chapter 20

Great — Chapter 20 will deliver everything:

Ava confronting the school board and her mother

Julian fighting for his scholarship

A new twist — someone unexpected from their past who threatens to unravel everything

Chapter 20 – No Turning Back

Dual POV – Ava & Julian

AVA

The school board hearing was scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

I showed up at 3:30 — not because I was early, but because I didn't want them to see me flinch.

Mom sat beside me, her mouth a tense line. She didn't speak. Just held her phone like it was a weapon she wanted to use but couldn't find the trigger for.

Inside the chamber, six people in suits stared at us like they already knew how the story ended.

The principal cleared his throat.

"Ava Monroe. Julian Hart. You've been suspended due to... inappropriate conduct in violation of campus policy."

"Can you define 'inappropriate?'" I asked.

A pause.

"Romantic activity between step-siblings, especially when residing under the same roof, creates an environment of discomfort for others—"

"So it's not about rules. It's about your discomfort."

Silence.

One board member looked visibly shaken. Another avoided eye contact.

I leaned forward. "We didn't break any laws. We didn't harass anyone. We didn't even touch each other on school grounds until this all came out."

"But perception matters," the principal said.

I smiled — that sharp kind of smile that meant war.

"Then maybe the problem isn't us. Maybe it's what you're willing to silence to stay comfortable."

---

They called it a deliberation.

But we both knew it was a performance.

A warning.

By the end of the meeting, nothing was decided. Just postponed.

But the damage was already done.

---

Outside, Julian waited on the steps — suit jacket open, eyes storm-dark.

I walked straight into his arms.

"They're cowards," I muttered into his chest.

"We'll fight them," he whispered.

---

JULIAN

The next day, Coach called me in.

He didn't make eye contact when he handed me the letter.

> Scholarship: Revoked, pending final review.

Reason: Reputational risk, misconduct.

"They think I'm a PR nightmare," I told Ava that night.

She curled into my side on the couch. "You're not."

"No one wants the kid who's screwing his stepsister on their alumni brochures."

"Then we'll make our own brochure," she said, fire in her eyes. "Screw them first."

---

But the universe wasn't done testing us.

Because that same night, I got a text from an unknown number:

> Remember me, Julian? You should. You stole something that wasn't yours.

Let's talk before I do.

Attached: a photo.

Ava — age fifteen, braces still on — smiling next to a boy I hadn't seen in years.

Liam Taylor.

Her first kiss. My former teammate. A ghost from before everything blurred.

And the next message chilled me:

> Your little love story? It's not as private as you think.

And I've got receipts.

---

AVA

He told me everything the moment he got the text.

The name hit me like a slap.

"Liam?" I said. "He's nothing. We kissed at a party once."

Julian handed me his phone.

"He has something on us," he said. "And he wants to talk."

---

I stared at the messages.

And then I stared at the past.

Liam. Freshman year. One drunken kiss. Then he spread a rumor that we'd done more. I shut it down fast — and publicly.

He never forgave me.

He was toxic. Controlling. The kind of guy who didn't take rejection well.

And now?

He wanted revenge.

---

"Let me handle it," Julian said.

"No," I replied. "This is my past. But he's targeting us."

I wasn't scared. I was angry.

Because if people like Liam got to win — if shame and secrets ruled us — then this love wasn't worth anything.

---

JULIAN

We met him at the coffee shop by campus.

He looked the same. Smug. Cheap cologne. A shirt one size too tight, like he wanted to remind the world he'd once been hot.

He leaned back, arms crossed.

"You two went from awkward little family dinners to... this."

"Cut to the chase," Ava said. "What do you want?"

Liam smirked.

"I want you to remember who you were before you got wrapped up in your brother."

"Stepbrother," I corrected.

His smile widened.

"Fine. Step-screw. Whatever helps you sleep."

---

I stood, ready to knock his teeth in.

But Ava grabbed my wrist.

She looked Liam in the eyes.

"You think you can ruin us?" she asked, voice calm. "Go ahead. Post it all. Tell every lie you want."

Liam blinked.

"Because guess what?" she said, stepping closer. "We're not hiding anymore. We don't live in shame. And we're not scared of cowards like you."

He laughed — nervous. Small.

"This isn't over."

"It never is," she said. "But you are."

---

🖤 End of Chapter Hook:

Liam makes good on his threat.

By midnight, a burner account drops a "leak" — photos, videos, half-truths, and twisted captions.

By morning, #StepSins is trending.

Colleges. Scholarships. Parents. Press.

> The world is watching.

But now Ava and Julian aren't just hiding…

They're fighting back.