LOGINIan raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t drunk last night. I was completely sober.“Sweetheart, I knew exactly what I was doing. I have been aware of my feelings for you for a long time. I just kept holding them back. But last night, when you hired those male escorts and leaned into that man’s arms, I could
Mia’s expression hardened. “Ian, what kind of thing is that to say? Who I date is none of your business.”“Fine.” Ian gave a short, cold laugh. “None of my business.”His face remained dark as he walked out. From that day on, he never returned to the Quinton estate.Mia did not see him for more than
Mia’s relationship with Ian had changed completely. Somewhere along the way, she had become the one doing the bullying.If she was upset, she would pinch or swat him without hesitation, and Ian would only grin and call her “Little Princess” or “Miss Trouble,” never once fighting back.Later, Mia was
By the time Ian was eighteen and in his senior year, his life was too busy with schoolwork to waste time picking on his stepsister. It had been a long time since he had teased Mia.The high school and middle school buildings were close to each other. That afternoon, he and a few classmates walked to
Lester was often away from home.In the beginning, whenever Mia was bullied by Ian, she would run to her mother, Sharon, in tears. But as a stepmother, Sharon felt she had no authority to discipline Ian. For the sake of keeping the household peaceful, she chose to turn a blind eye and never told Le
The first time Mia met Ian, she was only nine years old.Her mother, Sharon, held her hand and smiled brightly. “Say hello to your new brother.”The little girl tilted her head up at the tall boy in front of her, pressed her lips together, and obediently said, “Hi, brother.”The boy didn’t look the
Before she could react, Sean caught her by the arm and pulled her into his arms.“What are you—” Charlotte didn’t even get the words out before his lips claimed hers.At first, his kiss was slow and tender, lingering with practiced ease and skill. A shiver ran through her as the sensation spread thr
As he spoke, Noah popped the cap off a bottle and poured a full glass, handing it to Sean. “Bottoms up!”Sean just smiled, said nothing, and took the glass. Tilting his head back, he drained it in one go.Ian stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Wait, you actually drank it? That’s tequila! It’s s
When Charlotte and Sean arrived at the Riley estate, Lilian was already sitting on the living room sofa waiting for them.The moment she saw Charlotte, Lilian’s face lit up. She took Charlotte’s hand warmly, her smile bright and genuine. “Lottie, from now on you should be calling me Mom.”Charlotte’
Lena chimed in, “Yeah, totally. This one’s perfect.”“Really?” Charlotte looked doubtful. “Since when do you two agree on anything?”Lena gave her a sweet smile. “I’ve always liked this kind of cute, feminine style.”Mia jumped in right away. “I heard from Ian that Sean’s wearing a tux tonight. If y







