My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 723

Chapter 723

For a long moment, I simply stared at it. Six years ago. I would’ve thanked him. I would’ve smiled. I would’ve drunk it without a second thought because Dad had handed it to me.

Now…

All I could think about was the sting in my arm, the heaviness in my eyelids, the way I’d fought to stay awake while he held me against his chest.

“Go to sleep, my darling.”

My fingers tightened around the glass. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to him, then I held the glass back toward him, “Take a sip.”

Dad blinked, he looked genuinely caught off guard, “Excuse me?”

“The juice,” I kept my hand exactly where it was, “Drink it.”

His brows slowly drew together, “And why,” he asked carefully, “would I do that?”

“Because I need to know it’s safe.”

His expression hardened, “What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything,” I shrugged, “I’m making a new rule.”

His jaw clenched, “What rule?”

“Anything you give me to eat,” I lifted the glass slightly, “Anything you ask me to drink. You’ll have it first.”

Dad let out a short, disbelieving laugh, “You honestly think I’d poison my own daughter?”

“No,” my answer came immediately, “I think you already proved you’re comfortable putting drugs into my body without asking me.”

His smile disappeared, “I had to sedate you.”

“You drugged me.”

His voice sharpened, “Gianna.”

“So now…” I looked down at the juice before looking back at him, “Every single thing that comes from this house goes through you first.”

I accepted it without a word, watched him for another couple of seconds, then I took a drink myself. I swallowed the rest before handing the glass back to him, “Thank you.”

He looked at the glass, then at me. His jaw remained tight as he took it back. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement.

Perla hadn’t taken her eyes off me, shock was written all over her face. As if she couldn’t quite believe the conversation she’d just witnessed.

I looked toward Gio. He was staring at me too. His lips had parted slightly. His eyes moved from me to Dad, then back to me again. He looked completely stunned like he’d just watched someone stand in front of a hurricane… and tell it to calm down.

For a moment…

I understood why.

Six years ago…

I would’ve apologized before Dad even had the chance to raise his voice. Today, I’d interrupted him, questioned him, made him prove the drink was safe before I touched it.

The old Gianna would’ve spent the rest of the day crying over disappointing him.

This version of me didn’t have that kind of energy left. I’d been broken too many times. I was too tired, too angry, too fucked up, and too heartbroken to carry guilt for things that weren’t mine anymore. There wasn’t enough of the old me left for guilt to cling to.