Cheated, But A Night With My Ex's Brother

CHAPTER 3

BELLA

Pounding…

Throbbing…

A distant beeping…

A low groan escaped my lips as I forced my eyes open, only to squeeze them shut again when the sharp morning light slashed through the window. My head ached—a dull, insistent throb that made me regret every decision that had led to this moment.

The shrill ring of my phone shattered the silence, dragging me fully into consciousness. I exhaled, blinking against the light as I reached for my dress crumpled on the floor.

Slipping it over my head, I grabbed my purse, my movements slow. The last thing I needed was to wake the man still asleep beside me.

With careful steps, I slipped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me as quietly as possible. Leaning against the sink, I stared at my reflection, my mind replaying flashes of the night before—heat, hands, whispered words in the dark.

I wasn’t the type to have reckless, meaningless s*x. And yet, here I was. A twinge of regret curled in my stomach, but I shoved it aside as I swiped the answer icon on my phone and lifted it to my ear.

“What is it, Logan?” I muttered. My brother never called without a reason, and I wasn’t in the mood for one of his interrogations.

“Why exactly aren’t you coming home for Christmas dinner?”

I let my gaze flicker back to the mirror, taking in my slightly disheveled hair, the faint flush on my skin. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, the memories of last night kept playing in my mind—of the stranger, the way his touch had set every nerve in my body on fire.

I exhaled slowly. “Are you in town?”

He scoffed. “Of course, I’m in town. And Mum nearly collapsed when she heard you weren’t coming home for Christmas—again.”

My breath hitched, my heart slamming hard against my ribs. “Mum collapsed?”

Logan let out a tired sigh. “No, not literally. But she’s devastated, and honestly, I don’t know what your reasons are this time, but I really need you to reconsider. Mum and Dad miss you.”

I pressed my lips together, guilt creeping in. I had my reasons, but hearing the disappointment in his voice made me hesitate. With a resigned sigh, I nodded before realizing he couldn’t see me. “Fine. I’ll be on my way.”

Hanging up, I turned, my eyes flickering to the man still sprawled across the bed, sleeping soundly.

The events of last night replayed in my mind—I wasn’t that drunk. His touch, his deep voice, the way he had looked at me as if I was the only thing that mattered in that moment. Even now, with the sheets tangled around his waist, his face half-buried in the pillow, he looked unfairly handsome. Strong jaw, perfectly sculpted features, tousled dark hair that begged to be touched.

A sigh escaped my lips—soft, wistful, almost dreamy.

Snapping out of it, I shook my head and quickly slipped out of the room, grateful that he didn’t wake up. The last thing I needed was an awkward morning-after conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALEX

For twenty-seven years, I’ve walked this earth. And for eleven of those years, I dedicated every waking moment to one purpose—avenging my mother.

She gave her life to building a company from the ground up, only to have it stolen by the man who swore to love her. My father—if I can even call him that—betrayed her, used love as a weapon to strip her of everything she built, and then discarded her for his mistress. The shock, the heartbreak… it was too much. A sudden heart attack stole her from me before I could even fight for her.

But now, I’m back. Back in the U.S. Not just to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, but to become my father’s worst nightmare. Him, his mistress, and the son they raised together—I want them to feel the heat of everything they took from my mother.

A slow breath left my lips as I turned to my side, my muscles stretching lazily. My eyes blinked open, expecting to see the woman who had given me the best climax of my life. But instead, I was met with empty sheets.

She was gone.

A smirk tugged at my lips. Smart woman.

The irony? I couldn’t even remember her face clearly. The dim lights of the club had kept her features hidden, and once we got to my suite, neither of us cared enough to turn on the lights.

But her scent?

That was something I’d never forget.

The soft glow of the side lights had been enough for us last night, but now, I regretted not seeing her face clearly.

The ring of my phone cut through my thoughts. Stretching lazily, I grabbed it from the nightstand, glancing at the screen.

Seth. My secretary.

Pressing the answer button, I brought the phone to my ear. “What is it, Seth?”

“Good morning, Mr. Jones,” he greeted. “Apologies for calling so early, but I wanted to remind you of today’s agenda.” I heard the faint rustle of papers before he continued, “You have a scheduled visit with the White family.”

Ah, right. The Whites.

I leaned back against the headboard, rubbing a hand over my jaw. Logan, my friend, had tipped me off about them—how his family secretly held shares in my mother’s company. Those shares are important for my plans, and right now, I need every advantage I could get to reclaim what was stolen from her.

Acquiring those shares was my next move. And that was exactly why I was paying the Whites a visit today.

Maybe that’s what I tell myself—maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that if I keep holding on to this reason, then the fact that I really want to see Bella won’t seem like the truth.

I first met Bella years ago, back when I was about to leave my father and his new family behind to move to Europe and live with my late mother’s family. It was during that time, while I was visiting Logan at school to tell him about my plans, that I ran into her.

She was just a little girl then, but she caught my attention the moment our eyes met. Her hazel eyes—wide, curious, and unguarded—locked onto mine, and something stirred in me.

I didn’t think much of it at first, not until I learned that she wasn’t just some innocent girl. She was hiding from a group of classmates, tears in her eyes, her hands trembling. It turned out she already lost hope in humans.

“I hate humans,” she mumbled. “They are all liars and pretenders.”

It’s funny, isn’t it? When you think you’re at your lowest, when you feel like the world’s been cruel to you, you find out that someone else is dealing with their own battles too. It’s humbling. It makes you realize that everyone carries their own pain, their own burden.

Without thinking, I stepped toward her. I reached for her chin, gently lifting her face so I could look her in the eyes. She flinched at the contact, but I didn’t pull away. Instead, I handed her my handkerchief. She hesitated for a moment, then took it, wiping her tears away.

It wasn’t much, but in that moment, I wanted to be the one to offer her comfort, to show her that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone as she felt.

“Don’t let the words and actions of people move you,” I whispered softly, offering her a smile, the kind of smile that I hoped would make her feel a little less alone in that moment. “One day, you’ll find someone who sees you for who you truly are.”

She bit her lip, clearly trying to hold back more tears, but she nodded. “You’re not in our uniform,” she said, glancing at my clothes as if they didn’t quite fit into the world she knew.

I looked down at my attire, a bit out of place compared to the school uniform she wore, and shook my head gently. “I’m here to see your brother,” I explained.

Her eyes widened, and her head jerked up. “You know Logan?”

I nodded. “He’s my friend.”

She stood there for a moment, eyes scanning me with a thoughtful look. “You look sad,” she observed, a simple statement that caught me off guard.

I blinked, not expecting such an accurate observation from her. “What?”

She got to her feet then, handing me back my handkerchief. “I don’t know why you’re sad,” she said, her voice soft, “but you have every right to break free.”

She didn’t realize how much I needed to hear them. In that brief moment, she gave me something I hadn’t known I was searching for—a validation, a reminder that it was okay to want more, to step away from everything that had weighed me down.

To think that I would see her again after so many years. I had kept in touch with Logan over the years, but I never asked about Bella. I didn’t reach out to her, not because I didn’t care, but because I had been tangled up in so many things, and I wasn’t ready to face her—wasn’t ready to meet her as the person I was now.

But now, here I was, about to cross paths with her again. And for some reason, it felt like the right time