Claimed By My Stepbrother novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

I was still gasping for air, my heart pounding in my chest as I sat on the cold marble floor of the foyer. My head spun replaying the nightmare. I had just escaped. The bruises on my arm from those men stung like hell, but they were nothing compared to the image of Ethan… or whatever that was. His glowing eyes, the raw power in his movements.

He was a beast.

I wiped at my face, trying to get a grip on reality as I let out shaky breaths.

The silence in the house felt deafening. I hated the way my voice had echoed earlier when I called for my mom. Where was she? Why wasn’t she answering? The mansion suddenly felt too big, too empty, and far too quiet.

Then, Theard a sound.

The creak of the front gate.

My body went stiff.

The sound was faint, but it might as well have been a gunshot in the silence. My breath hitched, and I froze, my ears straining. A chill spread through me, colder than any winter night.

Then came the crunch of footsteps on gravel.

Slow. Deliberate.

My blood turned ice cold as the sound got closer, each step more menacing than the last. My pulse raced, and I felt my heart hammering against my ribcage like it was trying to break free.

I slowly stood up, my legs trembling as I slowly stepped away from the door, my eyes glued to it.

The footsteps stopped right on the other side of the door.

I stopped breathing.

“Camila.”

The voice was deep, guttural, and growling, sending chills racing down my spine.

I didn’t think I ran.

Adrenaline surged through me as I sprinted toward the staircase, my socks sliding slightly against the polished floor. My mind screamed move, move, move, and I didn’t dare look back.

Behind me, the door burst open with a loud crack that echoed through the house, making me jump. My knees buckled for a split second, and I almost tripped over my own feet.

“Shit!” I gasped, righting myself as I tore up the stairs.

The distance from the bottom of the stairs to my room had never felt this long. Every step felt like an eternity. My legs burned, and my chest tightened as I pushed myself forward, practically throwing myself up the stairs two at a time.

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Chapter 40

I didn’t look behind me, but I could hear it those footsteps again, heavier this time, louder, more deliberet,

He was coming.

I shoved the banister away and turned sharply down the hall, my breath ragged. My bedroom door was in sight, but it felt impossibly far away. My lungs screamed for air, and my mind raced.

Just get to your room. Get to your room. Lock the door. Hide. Do something!

I reached the door and fumbled with the handle. My hands were shaking so badly it took me three tries to twist it.

The footsteps were right behind me.

I flung the door open and slammed it shut as hard as I could, twisting the lock with trembling fingers. My back pressed against the door, and I slid down, trying to catch my breath.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I sat there, my knees pulled to my chest, my ears straining for any sound. My entire body shook, the terror refusing to let go.

And then-

“Camila.”

The growling voice was right outside my door.

I slapped my hand over my mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape.

The doorknob rattled once, twice, and then fell still. My heart felt like it was going to explode.

“Open the door.”

The voice was deeper now, more commanding, as though it wasn’t just a suggestion- it was a demand.

I shook my head frantically, even though whoever- or whatever- it was couldn’t see me.

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