MY STEPBROTHER, MY SECRET

The first time I met Damien Blackwood, he looked at me as if I had ruined his entire life. The second time, he told me to stay out of his way. And by the third time, I discovered that the boy everyone at school worshipped was hiding something much darker than a bad attitude. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late to turn back. --- “Lily, sweetheart, please tell me you're excited.” I stared through the car window at the enormous black gates in front of us. Excited? My mother had to be joking. The mansion behind those gates looked like something from a horror movie. Tall windows, dark stone walls, perfectly trimmed gardens, and a fountain in the shape of an angel stood beneath the grey evening sky. It was beautiful, of course. But there was something about the place that made my stomach twist. “It's lovely, Mum,” I answered carefully. She glanced at me from the driver's seat. “You don't sound very convincing.” “I'm trying.” She laughed softly, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “I know this is a big change, Lily. But Richard is a good man. He'll take care of us.” I wanted to believe her. After everything we'd been through, my mother deserved happiness. She deserved someone who remembered her favourite flowers, made her laugh when she was tired, and looked at her as though she was the most important person in the world. If marrying Richard Blackwood gave her that, I would do my best to adjust. Even if it meant leaving behind the small house where I'd grown up. Even if it meant starting at a new school. Even if it meant living with a stranger who might not want me there. The gates swung open. And just like that, my old life ended. “Welcome home!” Richard announced when we stepped through the front door. He hugged my mother before turning towards me with a warm smile. “Lily, isn't it? I've heard so much about you.” “Hopefully nothing embarrassing.” He laughed. “Nothing I can't forgive.” For a moment, I relaxed. Then a voice drifted down from the staircase. “Dad, is the welcoming committee over? Some of us have better things to do.” I looked up. A boy stood on the landing, one hand resting on the railing. His white shirt was untucked, his dark hair slightly messy, and his expression suggested that the entire world had personally offended him. I recognised him immediately. Damien Blackwood. Westbridge High's resident celebrity. The boy whose photographs filled the school's anonymous gossip page. The boy girls argued about during lunch breaks. The boy teachers seemed permanently exhausted by. And, apparently, my new stepbrother. Fantastic. Richard's smile disappeared. “Damien. Come down here.” Damien descended the stairs slowly, his eyes moving from his father to my mother before finally settling on me. He looked me up and down. “She's the new addition?” My jaw tightened. “I'm standing right here,” I said. One corner of his mouth lifted. “Good. Saves me from repeating myself.” “Damien!” Richard snapped. “What? I'm being welcoming.” “No, you're being rude. Apologise.” Damien looked directly at me. “Sorry.” He sounded about as sorry as a person who had just won the lottery. “Apology accepted,” I replied sweetly. “Try not to hurt yourself being nice.” For the first time, his expression changed. Surprise. Then, unexpectedly, amusement flickered across his face. “Interesting,” he murmured. “Damien, show Lily to her room,” Richard instructed. “I'm busy.” “Now.” Damien exhaled dramatically before turning towards the staircase. “Come on, stepsister.” I grabbed my suitcase. “Call me Lily.” “Fine, Lily.” He started walking. I followed him upstairs, already regretting every decision that had brought me into this house. I had no idea that before the week ended, I would wish the biggest problem in my life was simply Damien Blackwood. Because the moment I entered my new bedroom, I noticed something lying on the bed. A small black envelope. My name was written across it in silver ink. LILY MORGAN. I stopped. “What's that?” Damien asked from the doorway. “I was hoping you knew.” He stepped closer, his careless expression fading when he saw the envelope. “Don't touch it.” Naturally, I had already picked it up. Inside was a photograph. It showed my mother standing beside Richard Blackwood outside a building I didn't recognise. They looked much younger. My mother was crying, and Richard had one hand on her shoulder. Someone had drawn a thick red circle around a man standing in the background. On the back of the photograph were seven handwritten words. YOUR MOTHER KNOWS WHAT HIS FATHER DID. My fingers went cold. “What does this mean?” I whispered. Damien snatched the photograph from my hand. For several seconds, he didn't speak. Then all the colour seemed to drain from his face. “You need to leave this house.” I stared at him. “Excuse me?” “You heard me. Pack your things and leave.” “Are you insane? I just got here!” He looked at the photograph again, his fingers tightening around its edges. “Lily, I'm serious.” “So am I! Explain what's going on!” He opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a phone vibrated inside his pocket. He glanced at the screen. Whatever he saw made his expression turn cold. He answered the call. “Hello?” Silence. Then a distorted voice spoke loudly enough for me to hear. “YOU FOUND THE PHOTOGRAPH, DIDN'T YOU?” Damien froze. The voice continued. “Tell your new stepsister to stop asking questions. Her mother made that mistake once, and we won't let her daughter make it again.” The call ended. For the first time since meeting him, Damien looked genuinely afraid. Not angry. Not irritated. Afraid. He turned towards me slowly. “Listen to me carefully,” he said. “Whatever happens, don't tell your mother about that photograph.” I swallowed. “Why?” He looked at the closed bedroom door, then back at me. “Because if she discovers we have it, she'll know someone has started talking.” “Talking about what?” He didn't answer. Instead, he handed me the photograph and walked towards the door. Just before leaving, he stopped. “One more thing, Lily.” I looked up. “Tomorrow, at school, you don't know me. Don't speak to me. Don't even look at me.” “Why would I want to speak to you?” “Good. Keep it that way.” He left. I stood alone in my bedroom, staring at the photograph. Outside, thunder rolled across the sky. My phone vibrated. An unknown number. One message. WELCOME TO THE BLACKWOOD FAMILY, LILY. A second message arrived before I could respond. YOUR MOTHER ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH SECRETS. Then came a photograph. My heart stopped. It was a picture of me entering the mansion less than an hour ago. Someone had been watching us. The final message appeared. DON'T TRUST DAMIEN. HE KNOWS WHY YOUR FATHER DISAPPEARED. I read it once. Twice. Then a third time. My father had disappeared when I was six. My mother had always told me he left us and never came back. I'd spent ten years believing her. But whoever had sent those messages knew something about him. Something my mother had never told me. I looked towards the door Damien had just walked through. For the first time, I understood why he wanted me gone. It wasn't because he hated me. It was because I had walked straight into a secret that had been waiting for me long before I ever met him. And someone in this house was terrified that I might uncover it. END OF CHAPTER ONE