My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 141: Terms And Conditions

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘❦✾❦∘∙⊱⋅•-

Adrien followed Kris into the empty bathroom, even though every instinct told him they were wasting valuable time. As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, the party’s noise faded to a dull thrum, leaving just the soft hint of the vanity lights and the lingering scent of mango air freshener in the tiled room. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

This place was one of those unnecessarily fancy bathrooms Jace’s house boasted, polished marble countertops, a big round mirror framed with soft golden bulbs, and neatly stacked hand towels that looked like they were from a hotel and not the home of a guy who thought pouring beer into goldfish bowls was fun.

Kris perched on the counter like she owned the place, swinging her leg while taking a small sip from her red Solo cup. Adrien wasn’t sure if she was trying to impress him with her pose or charm him with her smile, but he wasn’t in the mood for any of that.

"Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "You mentioned you know where Noah is. Let’s hear it."

Kris tilted her head, her smile turning soft but there was something calculating behind it. "I will," she said, tapping her nail against the cup. "But first... I’ve got to ask something."

Adrien felt his body tense up. "Kris. Now’s not the time."

"Oh, come on." She waved a hand, the sound of her bracelets jingling. "I couldn’t help but overhear some of what you said to Vanessa earlier."

His stomach sank. "You were eavesdropping?"

She raised both hands defensively, her innocent smile still in place. "Not on purpose. I was just walking by when Vanessa started yelling loud enough to wake the dead. Curiosity isn’t a crime, Adrien."

He dragged a hand down his face, trying not to let his irritation spill over. "This is exactly why I didn’t want her to know anything."

"Well," Kris replied casually, "too late for that." Then her expression shifted, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "But... was it true? What you said? That Noah is now your stepbrother?"

Adrien hesitated, then let out a slow breath. A weary one. There was no point in lying anymore—especially if Vanessa was already planning to spread the news all over. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It’s true."

Kris blinked at him, momentarily stunned, enough to drop her coy act. "Holy—Adrien, that’s... that’s pretty much the biggest plot twist in Willow Haven’s history." She laughed softly. "No wonder you’ve been acting all weird."

"I’m not acting weird," he snapped, realizing how pointless the denial sounded. "I just need to find him. So if you know anything, spill it."

"You really care about him, don’t you?" She said, thoughtfully.

Kris studied him longer than was comfortable, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was putting together pieces of a puzzle that made too much sense. But instead of pushing, she slid off the counter and faced him, her expression serious.

"I’ll tell you," she said softly, "but only after you answer one question. And don’t roll your eyes, because trust me, it matters."

Adrien clenched his jaw, impatience bubbling up. "What is it now?"

Kris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning in just enough that her voice dropped. "That look you had earlier when you said Noah is your stepbrother... was that relief, or were you hiding something else?"

His heart raced, and he almost cursed. He kept his face carefully neutral.

"Kris," he said, voice low. "Where. Is. Noah?"

Kris’s smile returned—slow and knowing, but sharp as a knife wrapped in silk.

"I told you," she whispered. "Condition first." Adrien didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Kris lifted her chin expectantly, waiting for him to stop glaring long enough to answer her. She clearly wasn’t done with her questions—not even close. And she wasn’t ready to give him any answers until she felt she’d gotten her share of truth from him.

"So," she said, arms crossed loosely, "how long has he been your stepbrother?"

Adrien sighed, a low, reluctant sound as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Three months," he muttered. "Almost four."

Kris’s eyebrows shot up. "Three months? That’s... actually pretty recent." She let out a soft impressed breath. "No wonder you suddenly stopped treating him like crap. I thought you were just bored."

Her tone was blunt, matter-of-fact, like she’d been waiting for the pieces to fall into place. And they did—just not for the reason she thought.

Adrien forced his expression to stay neutral, though inside, the truth pressed against his chest like a bruise he didn’t want to touch. It wasn’t just because Noah was now his stepbrother. It wasn’t even close. Adrien stopped because he really saw Noah... beyond the excuses he’d been telling himself for years. Because he couldn’t bear to be the one who dimmed Noah’s light when he was the brightest thing Adrien had ever known. Because at some point, liking him became a truth Adrien couldn’t run away from.

But there was no way he was sharing that with Kris.

He shrugged slightly. "Things changed."

Kris hummed, clearly not fully convinced but also not pushing further. Instead, she shifted her weight, glancing toward the door before returning her sharp gaze to him.

"Okay," she said. "Here’s my condition."

Adrien frowned. "Kris—"

"No. If you want to know where Noah is, you’ll get the truth, but I’m not going down with the rest of them." She stepped closer, lowering her voice even though they were alone. "I’m about to betray my friends. Every single one of them and if I do that, I need your word that they’ll be the ones expelled, not me. My reputation stays intact. I’m not getting dragged into the mud because Vanessa can’t handle losing her crown."

Adrien stared at her, speechless for a moment. This was... bigger than he expected. "Expelled?" he repeated. "For what? Another dumb prank?"

Kris’s jaw tightened, and he could see the faint tremor in her hands, she wasn’t joking. "No," she said quietly. "Not a prank. Not even close."

Adrien felt a chill run down his spine.

Kris swallowed, glancing at the mirror as if she couldn’t bear to look at him while she spoke. "What they planned tonight... it could ruin Noah’s life. Forever, not some dumb school drama, not just social humiliation. I mean really ruin him."

Adrien’s heart stopped.

For one terrifying moment, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think...as everything inside him went still, like the entire bathroom had frozen around him.

He finally forced his voice out, low and rough. "Kris. What did they do?"

She met his eyes, and there was no hint of mischief, only fear and guilt.

"That’s why I need your promise," she whispered. "Because once I tell you—you can’t pretend you didn’t find out from me or involve me when it all goes to shit."

And Adrien, pulse racing and panic setting in, realized he was already too late.