Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Camila POV

Tess, bless her heart, wasn’t about to let Vanessa off the hook so easily. “Wow, Vanessa,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “You’re such a good Samaritan. Finding a wallet after we all got searched? Amazing timing.”

Vanessa shot Tess a glare. “Careful, Tess. You don’t want to make me your enemy.”

“Oh, no, Tess gasped mockingly, clutching her chest. Anything but that!”

“Whatever,” Vanessa snapped, clearly over the conversation. She turned back to me, her expression hardening. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice before pulling a stunt like this.”

“I didn’t pull anything,” I said through gritted teeth, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

“Sure you didn’t,” she said with a fake smile before spinning on her heel and walking away, her crew trailing after her

like obedient little shadows.

I could feel Tess practically vibrating with rage. I didn’t even need to look at her to know what she was about to do. Her jaw was clenched, her fists were tight, and she was muttering something under her breath about “entitled brats and their stupid smug faces.”

“Tess,” Lsaid firmly, catching her arm before she could bolt. “Drop it. Seriously.”

Tess spun around, her eyes wide with indignation. “Drop it? Camila, are you kidding me right now? She stole your wallet! She planted it under your desk to humiliate you in front of everyone!”

I sighed, slinging my bag over my shoulder and trying to sound calmer than I felt. “Look, I’ve got my wallet back. All my stuff is still in it. End of story.”

“End of story?” Tess repeated, her voice rising. “She basically framed you for losing it! And now the whole class is mad at you because of her.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I insisted, rubbing a hand

OV

my face. “What’s done is done. Let’s just move on, okay?”

Tess narrowed her eyes at me like I’d just suggested we burn all her favorite books. “Move on? You want to let her get away with this?”

“Yes,” I said flatly. “Because getting into a fight with Vanessa isn’t going to change anything. It’ll just make things

worse.”

Tess scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. “I cannot believe you right now. You’re just going to let her walk all over you like this?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice light. “Call it self–preservation.”

But Tess wasn’t having it. She whirled around before I could stop her and marched toward the door. swishing as she walked.

“Tess,” I called after her, already feeling a headache coming on. “Seriously. Don’t.”

ponytail

1/3

Chapter 34

She didn’t even look back. “Somebody has to put her in her place, and If you’re ret going to do it, then I will

I groaned, slumping against my desk as I watched her storm out of the classroom.

The next class rolled in, and as everyone began filing back into their seats, my eyes kept darting toward the door, Tess still hadn’t come back, and with each passing second, my stomach churned harder. Where was she?

The teacher walked in, oblivious to my growing anxiety, and began writing something on the board. I barely registered what it was; all I could focus on was the empty seat next to me. Tess never missed class, no matter how mad she got. And yet, here I was, sitting alone with her bag still tucked under her desk where she’d left it.

1. me.

“Camila,” the teacher called out sharply, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked, realizing everyone was looking at

“Uh, yeah?” I stammered, sitting up straighter.

“I asked if you had the answer to the question on the board.”

My face burned as I glanced at the board, only to realize I had no idea what the question even was. “Um… I don’t know,” I muttered.

The teacher sighed, muttering something about paying attention, and moved on to the next student. I slouched in my chair, my cheeks still flaming as the class murmured softly around me.

I tried to focus after that, but it was useless. My mind kept wandering back to Tess. What if Vanessa and her minions had done something to her? Tess wasn’t exactly known for keeping her cool, and Vanessa definitely wasn’t above getting physical if she felt threatened.

I tapped my pen against my notebook, trying to ignore the growing knot in my chest. Maybe I was overthinking it. Tess was probably fine.

Still, the thought nagged at me.

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By the time class finally ended, I was practically out of my seat before the teacher had even dismissed us. I grabbed my bag and Tess’s, ignoring the curious glances from my classmates, and bolted out the door.

The hallway was packed with students heading to their next classes, but Tess was nowhere to be seen. I checked the bathrooms first, calling her name as I peeked inside, but they were empty.

“Come on, Tess,” I muttered under my breath, scanning the crowd as I headed toward the cafeteria. She had to be

somewhere.

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