THE KINGSTONS DESIRE

UNHEALTHY FOR THE BOTH OF US

JEREMY'S POV

It had been three long, miserable weeks since Jared’s big day. The day that should have been a celebration for my brother, and maybe even for me, had felt like a death sentence. The weight of it settled on my chest every morning, choking out any glimmer of ambition I once had but I couldn’t keep doing this,I couldn’t stay locked in this cycle of self pity, dragging myself through the days like a ghost.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror last night, the face looking back at me hardened with resolve. Enough was enough, I’d spent too much time brooding, letting the shadows of my failures loom over me. Jared had made it, had carved out his place in the world, and even though that should have been a good thing, it only served to remind me of where I wasn’t.

But today, things would change. Today, I was going to the Kingstons' building, my father’s empire. Maybe it wasn’t the path I envisioned for myself, but I had to start somewhere. I'd thought long and hard about this, I could be by his side and still be my own, I could make friends and allies from the company and it would become my undoing, I could build something of my own with focus and dedication. This couldn’t be my end, I knew my worth. I didn’t pour my blood, sweat, and tears into business school to let it all slip through my fingers.

At 8:00 AM, I arrived at the grand glass doors of the Kingstons' building, my nerves simmering beneath the surface. I had been here a good number of times but today felt different. Today, I was taking my first step toward something real. I bypassed the front desk and headed straight for Jared’s office, he'd been trying to get me to resume and I'd only texted him last night that I'll come in today . The tension in my shoulders eased slightly as I prepared to face him, to remind myself that despite everything, he was still my brother.

But when I pushed open the door, his seat was empty.

Frowning, I checked my phone. No messages, no explanation. Jared had told me he would be here and now he was nowhere to be found. Frustration bubbled up in my chest, but I kept it in check. Of course, Jared would do this, he'd always been the one to make me wait. It was just one of the many things that came with being in his shadow. But before I could even think of leaving, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Jared’s name flashed on the screen, and with an irritated sigh, I answered.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’m at home,” he said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Something came up, I won’t be in the office today. Come over to the house. We’ll talk here.”

Of course, he wouldn’t bother to inform me before I made the trip across town. Swallowing my annoyance, I ended the call without another word, grabbed my keys, and headed back to my car. The drive to Jared’s place felt longer than usual, my mind wandering as I thought about how easily my brother seemed to brush off everything. It was infuriating how little effort he had to make, how things seemed to fall into place for him. And yet here I was, still trying to find my footing, still trying to figure out where I fit in this vast, sprawling family legacy.

When I pulled into the driveway of his mansion, I hesitated for a moment. I’d been to Jared’s house plenty of times in the past but there was something different about it now mostly today, I couldn’t put my finger on it but the air felt heavier, more charged with something I couldn’t quite name. Maybe it was just my irritation at being dragged around like this.

I rang the doorbell and waited, tapping my foot impatiently. The last thing I needed was more of Jared’s games but instead of hearing his voice or seeing him at the door, a woman’s voice called out from inside, “I’m coming”

I frowned. A woman? Jared hadn’t mentioned anything about his wife being here, but now that I think if it where the he'll would she be at its nine in the morning!. Not that I’d kept up with his personal life, it had been three weeks since his wedding and I had made a point to stay out of the media circus. But still, the idea of meeting the woman who’d become Mrs. Kingston stirred something uneasy inside me.

When the door finally opened, I wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted me.

She stood there, a woman with chestnut brown hair cascading down her shoulders and striking grey eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. Her beauty was undeniable, and for a moment, I just stood there taking her in. There was something about her, something... magnetic.

She’d introduced herself as Maddison Crawford now Maddison Kingston and I realized I had been staring for too long, more than thirty seconds had passed in awkward silence, and I cleared my throat, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

“Jeremy Kingston,” I muttered, stepping past her as I made my way inside. “His twin.”

She smiled, and there was something about the way her lips curved that made my heart skip a beat and I made my way further into the house, not knowing where to go her voice slipped in again . “He’s in his study, to the left. Nice to meet you, Jeremy.”

Her voice lingered in my ears, soft and melodic. I shouldn’t have been so affected by it, but there was something about the way she said my name, the way it rolled off her tongue so effortlessly. I shook the thoughts from my mind refusing to let them take root. This was Jared’s wife. I couldn’t afford to think of her in ways that were... unhealthy.

I followed her directions, my feet carrying me toward Jared’s study, but my mind was still reeling. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, her grey eyes and the way they had looked at me, intrigued and curious. What was wrong with me? I hadn’t even been in the house for more than a few minutes, and I was already distracted.

Finally, I reached the study and pushed open the door and Jared was sitting there, a glass of whiskey in his hand as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He glanced up when I entered, acknowledging me with a casual nod.

“What took you so long?” he asked, his tone dripping with boredom. “Did Maddison slow you down? She’s clumsy like that.”

I blinked, the words settling in my chest like a lead weight how her name made my heart skip beats and yet the way Jared spoke about her, so dismissive and uncaring, grated against my nerves. His wife, she was his wife and he spoke of her like she was just another object in his collection.

I clenched my jaw and forced myself to brush it off. This wasn’t why I had come here. I wasn’t here to dissect Jared’s marriage or how he treated his wife. I was here for business, for something that might actually set me on the right path and that was my priority.

“Let’s just get to it,” I said, crossing the room and taking a seat across from him. “I'm here for business”

Jared smirked, swirling his glass of whiskey lazily before setting it down on the desk. “Right to the point, then.”

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. And as much as I tried to stay focused on the task at hand, I couldn’t shake the image of Maddison from my mind. Her eyes, her voice, the way she had looked at me. It was all so... distracting.

But I couldn’t afford to be distracted. Not now, not by her.

And yet, even as Jared and I delved into business, I couldn’t help but think that this was just the beginning of something far more complicated. Something that had the potential to unravel everything and bring me to my knees if I wasn't careful . Something that could never end well.

Maddison Crawford, now Maddison Kingston, was more than just beautiful. she was dangerous, for both of us.