5

Mia

“Come with me!” Rolex grabbed my wrist just as I was about to leave. His grip was strong, almost rough, and no matter how I tugged, he didn’t let go. He dragged me down the hall, ignoring my little struggles, until we reached the balcony.

When we got there, I yanked my hand free, my chest rising and falling with anger. I remembered clearly why I had been avoiding him. His own brother’s life was falling apart, yet he just stood by and watched, as if none of it mattered.

“Are you even his brother?” I snapped, glaring at him. “Or do you hate him so much that you’re happy to watch his life get ruined?”

Rolex only gave a lazy smile, like my words didn’t bother him one bit. “It’s no use,” he said flatly.

And the painful part? He was right. No matter what anyone say, Maxello and Harper always found their way back to each other, no matter how toxic things got.

“Are you always this dramatic?” he asked suddenly, his voice dragging me out of my thoughts.

I frowned. “What?”

“It’s painfully obvious how much you love him,” he said, his eyes fixed on me.

My heart skipped as the heat rushed to my face. Was it really that obvious? Did everyone see it that easily?

“He’s just my friend,” I muttered, looking away quickly, but his smirk told me he didn’t believe a word.

“Of course he knows,” Rolex said. “Even Maxello knows. We barely just met, and I can already tell. You think he hasn’t noticed after all these years?”

His words hit harder than I wanted to admit. Even Bruno teased me about it, If Max really knew… then why did he act like he didn’t? Why did he let me stay close, if he knew the truth about my feelings? What game was he playing with me?

I was lost in thought when I suddenly felt Rolex’s presence shift closer. Too close. His warmth pressed against my back, his breath brushing the side of my neck, my whole body stiffened, but instead of moving away, I found myself leaning into him.

My body betrayed me, again.

“Look,” he whispered, nodding toward the poolside, I followed his gaze. Maxello and Harper were there, arguing, their voices loud even from a distance.

“They’ll never leave each other,” Rolex said like he was making some final judgment. “They’re both obsessed. Blinded by love, blinded by lust. No matter how hard you try to pull them apart, they’ll always run back to each other.”

I hated that he was probably right.

“Do you think Nate doesn’t know she’s cheating?” he continued. “Nothing would make me happier than them staying together. At least Nate won’t have to suffer if she’s already out of his life.”

I spun to face him, and suddenly we were a breath apart.

“You claim to be his brother, yet you’d let him stay with someone like her? Do you even love him at all?”

Rolex’s eyes darkened. For a moment, I saw something raw in them, pain.

“What’s your definition of love?” he asked softly, almost mockingly. His gaze locked on mine, daring me to answer.

“Longing for someone for years, even when they don’t feel the same,” he whispered, my throat tightening every seconds with him.

“It’s misery. That’s what love does, it makes you miserable.”

The look in his eyes shifted again to something more dangerous. He stepped closer, and I backed away until my back hit the cold wall. He didn’t stop until there was barely space between us, his presence swallowing me whole.

“W-what are you doing?” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to my ear, his breath hot against my skin.

“If the wedding happens,” he murmured, his voice deep and husky, “I’ll leave you to chase Maxello all you want. But if it doesn’t…” His words slowed, dragging out like a promise and a threat at the same time. “If it doesn’t, I’ll make mine.”

My breath hitched as his hand trailed slowly up my thigh, his touch was torturous. My lips parted involuntarily, air catching in my lungs.

“I’ll crawl inside your head, your body, your soul,” he whispered, his voice sinking deeper, “I’ll make you forget Maxello ever existed.”

I couldn’t let him think he had control over me. My trembling hand shot down, grabbing his wrist before it went any higher. “Fine,” I said through my uneven breaths. “I agree.”

His lips curled into a victorious smile, his eyes glinting like he had won something.

“Good,” he whispered. “Now watch me destroy the wedding.”

So that was his plan. Lure me into his bet, then wreck Max’s life just to win me.

“Don’t you dare,” I snapped, my voice shaking but steady enough to make it clear. “I’ll stop you every time you try. That’s a promise.”

Before he could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“What are you two doing?”

Maxello’s voice.

I jolted, pushing Rolex away from me so fast I almost stumbled. The cold air rushed in where his body had been, but instead of relief, I felt an ache, a burning I already missed.

Maxello’s eyes darted between us, suspicious and displeased. He tried to mask it, but I knew him too well. I could read him like an open book. And what I saw there… was something close to jealousy.