I always did what my brother told me. Except for one thing: I secretly dated his worst enemy for three years. Asher Sterling was infamous—arrogant, reckless, and untouchable. He claimed he was only loyal to me, but he flatly refused to go public with our relationship. When a friend asked him why, he just smirked. "Because I don't give a damn about Elena. Being with her is just payback for what her brother did to my sister. On my birthday, I'm going to dump her in front of everyone. I want to watch the Sterling siblings become the laughingstock of the city." So, on the night of the year’s most anticipated gala—his birthday party—I didn't show up. Instead, I flew to Chicago for an arranged marriage. On my wedding day, Asher arrived looking like a wreck, desperate to stop the ceremony. He was blocked at the gates. He begged the security guards to let him in, claiming he was the bride's boyfriend. But when they told him to prove it, he scrolled through his phone for an hour. He couldn't find a single photo of us together. 01 "Just to get back at her brother?" Asher exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes dark. "My sister was humiliated when he rejected her. She left the country because of him. He wouldn't even accept her apology. Wasn't that enough?" His friend gasped. "Asher, are you insane? You've been obsessed with your 'sister' for years, and she isn't even blood-related." Asher’s expression blurred behind the smoke. "So? Why shouldn't I be?" "But what did Elena ever do to you? Her brother’s choices have nothing to do with her. Why take it out on her? You spent two years chasing her! You’ve been together for three. You pampered her, loved her... everyone thought you were going to propose at your birthday party." Silence followed. As the cigarette burned to the filter, Asher crushed it out and let out a cold laugh. "I had to make it look real, didn't I? How else was I supposed to make her fall for me? She needs to fall from the highest peak to feel the depth of the abyss. I want her to feel the exact same pain my sister felt." I bit my lip so hard it bled, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. His friend frowned. "Are you really going through with this? No regrets?" Asher picked up his glass, his voice freezing. "Zero regrets." I looked down as a single petal drifted past, falling to the floor alongside a tear. No wonder he never wanted to go public. It wasn't about protecting me. It was all a calculated trap. The "soulmate" I thought I found was just a ghost in a machine. At that moment, I didn't even want to go downstairs to confront him. Arguments, screaming, begging—those would only give him the satisfaction of seeing my pain. I turned and walked away, leaving the gift I had bought for him on the cold pavement. 02 When I got home, I ran into my brother, Liam, who had just returned from a business trip to Chicago. "Why are your eyes so red?" he asked, concerned. "It’s just the wind," I whispered, looking away. On the sofa, he looked at me seriously. "I know you were planning to go to California for your PhD. But... would you consider the Hayes family in Chicago again? Julian Hayes is a good man. I’ve vetted him myself. He’s someone I can trust with you." He had brought up this arrangement several times before. I had always said no. Because of Asher. Because I wanted to marry for love. But now, love felt like a luxury I couldn't afford. Maybe a relationship built on family ties and transparency was safer. Even without love, at least there would be no lies. "Liam," I said, my voice steady. "I’ll do it. I’ll accept the arrangement." "Seriously?" Liam’s face lit up. "I'll call the Hayes family right away." Back in my room, I packed every gift Asher had given me over the last three years. As I moved the boxes to the storage closet, Liam knocked on my door. "Next Friday. We fly to Chicago." Next Friday. Asher’s birthday. 03 The next day, I spent the afternoon organizing my research papers. Asher called, asking if he could pick me up for dinner. The background was noisy—the sound of airport announcements. He was likely at the terminal, picking someone up. When I declined, he sounded relieved. "Okay, stay home and eat a good dinner. Don't skip meals to lose weight, you hear me?" His concern was so convincing. He was a master actor. Later that evening, a friend of my brother’s messaged me, asking for a ride from a local lounge. My car was in the shop, so I took Liam’s. I found the room number and pushed the door open. Inside, Asher was tangled up with a woman, playing a suggestive party game where they had to tear a piece of paper using only their mouths. His hands were on her waist, a loose, rakish smile on his face. The room was chanting: "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Asher pulled the paper away and frowned, but the woman leaned in closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, he turned his head and saw me. The room went silent. A flash of panic crossed his eyes. I lowered my gaze. "Sorry. Wrong room." I closed the door and walked away, but Asher caught me in the hallway, dragging me into an empty VIP booth. In the dim light, he pinned me against the wall, his hand on my chin. "Are you jealous?" I shook my head. "It's not what you think. That was my sister, Clara. It was just a game. Come on, give me a kiss?" He leaned in, but I flinched away. "My brother is waiting," I said, avoiding his eyes. The door was pushed open by the woman from the room. She looked surprised. "Asher? What are you doing?" That was Clara. His "non-biological" sister. Asher looked at me for a few seconds before walking over to her. "I've had too much to drink. Wrong room. I don't know this lady." Clara smiled and took his arm. "Everyone's waiting for you." I didn't say a word. I didn't even look at him. As we brushed past each other, his hand twitched as if he wanted to grab mine, but he balled it into a fist instead. 04 In the car, a tipsy Liam started rambling about my childhood. "I'm sorry, Elena. I shouldn't have been so hard on you five years ago when you wanted to stay here. Maybe you wouldn't have had to go so far away." Back then, Liam wanted me to go into business to help with the family firm. I wasn't interested; I wanted to stay in the lab. In a city where I felt misunderstood, Asher had appeared. He understood me. He supported me. I had wanted to take that step toward him, but I remembered the bitter feud he had with my brother over a real estate project. So I rejected him. But he pursued me for two years. No matter how cold I was, he always smiled. "Elena, you’re worth the effort. Don't feel bad for me; I'm doing this because I want to." It wasn't until he literally saved my life during a hiking accident that I finally gave in. Back then he said: "I'd die for you." Now he says: "I had to make it look real to make her fall." My chest tightened. I got distracted for a split second and clipped the curb. 05 Luckily, it was just the curb in front of our house. No one was hurt. Liam hit his head, leaving a nasty bruise. "Maybe you shouldn't drive until we get to Chicago," he grumbled. "Sorry, Liam. I'll get the car fixed." I took the car to the dealership the next morning. I thought about buying him a new one as an apology. In the lobby, I heard a familiar voice. "It’s fine. I can test drive in heels." Clara was sitting on a designer sofa. Asher was kneeling in front of her, holding her ankle, carefully unbuckling the straps of her stilettos. He treated her like a piece of fine porcelain. "No," he said firmly. "What if you twist your ankle? I brought your flats." He swapped her shoes out with practiced ease. Clara tried to complain, but she couldn't hide her smile. "Asher, you’re such a good brother." Asher stiffened for a second, a small frown appearing. I let out a silent, bitter laugh. He didn't want to be your "brother." "You're so sweet," Clara continued. "Whoever ends up as your girlfriend is going to be so lucky." Asher stayed kneeling, lost in thought. Then he pulled out his phone. A second later, my phone buzzed. [Asher]: Babe, I have a race tomorrow. If you come, I’ll have a surprise for you.
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