My Stepbrother Wants Me-Chapter 191: Must Be Punished

Catherine’s POV

As soon as Richard disappeared, I looked at Ethan. His chest was still heaving, but he was staring at the floor, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He was obviously trying to keep himself from reaching out and snapping Lucy.

Meanwhile, Lucy didn’t miss a beat. The second Richard was out of sight, she took a step toward Ethan, looking like a concerned friend, her expression softening into sympathy.

"Ethan," her voice dropped into a low coo. "I am so sorry about your dog. I was just here thinking about how terrible it must be for you. It’s heart-wrenching."

She moved closer, stopping just a foot away from him. She reached out as if to pat his arm, but Ethan jerked back fast. Lucy found it weird but it didn’t really bother her. She just lowered her hand and continued.

"And to think, some absolute monster just hit him and drove off? People are truly disgusting these days," she said, her voice dripping with fake outrage. "The person who did that to your dog... is a murderer. Truly. They deserve to be hunted down. I hope the police find whoever did it and make them rot. I’d lay every insult in the book on someone that cruel. It’s a special kind of evil to hurt something so innocent."

I stood there, watching the irony of the situation play out like a sick joke. If only she knew. She was standing there calling the killer a monster, acting as if she were appalled by the cruelty, when she was the one who had written the check. She was the killer. And the "dog" she was talking about wasn’t an animal— it was Tessa. It was his girlfriend. It was the mother of his child. The level of sociopathy it took to stand there and mock him to his face was staggering.

Ethan finally looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and cold, boring into Lucy’s face with a terrifying intensity. He didn’t yell. He didn’t even raise his voice. When he spoke, it was a low sound that seemed to come from the very bottom of his throat.

"You’re right," Ethan said, his voice made my breath hitch. "The person who did this must think they’re smart. They think they can just hit something and walk away because they have a big car and a bigger name. But they don’t realize that they left a trail. They don’t realize that when you hurt something that someone loves, you don’t just get to drive away. You’ve started something that you aren’t prepared to finish. And when the time comes to pay the bill, I hope they’re ready. Because I’m going to make sure they feel every bit of the pain they caused."

Lucy blinked, her fake smile faltering for a fraction of a second. She looked a bit shocked, her head tilting to the side as she tried to process the weight of his words. She didn’t realize it was for her. She was so deep in her own delusion of safety that she probably thought he was just being an emotional, dramatic mess over a pet. She didn’t see the promise of death in his eyes.

"My," she whispered, letting out a nervous little laugh. "You certainly are a passionate one, aren’t you? I suppose that’s why Julian brought you here to keep you company."

Julian had been watching the entire exchange with a visible snarl curling his lip. He looked like he was one word away from leaping across the room and finishing what Ethan couldn’t.

Lucy noticed his stare. She turned her head, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Julian. "And you? Why are you looking at me like you want to murder me? It’s quite rude. I’m only trying to be nice to your friend."

Julian didn’t give her the satisfaction of a reply. He didn’t even blink. He just let out a sharp, disgusted huff of air and turned on his heel.

"Ethan," he barked, his voice cutting through the tension. "Come with me. The air here is starting to smell like garbage."

Ethan didn’t hesitate. He turned away from Lucy, making a very deliberate point to swing his body wide so that not even the fabric of his jacket brushed against her sleeve. He treated her like she was a pile of toxic waste, a gesture so cold and dismissive that Lucy’s jaw actually dropped. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The boys marched out of the room. I stood there for a moment, glad that they somehow managed to hold in their anger and not push through with their plans. Just as I turned to leave, Lucy moved.

She stepped into my path, her hand darting out to grab my wrist.

"Wait a minute, you," she hissed, her voice no longer sugary. The mask was off now. "What have you been telling Ethan about me? Why is he acting like he holds a grudge against me?"

A laugh almost escaped my mouth. I looked down at her hand on my wrist, then back up at her face.

"Take your hand off me," my was voice as flat as a blade.

"I asked you a question," she snapped.

I scoffed, a short sound of derision before yanking my arm back and breaking her grip with a twist. "I don’t have to tell you anything. You don’t deserve an explanation. You only deserve a life of sorrows and pain. And believe me, it’s coming for you."

I turned to walk out, but she wasn’t done. She lunged forward and grabbed me again, this time more brutally. She shoved me back against the doorframe, her face inches from mine. I could see the tiny veins in her eyes.

"You want to play the tough girl now?" she whispered, her voice shaking with rage. "Go ahead. Try something. Beat me up. Do it. But remember, Richard is in his study. If you try to be stupid, if you touch me, who do you think he will side with? Me, of course. He would take my side in a heartbeat."

I looked at her, and felt pity about how stupid she actually was. She was so incredibly weak that the only thing she had to protect her was an old man in a study.

"Stop hiding behind Richard for once," I said, my voice calm. "It’s pathetic. You talk about power, but you don’t have any of your own. You’re just a parasite clinging to a shadow. Why don’t you try standing on your own two feet for a change?"

Lucy scoffed harshly. She let go of me, stepping back and crossing her arms. "Why would I let go of a protective shadow? Only an idiot walks into the sun when they don’t have to. Richard is my insurance. He’s my shield. A shield you will never have."

"You can’t let go because you’re a coward," I replied. "You’re terrified of what happens when he isn’t there to hold your hand. You’re a coward who hires men to do her dirty work because you are too weak to face anyone yourself."

"I’m a coward?" She asked with a mocking trill. "That’s rich coming from you. You’re just jealous, Catherine. You’re bitter because you realize that in this house, you are nothing. You have no one to defend you. Not Richard, not Gabriel, and certainly not Julian. Julian uses you when he’s bored, but the second things get real, he’ll drop you. You have no one."

I let out a soft laugh, stepped closer to her, watching her eyes widen slightly as I invaded her space.

"And you really think being defended is the same as being cared for?" I asked. "I’d rather be chosen than defended in exchange for a price, Lucy. Richard doesn’t protect you because he likes you. He protects you because you’re an asset he paid for. You’re a business transaction."

"Let me remind you that once you’ve performed your role, once you’re no longer useful to the Vaughn brand, you will be tossed out like yesterday’s trash. And I will be right here, with a front-row seat to watch that day come. I’ll be the one laughing when you’re standing on the sidewalk with nothing but your empty magazines."

Her face went pale. The hit landed, and I could see the gears turning in her head but she wasn’t ready to give up. She stepped back, her chin trembling.

"Dream on," she spat. "Dream all you want, Catherine. That day will never come. You think you’re so secure? You think you’re part of this family? You and that mother of yours won’t be in this house for long. We’ve all seen how your kind ends up. You’re just a temporary infestation. I’ll make sure of it."

The mention of my mother sent a jolt of fury through me. It was her go-to move to strike at the person I loved most because she knew it was the only way to truly hurt me. My hands curled into fists, and for a second, I really did want to give her exactly what she was asking for. I wanted to wipe that smug, entitled look off her face once and for all.

But then I took a deep breath, the anger cooling into a hard resolve. I simply looked her up and down one last time.

"Okay," I said quietly, giving her a slow, deliberate nod. "We’ll see, Lucy. We’ll see who’s still standing when the dust settles."

I didn’t wait for her to respond. I moved past her, while her eyes burned into my back.