All Chapters of My Best friend's Brother : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Mason's Mercedes pulled up forty-five minutes later. I knew it was his before I even looked up. I'd spent my entire adolescence listening for it, heart hammering every time Sloane mentioned he was coming home from the city for the weekend. Tonight, my heart hammered for a different reason. The car parked at the curb. The door opened. And there he was. Mason Chen. Six feet two of lean muscle and careless arrogance, dark hair pushed back from his forehead like he'd just rolled out of someone's bed, jaw set in that permanent sneer that made him look like he was bored of you before you even opened your mouth. He was wearing a black button-down with the top three buttons undone, gold chain resting against his collarbone, sunglasses pushed up into his hair even though it was past nine at night. He looked like every bad decision I'd never let myself make. "Lucy." He didn't even look at me. Just tilted his head toward the passenger seat. "Get in." Not hey, you okay? Not I heard what ha

Three days passed.Three days of avoiding Mason. Three days of hiding in the pool house like I was scared of something, him.I tried not to think about the nights he came home late.The job lead went nowhere. Mason made a call, like he'd promised, but the position had been filled by the time I reached out. I spent my days scrolling through listings on my new phone, sending applications into the void, watching my savings dwindle to almost nothing.Forty dollars in my shoe. That was all I had left.On the fourth morning, I woke up to the smell of coffee.Not the faint, distant scent from the main house. This was close. Inside the pool house. I sat up, disoriented, and found Mason standing at my kitchenette with two mugs in his hands."What are you doing here?" I grabbed the sheet and pulled it to my chin. I was wearing an oversized t-shirt and nothing else.Mason didn't even blink. "You've been hiding from me.""I haven't been—""You have." He set one of the mugs on the nightstand. "Dri

It's been three days since Mason's lips had been on mine. Three days since he'd smiled that cold smile and walked away like I was nothing. Three days since I'd stood in his dark living room and realized I'd been played.I hadn't left the pool house since.Not for food. Not for air. Just lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment. The way his hand had cupped my face. The way his mouth had crashed into mine. The way he'd pulled back with his eyes telling me "Got what I wanted" like I was a conquest. Like ten years of wanting him meant nothing.I'd cried until I had nothing left. Then I'd cried some more.Now I just felt hollow.On the fourth morning, I ran out of excuses.My stomach was growling. My throat was dry. And the pool house mini-fridge only had water and that stupid wine I refused to touch.I needed food.I waited until I heard Mason's Mercedes pull out of the garage. Watched through the window as his taillights disappeared down the private road. Then I slipped

I didn't sleep that night because every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mason's face. The way he'd looked at me in the coffee shop. The way he'd said I'm done running. The way his fingers had wrapped around my wrist like he was afraid I'd disappear.And then Sloane's voice in my head. Broken people break other people.I was trapped between two truths. One telling me to run. The other telling me to stay.By morning, I'd made a decision.I wasn't going to run. Not yet.I called in sick to work. Mrs. Patel sounded worried, but I assured her I was fine. Just a cold.Then I called Sloane."I'm going to help him," I said before she could speak. "With Vincent. With my father. All of it."Silence."Lucy—""I know what you're going to say. I know he's dangerous. I know he'll break my heart." My voice cracked. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing. Not when my father's involved."Sloane was quiet for a long moment. Then: "You're not going to do this alone.""What?""I'm coming with you." Her v

The letter arrived three days later.Not by mail. It was slipped under my apartment door while I was at work. I found it when I got home, a plain white envelope with my name written on it in black ink.My hands were shaking before I even opened it.Inside was a single sheet of paper. No salutation. No signature. Just words. You're being watched. Tell Mason to give me what I want, or I'll take what he cares about most.I read it three times. Four times. My blood turned to ice.He knew where I lived. He'd been inside my building. He could have been in my apartment while I was gone.I grabbed my phone and called Mason.He answered on the first ring."Lucy?""I got a letter." My voice was shaking. "Vincent. He slipped it under my door.""Don't touch anything. I'm coming over."He hung up before I could respond.Mason arrived in twenty minutes. He brought two men with him. Security, he said. Both of them were big, silent, and carried themselves like they'd seen everything.They swept my ap