Prologue

NOAH

“We won’t go there,” I said with finality.

I hurled her suitcase onto the bed and ripped it open, pulling out her things roughly. She tried to stop me, but I shook off her hand gripping my arm.

Live at her fiancé’s house? No way!

“Noah! Stop what you’re doing!” she shouted hysterically.

She scrambled to pick up the items I was tossing, but I continued without pause.

“If you don’t want to come, it’s fine. I won’t force you,” she said which only fueled my anger.

I hurled the empty suitcase across the room. She flinched, stepping back instinctively.

I had never felt this furious before, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. She was rushing everything.

Dad had died in a car accident just two years ago. How could she already be engaged to someone else that fast? Wasn’t she grieving only a year ago?

“What? You’re gonna leave me too?” I forced a bitter smile. “For him? That motherfucking stranger you just met?”

“Watch your words, Noah. Don’t call him that. He’s a good, respectable man,” she tried to reason with me.

“Respectable? How can you be so sure? I bet you barely know him at all.”

“I love him,” she murmured.

“Love…” I repeated, incredulous. “How could you know love for someone you’ve only known for months?”

She opened her mouth, then shut it again, saying nothing.

“Don’t tell me you’d choose him over me…”

She avoided my eyes, a heavy silence settling over us. In that moment, her answer was clear without a single word spoken.

My shoulders slumped, the weight of disappointment settling over me. This is ridiculous.

“Why can’t you just let me be happy?”

“The point is, you barely know him! Don’t you get it? I’m worried about you! You’ve only known him for six months, and suddenly you’re engaged? What is this, some fairytale where love just magically works?”

She was acting like I was standing in the way of her happiness when all I had ever wanted was to protect her.

Her hand struck me, my head snapping to the side. I licked my lips, tasting the metallic flavor of my own blood.

When I turned my eyes back toward her, her face was wide with shock. Her hand hung in the air, suspended, as if she couldn’t believe the blow she had just landed.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean—”

“Why is it so hard for you to choose me over that man? You weren’t like this when Dad was still alive. Tell me, what went wrong?”

She shook her head slightly, tears threatening to spill.

“Noah, you know how much you matter to me. But just because your father is gone doesn’t mean my life has to stop too. I want to be happy as well. Is that wrong?”

Her words hit me like a cold wave. I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I shouldn’t have assumed you’d understand me.”

She walked out of the room after that, her footsteps fading down the hall, leaving me staring into the silence she’d left behind.

Then I found out she got married the very next month. Just like that.

“Behave, Noah,” my mom reminded me as we pulled up to her husband’s mansion.

Even though we were still at odds, I couldn’t leave her alone in that house with him. Anything could go wrong, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing a parent again.

We stepped out of the car and walked straight into the mansion. My eyes roamed over the grand interiors as we passed through. Luxury was evident in every corner. Her husband’s wealth was obvious, and even though we were well off, it was nothing like this.

Upon entering the living room, a man stood up from the couch. He smiled as he walked over and warmly greeted my mom.

“Hey there, honey.” He kissed her cheek before his gaze flicked to me. “You must be Noah.”

I nodded. “Good afternoon, Mr. Salvador,” I greeted, keeping my tone formal.

“Cut the formalities,” he said, his smile widening. “Your mom and I are married. Call me Dad or Uncle, whichever you prefer.”

Before I could even say anything, heavy footsteps echoed through the room, drawing all of our attention to the grand staircase. A man emerged at the top, dressed in a three-piece suit, his tall frame imposing. His arms were crossed, and his expression was stern.

My stomach tightened as his gaze drifted across the room… until it landed on me. The boredom in his eyes vanished, replaced by something that sent a jolt of unease through me.

His hooded eyes screamed danger. He looked like a predator sizing up its prey, as if he wanted to consume me whole.

“That’s Kayden,” Mr. Salvador introduced, following my glance. “My son. Try to see him as a brother.”

A chill ran through me as Kayden’s mouth curved into a subtle smirk.

“I don’t like him as my brother.”