Stepbrother's Allure: At His Mercy

I don't like him

Despite Maria's excitement, she went through the contract, word by word, just to be certain there wasn't any loophole there. She had been a victim of such a contract when she started her career, which was why she was careful. After she had gone through it, and was satisfied with what she read, she signed it before passing it over to me so I could do the same. Signature on paper and ink dried, we high-five each other.

“Finally, we won't have to suffer in the streets,” she said, plopping down on the couch. “I can finally have a good night's sleep without worrying about how we could get our jobs back.”

“Yeah.” Smiling, I sat next to her, happy but somehow concerned. As the initial happiness I had about the renewed contract wore off, I couldn't help but wonder what Kieran was up to.

Surely, he knew I was the one he helped. What I didn't understand was what this meant for me. I couldn't help but recall the dream I had before Maria woke me up. What if it happens? What will my response be?

….

For two weeks, I didn't see Kieran. I had expected him to seek me out the moment the ink dried on the paper, but he didn't; instead, I got sent flowers every day.

“A new one came in,” Maria announced, placing the bouquet of sunflowers on the table, with a box of what I knew were chocolates and a letter. Every day, Kieran sends a different flower, chocolates, and a letter. “Girl, I didn't know you're this popular.” She picked up the box of chocolates and walked to me. “Here you go, from Mr Handsome.” She dropped the package on my thighs before adding, “Care to tell me who he is?”

Your new CEO.

I would have said, but I held myself back in time. I just don't want her to know it was from Kieran. I was yet to tell her about my mum getting engaged to his dad and knew I would do that, eventually. Just not today.

“Beats me.” I opened the box and took out the letter. “Must be one of my admirers. I don't know him.”

Oh, I do. I know him more on the physical level. While others met, went on a date, f****d, and got married or got married before f*****g, I got f****d, bypassing the first two things that were crucial for a relationship. Now, it seemed we're back to the first.

“You're just stingy.” Maria rolled her eyes, drawing up from the chair. “You have a brand shoot in the afternoon. I need to go prepare your outfits. Have some rest. You need that.”

“Thanks.”

Ever since I signed the contract, I've gotten engagements almost every day. Not just the normal ones I got before, high-paying gigs. I was slowly getting popular since the company now used me as a face ad. No one walks into the company without seeing my face on the big screen, and I was freaking loving it even though it was earning unnecessary attention and jealousy from the others who were probably wondering how I got to such a level in just two weeks.

I didn't suspect the reason for that. I knew it all had to do with Kieran. What I didn't understand was why he did that without approaching me. Aside from seeing him whenever he left for work, I have had no contact with him.

He didn't come over with his dad last weekend for a family dinner, claiming—I heard from my mum — that he's stressed from work and needed to rest.

It wasn't as if I were asking about him. Far from that. I was just happy he had made no move.

I opened the letter, expecting the normal long epistle of how flowers bloom and the similarities between my smiles and that. However, I didn't get that. Instead, it was just two sentences.

'The sunsets on the rooftop of our office building are particularly breathtaking this time of year. If you'd like to see them for yourself, I work late on Thursdays.'

I felt a flutter in my chest as I read the words. I shook my head and tried to brush it off, telling myself I was just reading too much into it, but a small part of me was already making plans to be on that rooftop this evening since it was a Thursday.

I folded the letter and tucked it into my pocket, a tiny smile playing on my lips despite my best efforts to suppress it.

“I don't like him,” I muttered to myself, trying to sound convincing. I looked away, attempting to rationalize the situation. “I don't like him,” I insisted. "I just want to go see the sunset. That's all." But deep down, I knew I was kidding myself.

While shooting for the brand, my mind kept returning to the letter I got. Should I go to his office? The question accompanied me until late in the afternoon.

“You're not having lunch with your mum, right?” Maria asked, tidying up the space.

I shook my head. “It's a weekday. I mostly go home during the weekends. I might visit her this Sunday. It's still under probability.”

“Great. Why don't we grab an early dinner together?”

“I…” I averted my gaze. “I can't. There's something I need to take care of.”

I'm not going to see him! I just want to see this sunset, that's all.

“Oh…” she grinned. “Seems like someone's got a date.”

“I don't —”

“No need to deny it. You've been absent-minded since I gave you that letter. Just be careful, okay? You're a celebrity, and your image matters the most. And remember, do something I would and make mama proud. That p***y needs to be serviced.”

My cheeks warmed. “I'm not doing anything!”

“And I'm not eating dinner alone. Have fun, darling. Just remember, you need to be discreet. Be careful of the paparazzi.” Winking, she left, closing the door gently behind her.

I fell back on the couch, my cheeks still warm. “I'm not planning to do anything,” I muttered. “I just want to check out the sunset.”

Yeah, you are. Just keep deceiving yourself, April.