Forbidden Love With My Stepbrother

So there was Lily Jones, holding a drink, her eyes all fuzzy from a bit too much of the good stuff, watching from a distance as a newlywed couple exchanged rings and went all mushy in front of everyone. Guess who was getting married today? None other than her own mom! Yep, the lady who excelled at giving birth but not so much at raising her kids. Lily had known from the moment she was born that her mom was all about being the third mistress in someone else's relationship. And now, after twenty-four long years, this mom had finally achieved her lifelong goal – going from being the side piece to the main squeeze! Lily smirked, her hand holding the drink starting to shake a little. This whole scene was just plain cringe. Just as Lily was about to make her escape, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. A row of well-trained, black-suited bodyguards strolled in from the entrance, creating a path. And then, right down that cleared path, a proud and haughty young man appeared before the crowd. He looked like he was walking on moonbeams, radiating an aura that practically screamed "stay away." His expression was cold and distant, and his dark eyes were like bottomless pits, slowly making their way toward the couple at the center. "Dad's getting hitched, and nobody thought to give his son a heads-up?" It was him—James White? Lily froze in her tracks. She couldn't help but recall the endless darkness, the malicious slander, and the degrading taunts she'd endured from him. Wasn't he supposed to have left Star City for good? No way, it couldn't be him! Lily couldn't be this unlucky. Lily steadied her tumultuous emotions and made her way outside with some effort. Meanwhile, Harry White, the father, was starting to get annoyed. Was his son here just to mock him? As Harry was about to give his son a piece of his mind, Lucy, Lily's mother, grabbed his hand and said gently, "James, haven't you met your sister yet?" James, originally expressionless, hesitated when he heard the word "sister." Following Lucy's gaze, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Suddenly, his eyes darkened, and a sinister smile tugged at his lips. "Lily, come over here! Meet your brother!" Lucy scanned the crowd and quickly located Lily. With a little help from the crowd, Lily was pushed toward Lucy. Lucy held Lily's hand. "Lily, this is your brother. From now on, you'll not only have a dad but also a great brother. Are you happy?" Brother? Lily saw that familiar and handsome face that went straight to her bones, and she couldn't contain the panic and fear rising within her. Her delicate face drained of color, and her palms grew sweaty. It was really him—James! Lily felt like the world was spinning, her blood rushing in her ears. She heard his voice from the past, like a demon's whispers: "Do you know? Your mother killed mine, and now I'm here to get even with her daughter." "Ha! Dating with my own sister about this is quite exhilarating..." "Killing your own child every day! Do you know how happy it makes me?" It was him, James! The man who had been a living nightmare for Lily. The guy she shamelessly chased after during her entire high school days, who she had given herself as a birthday gift to, even got pregnant with his child, enduring fear and panic all alone. In the end, he had served her a dish—supposedly medication to ensure a safe pregnancy, but in reality, it was a drug that caused severe birth defects. He made her pregnancy gossip spread all over the school, and her reputation got so trashed that she had to drop out. Using his power, he made her life a living hell, like he wanted to destroy her completely to get back at his mom. Turns out, her love at first sight was none other than the big shot in Star City. Eventually, she managed to escape abroad, change her name, and start a new life. But why in the world did she end up back in front of him? Lily's body was trembling uncontrollably, and her face was ghostly pale. Her heartache was just unbearable.