My Father’s Best Friend

Isabella Monroe: 

“Do you smoke?!”

The surprise on his face actually looked real.. like he’d never seen me smoking outside the college gate before.

Then he asked again, slower this time.

“Didn’t you know?”

One eyebrow lifted slightly.

“I do know, Isabella.”

My eyes widened a little. A smile slipped out before I could stop it.

“Aren’t you going to put it out?”

Another drag from his cigarette followed while his gaze stayed fixed on me. On the way I leaned back in the chair.

“Do you usually dress like this?”

Confused, my eyes dropped to my outfit.

“Clothes like this aren’t suitable for a study meeting, right?”

My notebook and papers disappeared back into my bag.

“If it bothers you, I can leave now, Professor. And my clothes are normal for a girl my age.”

“But they’re not comfortable for a man like me.” His voice lowered slightly. “A man my age.”

That made me pause.

“Sorry if it bothered you. I thought I was meeting someone like a father to me.”

Slow, heavy footsteps closed the distance between us.

His scent hit first. Cigarettes mixed with something masculine underneath.

Too close.

“That’s why I’m advising you as your father,” he said quietly. “Wearing something this revealing could expose you to harassment.”

A glass appeared in front of me, our fingers brushing for barely a second as he handed it over.

“Drink this.”

Then his eyes moved slowly over my face.

“Your cheeks are red. You’re clearly short of breath because of what I said.”

“Thank you.”

The drink disappeared in one swallow.

“Do you have any other questions?”

An embarrassed shake of my head answered him.

“You’ve already given me a lot of your time. I’m really grateful for your help.”

My bag slid onto my shoulder as I stood up.

“My time is all yours.”

That shy little smile betrayed me again.

Across from me, his face stayed calm. Serious. Hard to read.

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

A polite nod left me before I headed out first.

His presence behind me made my nerves worse with every step. Distracted enough not to notice my shoelaces were untied.

One wrong step.

Strong hands wrapped around my waist before I could hit the floor.

The grip hurt a little. Firm fingers pressing into my skin hard enough to steal my breath.

From the corner of my eye, I glanced at him.

“Slow down a bit… I almost fell.”

Our bodies stayed too close.

Way too close.

Warm breath escaped my lips, moving the strands of hair stuck near my face.

“Sorry… this is really embarrassing.”

Then his finger slid slowly along my waist.

“You’re sweating. I hope you’re okay, little one.”

The second he let go, distance became the only thing I wanted.

Straight out of the office. Straight toward the exit.

His assistant was definitely staring at me.

Didn’t care.

Outside, my motorcycle waited while my head tried to process whatever the hell had just happened.

How did I start reacting to him like this?

His voice. His hands. His body.

The same man who helped me when I was a child.

The same man I used to see as a father figure.

And now one look from him was enough to ruin my breathing.

Ahh, hell! 

He’s my dead father’s best friend.

“He seriously needs boundaries,” I muttered while putting on my helmet. “Being divorced doesn’t give him the right to get close to every woman around him. Especially not me.”

Still, some dirty instinct made me want to look up at the clinic window.

Like he was standing there watching me leave.

---

Thoughts about Sebastian stayed stuck in my head even after I got home.

Then Sophia called.

Loud music exploded through the phone immediately.

“Where are you, Sophia? I can barely hear you.”

Her excited laugh answered first.

Definitely drunk.

“I’m at the club again. Get dressed and don’t be late. I’m waiting for you.”

An exhausted groan slipped out.

“I was literally about to sleep. Unfortunately for you, I’m not in the mood for loud music tonight.”

“Don’t pretend to be sleepy, Isabella,” she shouted dramatically. “If you don’t come, I’ll drag you here myself.”

Then her voice softened.

“Please? I feel alone here. And for your information, the place is full of hot guys tonight.”

God.

Cassandra’s words replayed in my head again while I stared at the ceiling.

Sophia always did the exact opposite of what her mother wanted just to annoy her.

And somehow, I always got dragged into the mess too.

“Don’t move. I’m coming.”

The words left before I could rethink them.

“Yesss! Wear something sexy.”

---

A few minutes later, my motorcycle stopped outside the club.

Inside, Sophia was already dancing with some ridiculously handsome guy twice her size.

Typical.

The second she spotted me, her whole face lit up.

“Pink was made for you, Isabella. Damn, you look hot.”

My eyes narrowed immediately.

“Who was that guy? Didn’t I warn you about men in places like this?”

She rolled her dark eyes with pure arrogance.

Exactly like her father.

“I was just having fun. Relax. You know I don’t like boys like that.”

Then came the dramatic sigh.

“I want a man, not a boy. Someone serious. Strong. Maybe even a little twisted.”

A drink disappeared into my hand from the bartender.

Sophia grabbed another too.

Third one already.

“You’re overdoing it again.”

Her speech was already starting to slur.

“So… how was your meeting with my dad today?”

One glass went down fast.

Then another.

“It was good. What else would it be?”

Another drink appeared in her hand.

At this rate, she’d pass out before midnight.

She opened her mouth to say something suspicious. 

But suddenly, a drunk girl stumbled straight into her, spilling wine all over Sophia’s dress.

Sophia snapped instantly.

“Are you blind?! You ruined my dress!”

The girl staggered closer, clearly looking for a fight.

“What’s a spoiled rich girl like you doing in a place like this? Or does your daddy pay for everything?”

Shock crossed Sophia’s face before anger replaced it.

“What did you just say?”

A hard shove sent Sophia crashing back against me.

That did it.

My blood boiled instantly.

Pulling Sophia behind me, I stepped forward.

“What’s your problem? Looking for trouble?”

The tattooed girl cracked her neck, drunk eyes narrowing.

“My problem is your whore friend.”

“My friend isn’t a whore, you bitch.”

My forehead slammed into hers before she could react.

She stumbled backward with a scream.

“But I am.”

People around us started shouting immediately.

The girl lunged at me, trying to slap me across the face.

Her wrist got caught instantly.

One twist behind her back.

Then I dragged her against the edge of the bar.

“Now tell me again who the whore is.”

Her voice rose louder.

“Let go of me and I’ll ruin that pretty face of yours.”

My jaw tightened hard.

Everything around me suddenly felt too loud. Too heavy.

Then my eyes found Sophia.

Tears filled hers while she silently begged me to stop.

But letting go felt impossible.

Like loosening my grip for even one second meant losing.

A glass bottle landed in my hand from the counter beside me.

No thinking.

No hesitation.

The bottle smashed hard against the side of her head.

Silence hit the club instantly.

Then screams.

Blood spread across the floor while the broken bottle slipped from my fingers.

Even the music stopped.