistedly as if she had heard the funniest thing all day. Her laugh soon ended with a yelp and she grabbed my arm when I squeezed Grace’s wrist so tight that I could feel her bones threatening to pop out of place. This time it was my turn to feel a blazing rage in the pit of my stomach. It has been a very long time since somebody had some good blackmail against me and nothing pissed me off more than somebody taking control of me as if I was a dog trying to be tamed. Not to mention she addressed my mother as if she was her own too. My body shook as I used all my might to reframe myself from punching her right in the mouth and knocking out a couple of teeth. But, of course, that would only make my situation far worse.

“You think that’s fucking funny, huh?” I hissed through my teeth as I tried to keep myself from shouting out my rage.

Grace dug her nails into my arm in an attempt to escape but I still didn’t budge. It wouldn’t be the first time someone took my skin beneath their fingernails. She eventually forced a strained smirk. “There’s nothing I find funnier than a useless animal about to get put down. Especially a disgusting mutt!”

“Oh, so now I’m a mutt, huh?!” Again, I snarled my words through my teeth in an attempt to keep myself from raising my voice. If I screamed my words, I’d draw the attention of every single living soul on this property to us. And we can’t have that, now can we?

I felt the veins in my neck bulge as I struggled to keep my emotions in check but they’re still released through my quiet words as I speak. “You know what I find so fucking funny?” Grace didn’t respond to me so I leaned in closer till I was able to whisper in her ear. “Your face when I’m fucking your lights out next. I bet you’d like it too, you snotty slut.”

Grace shrieked after I said my nasty, cold words. She either shrieked from what I said or she shrieked because I let go of her wrist, either way, she still fell backward onto her bottom as soon as I released her. The blonde woman stared up at me wide-eyed with the faintest blush on her cheeks. I would’ve made fun of her and said that she really would’ve liked it but I was too pissed off for dirty jokes.

My hands were still in tight fists that shook from raw emotion and I lifted my chin with dominance as I glared down at her. “Tell anybody about me and Julian, and I’ll make sure what I find funny will really happen.” I threaten my stepsister that I’ll straight up rape her if she tattles on me. Of course, I wouldn’t sexually touch a woman I thought was disgusting inside and out, but a threat like that should keep her in her place. Especially when she’s still uncertain of how far I’ll go if I get pissed enough.

As I turn around to walk away, I call over my shoulder before I leave to go into the rose garden. “Oh yeah. Don’t bother locking your door, I picked locks for a livin’.”

I could hear Grace’s teeth grind from where she still sat on the ground, her fingers ripping at the grass and digging into the dirt as she shouted at me. “YOU…!!!” I expected her to call me a crazy bitch again but she didn’t say any more insults after my threat. The red mark around her wrist that’ll bruise in an hour showed her I meant business. But she clearly wasn’t done yet because she shouted at me again, this time mocking me instead. “You’re already fucked either way! Have fun being playmates with my psycho brother!”

I stopped walking again and turned around to face her. Her pissy attitude that was seriously rubbing me the wrong way has now finally caught my attention. “Psycho brother? Seriously? That’s kinda fucked to call your own twin mental. Do you call him ugly too?”

As Grace stands up, she rubs her throbbing wrist while giving me a twisted smile. If she called him mental, then she clearly was too. Whatever else she found funny, it must’ve been the joke for a lifetime of humor. She didn’t laugh. She only enjoyed my ignorance. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough.”

I watch Grace walk away with a slight limp that she must’ve gotten when she fell to the ground. Surprisingly, the female twin had enough common sense to hide her hand with her injured wrist deep into her pocket so that nobody could see the forming bruise. Grace knew better than to show the bruise I inflicted on her because I’d only give her hell to pay. It was kind of disappointing how much commonsense she has, to be honest. But, it’s less I have to worry about.

Once she left back into the mansion, I continued on my way to the rose garden while stuffing my hands into my own pockets. I will admit one thing, Grace is a bitch but she’s also smart. She wouldn’t have approached me so confidently if she didn’t have something to gain control over me. And that thought unsettled me. Though it didn’t scare me, it still got beneath my skin, leaving a question with an answer I don’t want to think about.

Will she try to take control of me again? What kind of blackmail will she use next on me? And what did she mean about Julian being psychotic…?