Owned By My Stepbrother

Chapter 4: Tangled Connections

HERA’S POV

"Inigo, let me go!" I protested, the pain from his grip becoming unbearable.

"Aren't you listening? She said, let her go!" Ethan seized my other arm and swiftly pulled me away from Inigo.

"You, let her go!" Inigo's voice was a low, threatening whisper.

My goodness! I had never imagined a scene like this in my life. All I wanted was to study, graduate safely, and excel at this school.

Inigo glared at me, his eyes filled with anger, but I couldn't care less. I stared right back at him.

"I think you've forgotten how I stood up for you," Inigo said. I understood the implication. He had targeted me because I had defended my classmate, just as Ethan was doing for me now. Inigo turned his gaze toward Ethan. "You'd better let her choose between us," he boldly challenged Ethan. "Now, Hera, make your choice!" he ordered, leaving me perplexed.

"Don't intimidate her!" Ethan nearly shouted at Inigo. "You ought to act like a man, Sanders! Don't pick on a woman as your victim!" he added, and the look on Inigo's face clearly displayed the insult he felt from Ethan's words.

"You must be afraid that Hera won't choose you," I observed as I saw Inigo struggle to contain his anger.

I finally spoke up, my patience running thin. "When will you stop tormenting me, Inigo?"

"Until you're finally mine," he replied directly, shocking both me and my two best friends.

"Stop it, Inigo! Stop treating me like a possession you can pick up and discard when you're bored!" I yelled as I managed to gently remove Inigo's hands from me. The shock was evident on his face. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan pulled me away from Inigo.

"That's enough, Hera. Let's go," Ethan said, guiding me to walk away.

"And who told you I would discard you?" Inigo's words halted me in my tracks. "Once you're mine, you'll be mine forever, Hera. Remember that!" Then he glanced at Ethan. "This is the first and only time I'll let you touch her, but it will never happen again. So be grateful." With that, he turned away. Once he had turned his back on us, Ethan let go of my hand.

I breathed a sigh of relief as Inigo disappeared from my sight. I feared he might do or say something about what had transpired between us inside our house.

"Awful, Hera! I didn't expect Inigo to act that way. He was behaving like a jealous boyfriend. Elsie teased me, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"You know, Elsie, it's not funny," I replied, returning to our table.

"Stay away from that man, Hera," Ethan ordered, and I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at him. His words carried a strong sense of authority. Knowing Ethan, he never allowed any man to be rude to me. "Don't let him boss you around!" he added firmly.

Elsie just observed the growing tension between me and Ethan without saying a word, even though we didn't openly admit it.

"Wait, guys!" Elsie intervened to defuse the tension. "Remember, Inigo is our adversary here, not each other, okay? We're on the same side," Elsie implored, but instead of responding, I turned away from them and started walking again.

"Hey, hold on, Hera, where are you going?" Elsie followed me.

"I'm heading to our next class. Where else?" I replied irritably.

"Such a temper, Hera!" Elsie remarked, shaking her head, and she hurried to catch up with me.

---

Right after our last class, my phone rang, and I answered it immediately.

"Hello, Mom?" I said.

"Where are you? I'm here outside your school. I came to pick you up so we can go together." I couldn't help but smile upon hearing those words from my mother.

"My last class just ended, Mom. Wait for me," I added, then ended the call and turned to my two friends. "I'm heading out, you guys. My mother's here to pick me up."

"Alright, take care." Elsie bid me farewell. Ethan, on the other hand, hadn't said a word to me since the incident with Inigo.

I waved to them and hurriedly left the campus. I spotted my mother's car parked near the campus gate. I quickly approached the vehicle and took the passenger seat.

"There's a coffee shop across the street. Change into this dress first because we're going somewhere else," my mother instructed as she handed me a paper bag.

"Where are we going, Mom? Why do I need to change?" I asked, puzzled, and then opened the paper bag to find a beautiful dress inside.

