PRETEND TO BE MINE; Bound To My Brother’s Bestfriend
She was betrayed by the man she loved. He offered her a marriage of convenience. But some lies are harder to maintain than others
Zendaya Morrison lost everything the night of the accident—her ability to walk, her position as heir to a billion-dollar empire, and three years of her life devoted to a man who only wanted her money. When she finally overhears her fiancé plotting to leave her for her best friend, she makes a choice: reclaim what's hers.
But taking back her position as CEO comes with an impossible condition—she needs a husband.
Enter Malachi Hayes: her brother's best friend, the man she's spent years avoiding, and the only person who knows the truth about the night that changed everything between them. His solution? A fake engagement that will fool the board and secure her position.
The rules are simple: three months of pretending, a wedding for show, one year of marriage, then a clean divorce.
But when her brother moves the wedding to five days away, and Malachi's carefully controlled distance starts to crack, Zendaya realizes the hardest part isn't convincing the world they're in love.
It's pretending they're not.
A fake engagement. A forced marriage. And a secret that could destroy them both.
Read
Chapter: CHAPTER 15VICTOR'S POVI'd always been a patient man. It was one of my greatest strengths—the ability to wait, to watch, to strike at precisely the right moment when my enemies least expected it.And right then, sitting in my spacious office overlooking the city, watching Marcus Reid lay out photographs and documents across my mahogany desk, I felt that familiar thrill of victory even before the game had truly begun."Tell me everything," I said, leaning back in my leather chair, fingers steepled under my chin.Marcus, the private investigator I'd hired—a wiry man who'd made a career out of digging up dirt on the wealthy and powerful—spread the evidence like a dealer laying out cards. "It's exactly what you suspected, Mr. Castellano. The engagement is fake."My lips curved into a cold smile. "Show me."He pulled out the first set of photographs. "This is from seven years ago. A college party at the university they both attended." He pointed to a grainy but clear enough photo showing a younger Z
Last Updated: 2026-02-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 14ZENDAYA'S POVThat one word did things to me that it absolutely shouldn't have. I hesitated, then parted my lips. He slid the fork into my mouth, and I tasted the sweet vanilla and cream. It was delicious, but I could barely focus on the flavor because Malachi's eyes were locked on my mouth, watching my lips close around the fork with an intensity that made my skin feel too hot.I bit my lips subconsciously as I felt best run up my cheek from embarrassment.The sexual tension between us was palpable, or that's what I would like to think at least."Your turn," he said, handing me the second fork.My hand trembled slightly as I cut a piece of cake. I lifted it to his mouth, and he leaned in, his lips parting. When his mouth closed around the fork and I slowly pulled it away, I swore I saw his jaw tighten.Or maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.Sophie brought out the next sample—chocolate with raspberry filling. Then lemon with cream cheese frosting. Then champagne cake with st
Last Updated: 2026-02-22
Chapter: CHAPTER 13ZENDAYA'S POV"We try it on, yes?" Madame Rousseau gestured to her assistants. "Come, come."They helped me into a private changing area, carefully assisting me into the dress. It took several minutes to get all the layers situated properly, to fasten all the tiny buttons and hooks. When they finally wheeled me back out to the mirrors, even the assistants gasped.Adrian stood up, his expression carefully composed. "It's perfect. The media will eat this up."His words were practical, businesslike. This wasn't about me being his little sister getting married. This was about making sure my CEO position was secure, about making sure the board had no ammunition to use against me.I stared at myself in the mirror. I barely recognized the woman looking back at me. The dress fit perfectly, hugging my curves in all the right places before flowing out in that gorgeous, romantic skirt. The beading on the bodice caught the light with every tiny movement, and the way the fabric draped made me look
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Chapter: CHAPTER 12ZENDAYA'S POVIf I revealed I could walk right now, I'd lose the last bit of control I had over my own narrative. Everything was spinning out of control—the CEO position, the fake engagement, my feelings for Malachi that I couldn't seem to kill no matter how hard I tried. Being able to walk was the one card I still held close to my chest, the one surprise I could still spring when the moment was right.But lying to Malachi felt different than lying to everyone else. It felt wrong in a way that made my stomach twist and my throat burn.I wheeled myself over to the window, looking out at the darkened garden. In five days, I'd be married to him. In five days, I'd be bound to a man who looked at me with cold indifference, who kissed me only for show, who had made it clear he was doing this for Adrian and nothing more.Five days.I touched my lips, remembering the kiss in the hallway. The one he'd initiated before I'd slapped him. For just a moment, I'd felt the heat behind it, the want. H
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Chapter: CHAPTER 11ZENDAYA'S POVMy heart slammed against my chest as I stared at Malachi's shocked face. I had stood up without thinking or planning. I had just... stood up.For a split second, the room was completely silent except for the pounding of my pulse in my ears.Then reality crashed into me like a freight train.Oh God. Oh God, what have I done?I didn't even think. I just let out a sharp cry and crumpled to the floor, my hands clutching my leg as if it were on fire. Tears sprang to my eyes—not from pain, but from sheer panic and the crushing guilt of what I was about to do."My leg!" I gasped, my voice breaking. "Oh God, my leg!"Malachi rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside me. His hands hovered over me uncertainly, his face twisted with concern. "Zendaya, what—what happened? You were standing—""It hurts!" I sobbed, writhing on the floor. I dug my fingers into my thigh, my whole body trembling. "Sometimes it does this. Sometimes I can—I can feel it work for just a second, and then—"
Last Updated: 2026-02-18
Chapter: CHAPTER 10ZENDAYA'S POVWe sat in Adrian's living room, the silence so thick I could barely breathe.Adrian paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, his hands running through his hair repeatedly. Malachi sat on the couch across from me, his expression unreadable. And I sat in my wheelchair, my mind still reeling from what had just happened.Five days. Five days until I was supposed to marry Malachi Hayes."Okay," Adrian finally said, stopping his pacing. "I know that was... unexpected. But I had to think fast. That reporter was about to destroy everything.""Five days, Adrian?" I asked, my voice shaking. "You told them we're getting married in five days?""I panicked," Adrian admitted. "If I'd said three months like the board wanted, it would have given people time to investigate, to dig into your relationship history, to find proof that you're lying. But five days? There's no time for that. You get married quickly, prove the engagement is real, and move on.""I don't have a problem with
Last Updated: 2026-02-18
LOGIN
