The Game Begins

Prescott

I was still smiling when I got back to the mansion.

The look on Aurora’s face at dinner was priceless pure horror mixed with stubborn fury. Most girls would have cried or tried to flirt their way out of the awkwardness, but she just sat there like she was plotting my murder while forcing polite smiles for the parents. I respected that, in a twisted way.

I dropped my keys on the entrance table and loosened my collar. The house felt too quiet Dad had gone to his study, which meant I had the place to myself for a while.

My phone buzzed.

Marcus: So? How bad was the family dinner?

I typed back while walking toward the kitchen.

Prescott: Better than I expected, she looked like she wanted to throw her wine in my face. I’m officially the stepbrother from hell in her eyes.

Marcus: You’re enjoying this way too much.

Prescott: of course she’s stubborn, most girls melt. But she looks at me like I’m a disease she refuses to catch it’s quite refreshing.

I grabbed a bottle of water and leaned against the counter, replaying the night. The way her voice had gone tight when she realized who I was, the way she stormed off to the bathroom. When I followed her, she didn’t back down she looked ready to fight, that pride of hers was going to make living together very entertaining.

Six weeks until the wedding.

Six weeks until she moved into this house.

Six weeks until she was working under me every single day.

I was already looking forward to it.

The next morning, Dad called me into his study.

“I want you on your best behavior,” he said without preamble. “Elena is important to me. That means her daughter is important too.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I was perfectly polite last night.”

“You were amused. There’s a difference.” He gave me a knowing look. “I saw the way you kept smiling at her don’t turn this into one of your games, Prescott.”

I held up my hands in mock surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go.

Over the next few days, wedding planning took over everything. Elena came by the mansion several times with fabric samples, seating charts, and an endless list of questions. Aurora never came with her not once, ummm

Interesting.

I asked about it casually one afternoon while Elena was discussing flower arrangements with my father.

“Is Aurora not helping with the planning?”

Elena’s smile tightened just a little. “She’s… busy. She’s been applying for jobs and insisting she wants to handle things on her own, Stubborn girl. She keeps saying she doesn’t want to rely on anyone.”

I almost laughed. Of course she was that fierce independence I’d seen at camp was still going strong. She would rather grind herself into the ground than accept help from the Zane family.

I found that quite amusing.

One evening, about a week after the dinner, I was leaving the office late when I spotted her.

Aurora was standing at the bus stop near the building, arms wrapped around herself, waiting in the light rain she hadn’t noticed me yet. Her hair was slightly damp, and she looked tired but determined the same stubborn set to her shoulders.

I could have continued driving.

Instead, I pulled up beside her in my car and rolled down the window.

“Need a ride, stepsister?”

Her head snapped up. The second she recognized me, her expression shuttered.

“No.”

“It’s raining.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’ll get sick.”

“I’ll live.”

I leaned my arm on the window, completely unfazed by her rejection. “You know, most people would say thank you and get in the car. You’re really committed to this whole ‘I don’t need anyone’ thing, aren’t you?”

Her eyes flashed. “I don’t need you.”

The way she said it made something dark and pleased curl in my chest.

“Suit yourself.” I gave her a slow, lazy smile. “But just so you know… once you move in, avoiding me is going to be a lot harder.”

I drove off before she could reply, watching her in the rearview mirror. She was still standing there in the rain, staring after my car like she was committing my license plate to memory for future revenge.

I laughed under my breath.

This was going to be even better than I thought.

Aurora Martins could cling to her pride all she wanted.

I had six weeks to start chipping away at it.

And I was a very patient man when something interesting was involved.