"I'll explain later. Just change into the dress," my mother directed again, and even though I was curious, I followed her instructions. I left the car and crossed the road to change at the coffee shop.

After changing into the dress, I returned to my mother's car.

"Where are we going, Mom, and why is this dress so elegant? It looks like there's a special occasion," I inquired with confusion, because I knew the dress came from a high-end boutique, and its quality indicated that it wasn't inexpensive. This suggested that we had somewhere special to go.

The dress left my shoulders mainly uncovered and flowed into a beautiful keyhole neckline. It featured sleeves that were tight but comfortable, fitting snugly from top to bottom. The narrow waist was cinched with a cloth ribbon, tied elegantly in the front. Below the waist, the dress flared out into a trapeze style. Its length fell just below my knee, with a consistent width all around. I paired it with t-strap sandals.

"Today, Felix and I arranged a meeting for the two of you. He wanted to meet you, and I wanted to meet his son too." I saw the excitement on her face, resembling a teenager about to meet her boyfriend for the first time.

"Is it happening so quickly, Mom? I feel like it might be a bit early for both of you to meet," I inquired, expressing my surprise at the speed of their meeting.

"You'll understand later, okay?" she replied, continuing to drive away from the school. I fell silent, pondering her words.

After approximately half an hour of driving, we took a left turn onto the next street. A long field bordered the side of the road we were on, and then we passed through an extensive tunnel that felt like entering another world when we emerged. I gazed in awe at the scenery outside the car, as if I had stepped into a fairy tale.

We entered through an impressive and elegant gate, one that resembled the entrance to a palace. Along the road, there were high walls, and as we continued, my initial impression was confirmed. Before us stood a magnificent mansion, and a grand central fountain adorned the front of the estate.

"Mom, are you serious that this is their house?" I still couldn't believe it.

"Yes, my dear," she chuckled at my reaction, clearly delighted. My mother pulled the car to a stop in front of the mansion, even though the car looked out of place in such an opulent setting. "Alright, Hera, hop out now," she instructed, and I followed her lead, stepping out of our vehicle.

I couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief as I surveyed my surroundings. It felt like I had stepped into a fairy tale, where everything sparkled and gleamed.

"Hera," my mother called to me. "Come on, let's go inside. They've been waiting for us," she said, taking my hand.

We hadn't even reached the front door when it swung open automatically. The row of uniformed maids who were waiting to welcome us stood in front of us, which surprised me.

Is this really happening? Scenes like this were something I'd only witnessed in dramas, and it was surreal to experience them firsthand.

I was equally surprised when they all bowed in unison. "Impressive!" I said to myself, letting out a little chuckle. Then, a maid in a different uniform approached and greeted us.

"The Masters are already in the dining hall," she informed us, leading the way to the dining area.

The mansion was so grand that you couldn't spot the kitchen right away. We walked for another five minutes before reaching the dining area. It felt like we were inside a palace, and all the furnishings in the house seemed to sparkle and shine.

"Lord Felix, the visitors have arrived," the maid announced politely to the man seated at the head of the table. Another man joined him, who might be the only child of my mother's boyfriend, as my mother had mentioned. However, he was facing the other way, so I couldn't see his face yet.

I looked around the vast dining area, which was more akin to a dining hall. It could easily accommodate more than 20 people, and three chandeliers hung above the long table.

The dining table was overflowing with food, making it feel like a banquet. However, I noticed that only four chairs were set with cutlery and plates.

The atmosphere felt like a fine dining restaurant, with attendants standing at the ready to serve.

"Isabelle, you can sit here," he said, pointing to the chair beside him. My mother complied, and I followed suit.

We hadn't fully settled into our seats when his son suddenly exclaimed.

"What? Is she going to be your new girlfriend?" He asked incredulously, looking at us, and I was left in shock because the guy before me was none other than Drake Inigo Sanders.