My stepbrother is the icy, ruthless villain in a novel. To keep him too busy to commit crimes, I decided to harass him daily with unhinged text messages from an anonymous number: "Baby, you look so good when you don't wear your shirt properly at the gym. I want a taste." "Baby, you look so sexy when you sweat. I want every drop to land on me." "Baby, the way you stare at your phone trying to figure out who I am is so cute. I like you even more now." My brother was deeply disturbed. Every day, he would come home and lecture me about safety and morality, looking exhausted. Finally, the male and female leads got their happy ending. My mission was complete. I packed my bags overnight, ready to flee the country. But before I could even board the plane, I was snatched. When I opened my eyes, he was slowly, methodically tying my wrists with his silk tie. "If you like Big Brother so much," he whispered, his voice dark, "why are you trying to leave?" Chapter 1 "Baby, you're being naughty. Why did you drink the wine someone else handed you?" This was the third time I’d channeled my inner stalker to text my brother. The first few times, he’d read them and ignored them. He didn’t take me seriously at all. Just as I thought this attempt would fail too, he replied. His tone was as stern as ever: "Stop sending me these kinds of messages. I don't like it." Good. He didn't like it. If he liked it, my plan would be ruined. So, facing his displeasure, I typed back: "I don't care if you like me, Baby. I like you, and that’s enough. ^_^" Julian saw that I was incorrigible and stopped replying. I tapped my screen, wanting to add fuel to the fire, but I heard the front door open. I frantically deleted the chat history and ran to the door, taking his suit jacket like a dutiful sister. "Julian, you're home early." Julian rubbed his temples wearily. "Mn." I looked at the dark circles under his eyes and secretly rejoiced. It was working. He wasn't sleeping well. I almost laughed out loud. Julian glanced at me, frowning slightly. "What are you smiling at?" I wiped the grin off my face and moved behind him to massage his shoulders. "I'm just happy you're home early." He looked at me suspiciously. Before he could ask what trouble I’d caused, I tested the waters. "Julian, you look terrible lately. Are you tired?" Julian, who had been enjoying the massage, stiffened. His expression darkened. The more he avoided it, the more I pressed. "Brother, did something happen?" I asked, feigning concern. Julian stood up abruptly. "Nothing," he muttered, then hurried upstairs. Watching his retreating back, I smirked. I really was disgusting him. Mission on track. (^_^)V Chapter 2 Julian and I are step-siblings. After my mom married his dad, he never really liked me. He thought I was too loud, too rebellious. I didn’t like him either. He was too disciplined, acting like an old man in a young man's body. We stayed out of each other's way, maintaining a polite facade for our parents. Then, his father died in a riot while on a business trip abroad. My mother couldn't handle the blow; she fell ill and followed him days later. Since then, Julian stopped finding me annoying. No matter what trouble I caused, he would just pat my head and tell me not to be afraid. And I stopped causing trouble just to see his composure crack. Our relationship improved by leaps and bounds. Then, last year, I got really sick. I had a fever so high I saw my life flash before my eyes. I had a series of vivid dreams. In the dreams, Julian was the villain in a novel—cold-blooded and ruthless. He cut the brake lines on the Hero’s car. He hired paparazzi to ruin the Heroine’s reputation. On the day the leads were supposed to get married, he wasn't idle either. He crashed the wedding and kidnapped the Heroine. In the end, like all villains who talk too much, he died miserably. They didn't even find his whole body. And as the villain's sister, I was cannon fodder. My death was merely a plot device to push him into darkness. I woke up and swore I would change our fate. The first thing I did was force Julian to swear he’d be a good person. Chapter 3 But soon, I realized that wouldn't work. I couldn't bet my life on a villain's promise. I ate pounds of walnuts for brain power and finally came up with a new plan. I had to stop Julian from meeting the main characters. I had to nip his villainy in the bud. So, I started reading the Hero's scandals to Julian every day. I read them while he peeled apples, while he cooked, and even while he was in the shower—I’d squat by the door and shout the gossip through the wood. Julian had high moral standards. If I convinced him the Hero was trash, he’d avoid doing business with him. No business, no meeting, no villain arc. But soon, I realized this wasn't working either. One day, while Julian was cracking walnuts for me, I read him another scandal. Usually, he ignored me. But this time, he paused. "Are you interested in him?" he asked, turning to look at me. I was in the zone, so I just hummed