My Hot Stepbrother

Untitled Episode2

Pov Leon's

The sun was starting to set towards the east, and the sky was growing dark, but this didn't stop the basketball team members from showing off their skills on the court.

Currently, an internal campus basketball tournament was taking place with great excitement. The Panther Club, led by Nathan as captain, was playing against the Thunderhawks, with Jason as their captain.

The game was intense. I watched Nathan skillfully leading his team and controlling the game's flow. Every ball throw Nathan made always impressed the spectators. But what started to raise my emotions was Clara and her group's behavior, watching from the front row of the stands while shouting Nathan's name.

"Nathan, Come on! You have to win!" Clara exclaimed.

I stood at the corner of the court, watching them from a distance. Clara and her friends' cheers were irritating my ears. They were loud, shouting Nathan's name every time he scored.

My eyes narrowed, staring sharply at Clara. What made her enjoy this atmosphere so much? What made Nathan so attractive in her eyes?

Nathan made a smooth three-point throw, and his success echoed among the spectators' cheers.

"YES! Nathan, you're so awesome!" Clara exclaimed enthusiastically, her face radiant like a newly risen sun.

I clenched my fist, holding back the continuously burning anger. She shouldn't be here, not with these people. She should have listened to me and always been by my side.

When the game ended, the Panther team emerged as the winners. Nathan smiled widely, receiving handshakes from his teammates and fans approaching him.

I didn't care. My focus was only on Clara. With long strides, I approached her. She was still laughing with her friends, completely unaware of my presence.

"Clara," I called, making her turn with a start.

"Leon? What's wrong?" Her tone changed cold, as if my presence was disturbing her.

Her friends started whispering, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. They all knew how protective I was of Clara.

"We're going home," I said, my tone leaving no room for debate.

Clara frowned. "I don't want to go home yet. I want to stay here with my friends."

I brought my face closer to hers, lowering my voice. "I said we're going home. Don't make me repeat myself."

Clara stepped back. "Are you deaf? Let me be clear, you're nobody who can just arbitrarily control my life, Leon." Her voice was more firm this time.

Before I could respond, Nathan appeared from the court, sweat still dampening his body. His face turned serious when he saw Clara and me in a tense position.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his eyes staring at me sharply.

I stood straight, displaying my dominance on this campus, which was no less important than his, especially since I was the student body president.

I stared at Nathan sharply. "This is none of your business, Nathan. Get out of my sight."

Nathan snorted lightly, then shifted his gaze to Clara. "Clara, are you okay?"

Clara smiled slightly. "I'm okay, Nathan. But he keeps bothering me."

Disgusting. Clara's voice sounded flirtatious when speaking with Nathan. I swear I wanted to destroy something right now.

I saw Nathan turn towards me. "Don't–"

I didn't let him finish his sentence. "You don't need to get involved, Nathan. This is a family matter, and you're just a stranger here."

Nathan moved closer with steady steps. "If it's a family matter, why does Clara look uncomfortable? If you're forcing her, especially if you're hurting her, it becomes my business too. You're just Clara's stepbrother!"

I immediately lost control. I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. "You don't understand anything, Nathan. Stay away from Clara if you want to live peacefully."

Nathan laughed cynically while sneering. "Oh, are you threatening me? If you're really brave, prove it, don't just talk."

I pushed his shoulder forcefully, but Nathan returned the push with equal strength. We stared at each other in very close proximity, full of hatred almost ready to explode.

A group of students approached, trying to separate us before everything turned into a physical fight.

"Leon, stop!" Clara's voice cut through the tension. She approached me with an angry face. Before I could say anything, she raised her hand and slapped my cheek hard.

Her slap echoed, followed by a long silence. Everyone was stunned, shocked by what just happened. A student body president from the highest student organizational level had been humiliated.

I could feel my cheek burning, but more than that, my dignity was shattered. A Leon, who was admired and idolized by many girls, had been slapped by his stepsister in front of everyone.

My eyes blazed with almost uncontrollable anger. "Clara," I said softly, but my voice was full of threat. "You've really crossed the line."

Clara looked at me bravely, though I could see her hand trembling. "You're the one who's gone too far, Leon. I hate your attitude!"

I grabbed her hand, pulling her roughly. "We're going home now!" my voice emphasized.

"Let me go, Leon!" Clara tried to resist, but I didn't care. I dragged her away, not concerned about the people's stares witnessing the scene.

In my mind, I knew only one thing: Clara must understand that I would never let her escape from me.

Nathan shouted from behind. "Clara!"

I turned, staring at him sharply. "Stay away from her, Nathan. This is my final warning!"

***

The car raced fast under the night sky. The road was empty, only the roar of the engine filling the air. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, looking at the road ahead with a hardened jaw.

Next to me, Clara sat with her arms folded, her face red with clearly boiling emotions. I knew she wanted to unleash her anger, and I had no intention of stopping her.

"Leon!" she suddenly cried out, her voice breaking the silence. "Stop controlling my life! I'm not a little kid you can just order around!"

I snorted softly but remained focused on the road. "If you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't make me act like this."

Clara slammed the dashboard with her hand. "Listen to me! I'm tired of your attitude! Do you think I can't manage my own life? I have rights over myself, Leon!"

Without speaking, I pulled the car to the side of the road and stopped it on a deserted street. I took a deep breath, trying to control the raging emotions within me.

After turning off the engine, I turned my body to face Clara. She looked at me with eyes full of defiance, but I knew she was also afraid. I could see it from her slightly trembling lips.

I moved closer a bit, looking at her coldly. "Listen, Clara. If you want me to stop 'controlling your life'? Then don't act in ways that leave me no other choice."

Clara opened her mouth, but I interrupted first. "I won't let you get close to people who only make you rebel against me. Do you know who Nathan is? Do you know what he could do to you? He's just a bad guy, Clara."

She remained silent while rolling her eyes, but I knew it wasn't because she agreed. It was because she knew it was useless to argue with me when I was like this. With a quick movement, I started the engine again and drove. No words came out of our mouths until we arrived home.

After making sure Clara went inside the house, I started the car again. I had a mission that needed to be done immediately.

***

The next day, I finished my college assignments casually. In my head, I wondered if Clara would dare to look for Nathan again after what I did last night.

"I must make sure," I said.

I left the classroom. I found Clara. She was walking back and forth near the basketball court, her eyes continuously searching for someone.

I watched from a distance while folding my arms across my chest. Of course, I knew who she was looking for.

"Where's Nathan?" Clara asked one of her friends.

"Haven't you heard? Nathan is in the hospital. Apparently, he was in a serious motorcycle accident last night."

I saw Clara stunned, her face turning pale. "Motorcycle accident? Where?"

"I don't know exactly, but the news I heard was near his neighborhood's complex."

Clara bit her lip, clearly shaken. She left her friend and walked towards the parking lot, but before she could step away, I appeared in front of her, blocking her path.

"Get out of my way, Leon. I have something to do," she said with a sharp tone.

"Something to do? Oh, I know. Is it about Nathan's accident?" I asked flatly, but the corner of my mouth smiled subtly.

Clara froze for a moment, as if trying to piece together something she didn't want to believe. She stared at me with a sharp look.

"You..." her voice trembled, "are you connected to that accident, Leon?"

I didn't answer directly. I just looked at her with a slight smile, grinning like a predator who had just caught its prey.

"Don't joke around, Leon!" Clara pointed at me with a trembling hand. "I know you don't like me getting close to Nathan. So you..."

Believe me, I just gave a sneering smile, and Clara seemed to understand the meaning of my smile.