My Stepbrother Wants Me-Chapter 183: Gabriel Arrives In Time

Catherine’s POV

I spent five minutes in Hall B-12 just trying to breathe. My lips felt raw, and my skin felt like it was crawling with the ghost of Julian’s touch. I stood over one of the desks, my hands trembling as I straightened my skirt and smoothed my hair, trying to erase every physical trace of what had just happened. The mirror on my phone showed a girl with flushed cheeks and dark, hollow eyes; a girl who looked like she had just been dismantled. Every time I blinked, I felt the weight of him against me, the rough demand of his mouth, and the terrifying way my own body had reached back for him despite the screaming protests of my mind.

I hated him. I hated the way he thought he could lure me into an empty room and treat me like property, using a stolen phone and a fake emergency to corner me. But more than that, I hated the fact that for a few seconds, I had let him. I had leaned into the fire instead of pulling away. I scrubbed my mouth with the back of my hand until the skin stung and turned a bright, angry red, trying to wipe away the taste of his cigarettes and his desperation. I had to get back to reality. I had to get back to the game.

I stepped out of the hall and made my way toward the main courtyard. I was late for my next class, but the academic consequences felt trivial compared to the wreckage of my composure. I just needed to find Tessa and disappear into a boring lecture where I could hide behind a notebook.

As I rounded the corner near the fountain, a sharp, shrill voice cut through the air, stopping me cold.

"You think you’re so brave, don’t you? Standing up to report me like you’re some kind of hero for justice."

I moved toward the sound and saw a crowd beginning to form near the stone pillars. In the center of the circle, Lucy was looming over Tessa. Lucy’s carefully applied makeup couldn’t hide the way her face was contorted with a vicious, petty rage. She was cornering Tessa, using her height and her social standing to pin my friend against the cold marble.

"You should be glad that Catherine stopped me. I... I was going to tell the truth if not for her," Tessa said. Her voice wavered, but her chin was held high, her eyes refusing to drop. "You lied to Mrs. Lewis. You started that fight with Sasha, and yet, you chose to lie."

"The truth?" Lucy laughed, a cold, mocking sound that drew more onlookers. "In this school, the truth is whatever I say it is. You almost cost me my reputation today, you little brat. You’ve been trying so hard to get into my bad books lately, meddling in things that don’t concern you. Do you really think a nobody like you can challenge me?"

I stepped into the circle, my blood beginning to boil. The frustration from my encounter with Julian transformed into a protective heat. "Lucy, that’s enough."

Lucy didn’t even look at me. She stepped closer to Tessa, her finger pointing threateningly at the other girl’s chest, nearly poking her. "I’m warning you, Tessa. Be very careful. The next time you try to interfere or meddle in my business, I will make sure you get a pound of your own flesh. I will make sure you’re erased from this campus before the week is out. I have connections that can make your life a living hell with one phone call."

I reached out to grab Tessa’s arm, trying to pull her away before this escalated into a physical brawl. "Tessa, let’s go. She’s not worth it. We’re going to be late."

But Tessa didn’t move. She shoved my hand away, her eyes locked on Lucy’s with a sudden, fierce defiance that took me by surprise. "No, Catherine. Let me handle this. Who the hell does she think she is?"

Tessa turned back to Lucy, a disgusted sneer crossing her face. "You think you own this whole school just because you forced your way into the life of a man who doesn’t even want you? You’re a joke, Lucy. Everyone sees it. You’re just a desperate, hollow brat."

The silence that followed was deafening. The students watching drew in a collective breath, sensing the shift in the air. Lucy’s face went from a mottled red to a deathly, pale white. She looked like she had been slapped by the sheer weight of the truth.

"You... you little bitch," Lucy hissed.

She raised her hand, her arm swinging back with all the force of her bruised ego. I lunged forward to intercept the blow, but I was too far away. I watched as Lucy’s palm sped toward Tessa’s face, fueled by a girl who had finally lost her grip on her "perfect" image.

But the slap never landed.

A hand shot out from the crowd with a blur of speed, seizing Lucy’s wrist mid-air. The grip was so sudden and firm that Lucy let out a small cry of shock.

I looked up, expecting to see a security guard maybe. Instead, I found myself staring at Gabriel.

He wasn’t smiling. His face was a mask of cold, concentrated boredom that was somehow more terrifying than open anger. He held Lucy’s wrist with an iron grip. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a business meeting, yet his presence felt like a heavy weight pressing down on the courtyard.

"Gabriel?" Lucy gasped, her voice trembling as she tried to pull her arm back. "Let go! She insulted me! She—"

"I heard her," Gabriel’s voice rang out flat and dangerous. He didn’t look at Lucy. His eyes were fixed entirely on me, searching my face with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

He didn’t release Lucy’s arm. Instead, he twisted it slightly, forcing her to lean away from Tessa. "You’re making a scene, Lucy. It’s embarrassing for the family. If you have a problem with anyone, why not handle it maturely? I have told you countless times to stop oppressing your fellow students with your power. It’s tacky."

"Don’t be daft, Gabriel. She started—"

"She’s not a Vaughn. No one cares what she said," Gabriel interrupted. He finally looked at Lucy, his gaze chillingly dismissive. "Richard will certainly not hear such an excuse. He expects the woman carrying the Vaughn name to have a modicum of self-control. This? This looks desperate."

He shoved her arm back toward her. Lucy stumbled, her face burning with a new level of humiliation as the students whispered. She looked at the crowd, then at Gabriel, and finally at me with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred. She didn’t say another word; she turned on her heel and pushed through the students, fleeing toward the parking lot.

The crowd began to disperse, the spectacle over. I stood there with Tessa, who was breathing hard, her hands still clenched into fists.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting a hand on Tessa’s shoulder.

"I’m fine, thank you," she muttered, though she was shaking from the adrenaline. "I just couldn’t let her keep talking like that. She thinks she’s untouchable."

Gabriel stepped closer to us. He didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, his presence heavy and imposing. He reached out and, with a slow, deliberate movement, tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. It felt so completely out of character for him that I froze. I thought he was still mad at me, still trying to avoid my presence.

"Did she hurt you?" His voice finally came out.

I shook my head. "No."

"Alright. You should get to class," he said, his voice softer. "I’ll walk you both."