Forbidden Affair with My Mafia Stepbrother R18-Chapter 151: Thin Ice

"How? How, Raphael? How exactly are you going to deal with her and when? Because as far as I’m aware, you haven’t done anything at all," I snapped.

"Abigail, this matter is complicated. You have to be patient," he replied calmly.

"How can I do that? She looked down on me and called me another one of your playthings. To her, I’m just a girl that you can cast aside whenever you think is convenient, while she’s the real thing," I said as I recalled all the painful things that Rosabella had said to me.

"I already told you that I will deal with her. Can’t you just wait?" Raphael said.

"You have no idea just how empty your words sound to me right now. You know, Rosabella is definitely right about one thing. She’s still the one that is engaged to you. She’s still your fiancée no matter what you say to me," I spat as the volume of my voice started to rise.

"Abigail..." Raphael said my name, but I didn’t give him the time to continue.

"You promised me so many things. You even went as far as proposing to me. But to the rest of the world, she’s the one who is your fiancée, and I’m just your stepsister. This is so unfair for me," I continued, blurting out my true feelings.

At that point, I didn’t know what or who to believe in anymore. I wanted so badly to believe and have faith in Raphael and to hold on to his promises; however, Rosabella made it so hard to do that. I hated to have to admit that her words had so much effect on me. The facts just seemed to speak for themselves because up until that point, there were no signs of Raphael making a move to cancel their upcoming wedding or dissolve the engagement.

For a moment, it seemed that Raphael froze. Then I saw hesitation in his eyes, and I knew that I might be fighting a losing battle-and all on my own at that.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you still holding on to her as if you can’t bear to let her go? Is it because her family is powerful and useful to you and your father? Is it because I’m just some stupid girl who fell for your empty promises?" I asked as I felt warm tears rolling down my cheeks.

There was no point in trying to hold back my tears anymore. It felt like the dam had burst, and all I could do was let my tears flow freely just as I was letting my words flow from between my lips. I told myself silently inside that it might be worth it if I could, for once, be completely honest and express how I felt to Raphael about the situation that we were in.

"It’s not that simple, Abigail. Her father has always been an ally to our family for years. His resources and connections keep some of our businesses afloat. I know that this might be hard for you to understand, but rejecting Rosabella isn’t just about rejecting her. It would be like declaring war on her entire family and betraying the trust of her father. It could destroy everything that my father and I have built," Raphael said, and I could see the care that he had for his family and his business.

His words landed harshly on me like stones falling from above, and I could feel myself sweating. Suddenly I felt cold although the air around me wasn’t at all cold. I felt my body shivering as if I had a burning fever.

"Are you telling me that I’m just supposed to accept this the way that it is? That you’ll keep on pretending in front of her-in front of the world-that you’re in love with her and that you’re going to marry her someday very soon, but behind closed doors you’re telling me that I’m the one that you really want?" I asked as I felt disgust welling up inside of me.

I wanted so badly to believe in Raphael, but the irony of everything that was going on was getting to me. I felt like I was being abused and treated like a fool. How much longer did he expect me to wait for him?

"Abigail, I don’t care about her, and I never have. What is between us is nothing more than a business deal-negotiation of sorts that needs to happen for both of us and both of our families and businesses to benefit. I can’t end it too fast because there is so much at risk. More than just the business, I will end up putting everyone at risk, including you and your mother," Raphael tried to explain.

"You don’t understand. She’s hurting me, and she’s threatening to hurt my mother. Every day she tries to get closer to my mother. Every day she threatens me and blackmails me," I replied.

"Just try to buy us more time. I promise you that I will end things with her for good. I swear it to you. I just need a little more time," Raphael said, and for a moment it seemed like he was pleading with me.

"How am I supposed to buy more time? She’s just giving me less than a week now," I replied.

"If that’s the case, then why don’t we just go ahead and tell her? Why don’t we just tell your mother the truth about everything once and for all? Come clean about everything, because honestly, I don’t think anything that we have done is wrong," Raphael said with so much confidence that it shocked me.

I could tell that was what he truly believed in, but something inside me made me feel so conflicted. More than anything, I wanted to go along with his plan, but something at the back of my mind just told me that there was nothing but disaster and chaos waiting for us.