My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 651

Chapter 651

The realization settled heavilyinside my chest.

I had never felt so… unnecessary, not until now. I understood machines better than people. Machines followed rules. Damage could be measured, repaired, replaced.

People didn’t.

Especially not the woman sitting beside me.

In less than two days, she had lost four friends. She learned one woman she trusted with her life had betrayed her, then she went on to identify three more bodies and then she watched her mother die, buried he

No system kept functioning after taking damage like that, not even the strongest one.

I crouched beside her chair until I was level with her.

“Gianna?”

She gave me nothing, not even a blink.

I didn’t know how to fix this. That thought disturbed me more than I expected. So how was I supposed to solve it?

I studied her face. There were dark circles beneath her eyes. She hadn’t eaten enough today. She hadn’t drunk enough water either.

I knew because I’d been counting. She’d taken three small sips since morning, nothing more. I reached up carefully and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She didn’t lean into my hand the way she always did. She didn’t pull away either.

There was simply… nothing.

The absence of a response hit my chest more than rejection ever could because rejection meant she still felt something.

This…

Felt like standing beside someone drifting farther away while having no way to swim after them.

I rested my forehead lightly against the side of her head, “I’m here. I’ll stay. I’ll stay until you remember how to come back.”

I gently took both of her hands, slipped my fingers between hers and carefully pulled her to her feet. She stood because I guided her to, not because she chose to.

Then, she moved. So slightly I almost thought I’d imagined it. Her fingers found my forearm. They rested there.

A few seconds later, she turned until she was facing me.

I brushed my thumb beneath her eye, “Hi, Ballerina…”

Her lips parted, nothing came out. Instead, she leaned forward. Her lips found mine in the gentlest kiss. She lingered only a heartbeat before pulling back.

I searched her face.

She didn’t say anything. She simply kissed me again. A little longer this time. Her fingers slowly closed around the front of my shoulder.

I kissed her back just as gently, careful not to rush her, careful not to ask anything of her she couldn’t give.

When she pulled away, I rested my forehead against hers, “Gia…”

She silenced me with another kiss. This time she didn’t wait for me to respond. Her hand slid to the back of my neck. Her fingers tightened. She pulled me closer.