Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother novel Chapter 265

“You lost the right to say all that to me the moment you-

“The moment I what?” he growled, tightening his grip just slightly. Those to protect you in a way you didn’t understand? Chose to do the right thing in order for me to finally be able to keep you?”

God. His voice. So calm it was maddening. So sure, so steady. As if he truly believed he was doing the right thing

But I wasn’t a child. And I wasn’t weak. Not anymore.

I swallowed the storm rising in my throat and slowly pried my wrist from his grasp.

“You need to go.”

Kester tilted his head and gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Eat something first.” He gestured to the bag.

“I’m not eating anything you bring me,” I said, but even a child would see that I was sincerely hungry for whatever was contained in that bag.

As if he sensed the cracks spiderwebbing through my pride, Kester dipped his hand into the bag with that maddening calm of his.

I watched him, arms crossed tightly over my chest, trying to suppress the groan in my stomach that had turned vicious the moment the scent of food hit me.

And God, it hit like a storm.

He pulled out a small, rectangular box wrapped in clean parchment paper. The scent hit me first–rich, buttery, smoky, with the faintest trail of herbs and roasted meat.

My stomach growled loudly.

It was mortifying.

I turned my head, pretending I hadn’t heard it. Pretending I wasn’t now eyeing the contents of the bag like a starving woman eyeing her last meal.

But Kester heard. Of course, he did. His smirk deepened as he set the first box on the table and reached into the bag again.

He pulled out a second parcel, unwrapped it, and the aroma slapped me in the face.

Meat pies.

But not just any meat pies. Not the bland, floury ones Jake had been trying to convince me were “just as good‘ since last night.

No.

These ones were flaky and golden brown, stuffed with tender venison slow–cooked in a peppered gravy, bits of roasted sweet onion, and crushed coriander seeds. My eyes widened before I could stop them.

“Is that…” My voice cracked like thin ice.

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Chapter 265.

He looked up and smiled, “Yeuh,” he said. “From Elowen’s. You always used to say they were better than anything royalty could

afford.

I swallowed hard.

He carefully placed the pie in front of me and reached into the bag again. This time, he pulled out a sleek glass bottle wrapped in

My heart stopped.

“Kester… I started, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “You’re leaving as soon as I’m done eating. Do you hear me?”