My Stepfather’s Prey

My mother loved me with her whole heart.

Then one day, she told me she'd found someone to marry. I was truly happy for her—she deserved this.

But as weeks passed, I started noticing something... wrong about her fiancé. Trapped in a cramped apartment with no escape, I found myself backed into a corner...

Let me introduce myself—Evelyn Langley, twenty-three years old.

My dad died when I was little, leaving just Mom and me. We weren't rich, but we got by.

My childhood memories are filled with Mom working double shifts—leaving before sunrise, coming home after dark. I never complained. She was making sure I had school supplies, three meals a day, the same chances as other kids.

Fresh out of college, my only mission was landing a decent job to finally give her some relief.

Then the phone call came.

"Evelyn, sweetheart? I have news—I'm getting married."

The receiver nearly slipped from my hand.

"Since when, Mom?"

"We've been dating a year. I didn't want to distract you during finals."

A slow smile spread across my face. After Dad died, Mom never even looked at another man—too busy keeping food on the table. Now that I could stand on my own feet, she was finally letting herself be happy.

"That's amazing! Tell me everything!"

"We're signing papers tomorrow. Come meet him at dinner!"

Of course I said yes. If Mom chose him, he had to be one of the good ones.

The restaurant's private dining room smelled of rosemary and expensive wine. Then I saw him.

Vincent Lowell was all sharp angles—pointed nose, jutting chin, eyes that darted like cockroaches avoiding light. My stomach dropped.

Mom squeezed my arm. "Evelyn, meet your new stepfather!"

His grin made my skin prickle. "Well hello there! Your mom wasn't kidding—you're even lovelier than she described."

When I hesitated to shake his outstretched hand, Mom gave me That Look.