OWNED BY MY STEPBROTHER

Underneath The Cafeteria Table

"I don’t want to see you blushing for anyone else, Jade. If you’re going to turn red, make sure it’s because of me." — Silas.

“...and if I see one more Wikipedia citation in these lab reports, I’m failing the entire row. Clear?” Professor Okoro’s voice was like a gravel mixer, grinding through the last five minutes of the lecture.

I didn't answer. I just stared at the clock, my fingers white-knuckled around my pen.

My neck felt tight, itchy where I’d layered on way too much concealer to hide the mark Silas had left. It felt like a heavy, invisible collar.

“Rough morning, huh? You look like you’re waiting for a firing squad.”

I jumped, nearly knocking my water bottle off the tiered desk.

A girl was leaning against the row behind me, her hair in a cloud of perfectly picked-out curls and a grin that was way too bright for a Tuesday.

“I’m Ava. Second year,” she said, already sliding her bag over her shoulder.

“You’re the new Accounting fresher, right? The one everyone’s staring at because you actually take notes?”

I managed a small, tired smile. “Jade. And yeah, I guess I’m still in the studious phase.”

“That’ll last a week,” Ava laughed, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the exit.

“Come on, Jade. You look like you’ve been living on nerves. Let’s hit the cafeteria. My treat, consider it a welcome-to-the-madhouse gift.”

Ava didn't give me a choice, and honestly, I was grateful for it.

She talked enough for both of us, filling the walk with gossip about which professors to avoid and where the best jollof was hidden.

For a second, walking in the sun with a girl who didn't know my secrets, I felt like a normal student.

The cafeteria was a wall of noise—clattering trays, loud laughter, and the humid scent of spices.

We were standing by the drink cooler when a guy stepped in our path. He had his cap on backwards and a cocky, slow-moving smirk that said he knew exactly how good he looked.

“Woah, Ava. Who’s the new girl?” he asked, his eyes sliding over me. It wasn't the cold, predatory look Silas gave me. It was just... a boy. A normal, flirting boy.

“Ronan, go find a hobby,” Ava sighed, but she was smiling.

“I’m Ronan,” he said, leaning in just enough to be bold.

“You’re far too pretty to be looking that stressed, Jade. You have a boyfriend, or do I have a chance at making you smile like that again?”

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. It was an instinctive, good girl blush. I looked down at my shoes, twisting the strap of my bag. “I... no. I don’t.”

“Good to know,” Ronan chuckled, his voice dropping into a playful hum. “See you around, Jade.”

Ava rolled her eyes and dragged me toward the back of the room.

“He’s a menace, don’t let the dimples fool you.” She scanned the room for a table, then suddenly went rigid. Her grip on my elbow tightened.

“Oh, wow. Why is he looking over here?”

My stomach did a slow, sickening flip.

Across the room, at a central table that seemed to have a five-foot radius of empty space around it, sat Silas and Ezra.

Silas wasn't even pretending to eat. He was leaning back, his dark eyes fixed on me with a stare so sharp I felt it like a physical weight on my chest. He looked like he wanted to dismantle Ronan limb from limb.

“That’s Silas Thorne,” Ava whispered, her voice dropping to a terrified hiss.

““Everyone fears that guy,” Ava whispered, her voice dropping to a terrified hush.

“He’s a third-year legend. Rich, brilliant, and absolutely lethal if you cross him. Why is he glaring at Ronan like he’s about to skin him?”

“He’s my stepbrother,” I muttered, the words feeling like lead in my mouth.

Ava’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Are you serious? Silas? The legend himself? Jade, you’re sitting with them. Right now.”

“Ava, no—”

But she was already moving, dragging me toward the one place I’d promised myself I’d stay away from.

My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs. Strangers in public. That was his rule. He was going to kill me for this.

“Hey, Silas! Ezra!” Ava chirped, pulling out a chair before anyone could protest. “I didn't know Silas had such a cute sister. Mind if we join the inner circle?”

My Mind was in a mess.

Didn't she say everyone fears Silas? Doesn't that include her? I suppose not.

I was forced into the chair directly beside Silas. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees the second I sat down.

Ezra, sitting across from me, beamed. His smile was so genuine, so warm, that I felt a genuine wave of relief wash over me.

“Jade! You made it through Okoro’s class,” Ezra said, leaning forward. He reached out and gave my hand a quick, friendly squeeze on top of the table. “I was worried you’d got lost in the labs again.”

I laughed, and for the first time all day, it wasn't forced.

“I had a guide this time,” I said, gesturing to Ava. Ezra was so easy to talk to; he didn't make me feel like a problem. He made me feel like Jade.

Silas didn't say a word. He sat there, a dark, silent shadow, his jaw so tight I thought his teeth might crack.

Then, there was a sharp, metallic clatter. Silas’s fork had slipped, hitting the floor and sliding under the table.

“My mistake,” Silas murmured. His voice was a low, gravelly rasp that cut through Ezra’s cheerful chatter.

He bent down to get it. I expected him to be quick, but the second he was out of sight, I felt it. A large, heavy hand slid firmly onto my inner thigh, high up, hidden by the table.

I let out a sharp gasp, my body jerking as I flinched, my knee slamming into the underside of the table with a loud thud.

Ezra’s water glass sloshed over, spilling onto his notebook.

“Jade? You okay?” Ava asked, her hand hovering over my shoulder.

“I—I’m fine,” I choked out, my voice high and strained. I coughed awkwardly, my face turning a shade of red that had nothing to do with Ronan’s flirting. “Just... a leg cramp. Really bad one.”

Silas sat back up. He placed the fork on his napkin with agonizing slowness. He didn't look at me, but I saw it—the tiny, cruel smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Ezra’s smile didn't reach his eyes anymore. His brows squinted, his gaze darting between me and Silas, then down at the table.

He wasn't stupid. He could feel the vibration of the tension, even if he couldn't see the hand that was still there.

Silas didn't let go. Under the table, his thumb began a slow, heavy stroke against the sensitive skin of my thigh.

It wasn't a caress; it was a claim. It was him telling me that no matter who I smiled at, no matter who flirted with me, I was his property.

I felt the heat pooling between my legs, a traitorous, humiliating dampness that made me want to scream.

My breath was coming in shallow hitches. I was trapped in a room full of people, and he was ruining me in plain sight.

Fuck, why did I want him to take his hands deeper?

Why does he doing this secretly turns me on even more ?

Why do I want him to slide his finge—

“Jade, you’re sweating,” Ava said, her voice laced with real concern breaking me out of my sinful, forbidden thoughts. “Maybe you should go to the clinic.”

I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit here and pretend to be a normal student while his thumb traced circles into my skin. I stood up so fast my chair nearly tipped over.

“I need air,” I blurted, not looking at Ezra, not looking at anyone. “I... I have to go.”

I turned and bolted for the exit, my heart nearly bursting.

The last thing I saw before I hit the double doors was Silas.

He was leaning back, his eyes dark and triumphant, watching me run like the broken little thing he’d made me.