I came home from college expecting to deal with my emotionally unavailable father, an empty fridge, and a summer full of boredom.

What I didn’t expect was to walk into the kitchen and find a barefoot, stunning woman in my dad’s shirt stirring eggs like she owned the place.

Spoiler: She does.

Her name is Elena, and apparently, she’s my brand-new stepmother—seven years older than me, way too cheerful, and totally off-limits.

But try telling that to my brain when she’s bending over to grab orange juice or accidentally falling on top of me in the laundry room. Try telling that to my heart when she’s laughing at my jokes, defending me at dinner, or wearing my hoodie because “it smells like comfort.”

My dad doesn’t see her. Not really.
But I do.
And that’s the problem.

Now I’m stuck in a house full of tension, sarcasm, and slow-burn chaos.
She’s married to my father.
I’m supposed to be focusing on my future.
But somehow, I’m falling for the one woman I absolutely, definitely, 100% should not be falling for.

Oops.

🔁 Recap – Chapter 44: The Man in the Window


The truth had teeth — and it finally bit.


In Chapter 44, the fragile alliance between Aaron, Milo, and Elena shattered under the weight of a photo that couldn't be explained away: Elena and Grayson, captured in a moment far too recent to ignore. Her secrets, once kept carefully behind soft smiles and motherly glances, came crashing to the surface.


Elena revealed the darkest truth yet — she once loved Grayson. He wasn't just a monster from her past; he was someone she had chosen. Someone she had a child with.


That child? A daughter. Elara. Given away to protect her from the same fate Elena couldn't escape.


For Aaron, the revelation was devastating. How could he trust the woman who had infiltrated his family, lied to his father, and… stolen his heart?


For Milo, it was a gut punch — the confirmation that Elena had always been two steps ahead, even when she seemed to be vulnerable.


Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Ghosts of the Safehouse