Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Camila POV

The hallways were emptier now, the next class well underway, which made it easier to peek into rooms and cheat corners without drawing too much attention.

As I turned down another hallway, I spotted the door to the storage room slightly afar. Normally, it would’ve been than tight, locked to keep students from messing around inside.

A chill ran down my spine as I approached the door, my heart pounding harder with every step.

Pushing the door open, I squinted into the dimly lit room. At first, all I could see were shelves stacked with cleaning supplies, extra chairs, and random boxes. But then, in the far corner, I spotted a figure slumped against the wall.

“Tess?” I called out hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.

The figure stirred, and as I stepped closer, my heart dropped into my stomach. It was Tess. Her usually vibrant face was pale and bruised, her lip split, and her shirt was torn at the shoulder.

“Guess I’ve been caught,” she said with a weak, nervous laugh, trying to sit up straighter.

I froze, staring at her in disbelief. “What the hell, Tess?” I finally managed to choke out, my voice trembling.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said quickly, waving a hand like she could brush off the situation. “Really, I’m fine.”

“Fine?” I snapped, my voice rising as I knelt down in front of her. “You’re covered in bruises, Tess! What the hell happened?”

Tess laughed again, but it sounded hollow, forced. “Just a little… disagreement.”

“With who?” I demanded, my hands clenching into fists.

Tess looked away, her eyes darting around th

muttered.

room like she was trying to find an escape. “It doesn’t matter,” she

“The hell it doesn’t!” I shot back. “Tess, this- this isn’t normal! Did Vanessa do this? Or one of her minions?”

She winced at the mention of Vanessa’s name, and that was all the confirmation I needed.

That bitch!

I’m going to kill her.

“I’m taking you to the nurse’s office.”

Tess groaned, shaking her head. “Camila, no. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.”

“Tess, you’re literally bleeding. This isn’t up for debate.

She sighed again, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine,” she muttered. “But if the nurse asks, I tripped or something, okay?”

1/3

hapter 35

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, because tripping totally explains looking like you went ten minds in a boxin

She shot me a weak glare, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. Just help me up, will you e

I slid an arm under her shoulders, carefully pulling her to her feet. She winced as she stood, and Thit back the or ask if she was okay. Clearly, she wasn’t.

The moment Tess was settled in the nurse’s office, begrudgingly lying down with an ice pack pressed to her cheek stormed out. My hands were shaking- partially from the adrenaline coursing through my veins and partially from the pure: unfiltered rage that was threatening to spill over.

Vanessa. That name alone made my blood boil.

The sound of high–pitched laughte

echoed through the bathroom door as I almost walked past it. My jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack, /…

the door open with more force than necessary. Standing there, I let the echo of my entrance fill the space as

napped toward me, their amusement quickly replaced with surprise- and in Vanessa’s case, irritation.

tee faces s

“What the hell do you want now, Camila?” she said, her voice sharp, like I was the one intruding on her day. She sat perched on the sink like some smug little queen, her legs crossed casually, while her two loyal minions Mia and Brooke flanked her, arms folded, smirking.

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I walked further into the bathroom, each step deliberate, the tap of my sneakers against the tiles reverberating in the now–dead silence.

“What?” Vanessa repeated, rolling her eyes as she hopped down from her throne, brushing her hands together like she was bored already. “You lose your precious wallet again? Or maybe-”

Before she could finish, I was on her.

I didn’t waste time with words. I grabbed her by the collar of her pristine, designer blouse, yanking her forward with enough force to make her stumble. Her eyes widened, and she let out a startled gasp as her perfect balance faltered for

once

“Camila, what the hell!” she screeched, clawing at my hands, but I didn’t let go.

“Oh, shut up, Vanessa,” I spat, shoving her backward into the sink so hard she grunted.

Mia and Brooke froze, looking at each other like deer caught in headlights, unsure whether they should intervene.

Fortunately for me, they didn’t

“You think you can just go around hurting people?” I hissed, my grip tightening on her shirt. “You think you’re

untouchable?”

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