I've Coveted You Forever

Chapter 7 Switch to Finn

Suddenly, the top trending headline on social media caught my eye, and my breath caught in my throat.

The caption: Sterling Heiress Eleanor Moves On With Ashton Second Heir Finn; Former Fiancé Julian Left In The Dust.

The post had hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, all buzzing about how I'd "moved up" from the older Ashton brother to the younger one.

I stared at the dozens of missed calls on my phone, completely stunned by how quickly the story had blown up.

The headline was dramatic and attention-grabbing, but I loved it—so much so that I wanted to send a reward to whoever had written it.

Word spread fast, and soon every potential investor and business partner that had backed Julian began abandoning him, reaching out to Finn instead.

Capital always chased power and stability, and it was clear the elite could see Finn was the one with real influence and potential, not Julian.

My family's company wasn't as powerful as the Ashton Group, but our alliance only strengthened Finn's position—the exact reason Julian had been so unwilling to call off our engagement.

Overnight, the overlooked, underestimated Finn became the face of the Ashton Group.

Both our families' stocks skyrocketed, hitting limit up for days straight, and I couldn't stop smiling as I watched the numbers climb.

Both families released official statements to clarify the rumors, but the media firestorm and public fascination with our "ship" kept our names in the headlines, blurring the line between our fake partnership and something real.

Neither family pushed back hard, though—the stock surge was too profitable to ignore, so everyone turned a blind eye to the chaos.

We were curled up together in the bedroom bed, enjoying the quiet afterglow, when the front door slammed open, followed by Julian's furious, icy voice echoing through the villa.

"Finn, get out here right now!" he shouted, throwing a tantrum like a wild, unhinged man in the living room.

Finn ignored him for a full thirty minutes, taking his time to slip on a silk robe, then leaned down to kiss my forehead softly. "Stay in here, Eleanor. Don't come out until I tell you to."

I settled back against the pillows, watching the drama unfold from the bedroom doorway, hidden from sight.

Julian was fuming, his face red with rage. "Have you lost your mind? You touched your brother's fiancée—in broad daylight, no less. Have you no shame?"

Finn smiled calmly, but his eyes were cold and sharp, dangerous. "What if I did? You weren't married to her, not even close. You should be thanking us, actually. If Eleanor and I hadn't cleaned up your mess after you abandoned the engagement, both our families' stocks would have crashed. Instead, they've been surging for a week straight. You don't want her, that's fine. I do. I'm the one who can make her happy, not you. Unlike you, I don't use innocent women as pawns and beards. I love her," Finn added, the words hanging heavy in the air.

The room went completely silent. Julian was stunned, horrified that Finn had exposed his deepest secret so openly.

"What are you talking about? Are you insane?" Julian sputtered, his face pale with panic.

"Oh, don't act innocent. The great Julian Ashton, too scared to admit what he did? You were all over Barry at the bar last night, and now you're pretending it never happened?" Finn shot back, mocking him.

Julian was about to snap, screaming and ready to smash the furniture, when I stepped out of the bedroom, calm and composed.

The look on Julian's face when he saw me was priceless, a mix of shock and disbelief.

He stared at me, confused and furious. "Eleanor, what is the meaning of this?"

I pulled my nightgown down slightly, exposing the dark marks on my neck from the night before, letting him see exactly what had happened between Finn and me. "It's simple. The trending posts already said it—I'm with Finn now."

Julian stared at me, completely unable to process the truth, his mouth hanging open in shock.