She_istrue1

Beneath the Same Roof

An intense, steamy forbidden romance

When Ava Monroe’s mother remarries into wealth, Ava’s world turns upside down — and so does her carefully guarded heart. Forced to live under the same roof as her enigmatic stepbrother Julian Hart, she’s thrust into a world of polished surfaces hiding raw, tangled emotions.

Julian is a man ruled by control and silence, a brooding enigma who keeps everyone at arm’s length — until Ava. Beneath his cold exterior lies a storm of desire and vulnerability that threatens to unravel them both.

As days bleed into nights filled with stolen glances, charged silences, and forbidden touches, Ava and Julian are drawn into a dangerous game of craving and restraint. Every secret moment deepens the connection neither wants to admit — but the consequences of crossing the line are devastating.

In a mansion built on power and expectation, can two broken souls risk everything for a love that should never exist? Or will the walls they live beneath become the cage that traps them forever.

BENEATH THE SAME ROOF

Chapter 40 – The Door That Opens & The Heart That Knows

Themes: Renewal, secrets, new beginnings, legacy, quiet suspense

Three days after cutting ties with his label, Julian got a message from Nova Studio — an independent music collective that thrived on rebellion.

They didn't want to control his image.

> "We don't want your sanitized self.

We want the guy who burned the rules and sang love into the fire."

The head producer was a woman named Rae Sorenson — queer, sharp, and fearless.

> "You're not canceled," she said, shaking his hand. "You're uncaged."

Ava included as co-director of visual content

Julian said yes. Not because it saved him — but because it let him build a legacy with her.

She knew two days before the call from Nova.

Knew the moment her period didn't come.

Knew when the scent of Julian's cologne made her dizzy in a different way.

Not because she was scared — but because she wanted to hold it first. This little truth. This spark that hadn't even formed into a heartbeat yet.

She took the test while he was at the studio signing the deal.

She sat on the edge of their tub, knees shaking.

She just placed a hand on her belly and whispered:

Because Julian had just burned down his empire for her.

Because she wanted his next joy to feel like freedom, not fallout.

She needed to fall in love with this secret for a few days first.

Julian walks in late, exhausted but glowing.

Ava kisses him harder than usual. Deeper.

> "I've never been more okay," she whispers.

You're going to be a father. But not tonight. Tonight, you just get to rest.

chapter 40