in agreement. When the sound of cracking walnuts got aggressively loud, I realized my mistake and shook my head frantically. Julian didn't buy it. "You've read over a hundred articles about him to me." "Yesterday you said he was handsome." I paused. True. After reading so much gossip, I was the one getting annoyed with the Hero, Ethan. I had started reading with attitude. Yesterday, I slipped and said, "Shame he’s trash, because his face is nice." Julian only heard the first half. Terrified that he might get interested in Ethan, I clarified immediately. "He's okay looking, but I have absolutely no—" Interest. Before I could finish, Julian cut me off. "You have an interest? You like him?" A question mark slowly materialized over my head. I’m reading you his blackmailer files, and you think I like him? Seeing I didn't deny it instantly, Julian pressed his lips into a thin line. After a long silence, he spoke, his voice tight. "It's normal to have crushes at your age. But based on recent news, his character is questionable. Until I investigate him fully, you are not allowed to contact him." He spoke fast, like he was afraid I’d interrupt. Then he grabbed his coat and stormed out. By evening, a dossier as thick as a phone book landed in my hands. Chapter 4 I had already investigated Ethan, the Hero, when I first had the dreams. I knew his resume by heart. But the file Julian gave me was... different. The version I knew painted him as a saint. This file glossed over his achievements and detailed every bad thing he’d ever done. From pulling legs off ants at six to writing love letters at fifteen. It even included the content of the letters. I couldn't guess Julian's game, but I smelled danger. The file included a list of Ethan’s ex-girlfriends. And on that list was Her. Bella. The Heroine. In the story, Bella is like catnip to Julian. Realizing this, I stayed up all night brainstorming new ways to keep them apart. I tried telling him "horror stories" about couples like them. I signed him up for dating apps so he’d be too busy with blind dates. Nothing worked. The day Julian was destined to meet Bella was approaching. I was so anxious I was losing hair. Just as I was considering slipping sleeping pills into Julian’s coffee to make him sleep through the plot, I saw a video on TikTok. It was about a stalker character in a novel who harassed the protagonist so much they couldn't focus on work. I condemned the behavior, obviously. But... could I use it on Julian? If he’s distracted by a stalker, he won’t have time to fall for the Heroine. I had no experience, so I spent three days studying "creepy text" methodology. Once I felt ready, I bought a burner SIM card and sent my first anonymous text: "Baby, my sweet Baby, I like you so much." I thought Julian would be confused, or angry. I thought he’d try to track the number. But two hours passed. Nothing. Not even a reply. I bit my lip in disappointment. Did he not get it? Or was I not creepy enough? To find out, I went downstairs and asked to borrow his phone. He was reading files on the sofa. He handed it over without looking up. Afraid he’d check the background apps later, I opened Instagram first and voted for some random celebrity in a poll. While glancing at Julian to make sure he wasn't watching, I opened his messages. My text was right at the top. Read. That wasn't right... He saw it, so why was he so calm? Before I could figure it out, Julian reached out. "Give it back." Startled, I tried to close the apps, but he snatched the phone away. He swiped the screen, a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. "What did you do on my phone?" Why was he acting guilty? Did he have secrets? "Nothing," I said. "I just voted on a poll." Julian opened Instagram, saw the voting pop-up, and relaxed visibly. "You like him now?" I hadn't even looked at the name of the celebrity. But I nodded anyway. "Yeah, he's handsome." Julian zoomed in on the photo, scrutinizing every pixel. While he was distracted critiquing the guy, I secretly pulled out my phone and sent another anonymous text. "Why won't you reply to me, Baby? That’s a bad habit." The message alert dinged. Julian didn't even frown. He just swiped it away. Still not creepy enough? I didn't give up. I typed again: "Baby, I’m going crazy over you. I want to kiss you so bad." Julian stiffened. A flush crept up his neck, turning his ears bright red. It worked! Overjoyed, I leaned in. "Julian, what's wrong?" He closed his eyes, taking a long moment to compose himself. "Nothing." Liar. I hid behind him, preparing to send another one. But before I could unlock my screen, Julian stood up abruptly. I jumped, nearly dropping my phone. "Brother?" He gripped his file so hard the paper crinkled. "I have work to handle. Don't wait up for dinner." He practically ran upstairs. Like he was fleeing a monster. I stared at his back, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. He’s kind of cute when he’s scared.
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