My whole body freezes in shock. What the hell is going on?!Millions of questions whizz past my mind, as he presses my neck and keep kissing me. I know I should feel shocked or mad or even disgusted, he’s my brother for God’s sake!But I still lost myself momentarily in this kiss.His lips are cold. I can even taste vodka and fresh lemon in his breathe. His eyes closed, long eyelashes touching mine, causing my heart to flutter. I’ve never felt anything like this with anyone before.But before I get to react, he pushes me away again. Without looking at me, he returns to the couch and sits down, like nothing has happened.I gulp. And suddenly realize I’ve been holding my breath for so long that my lungs are exploding. Everyone else is clearly in shock as well. Especially Val. Her face distorts with anger.“What the hell are you doing!” she voices out my question.Eason is surprisingly calm. Still not looking at me, he takes a sip of his drink, “You wanted to see her kiss. Now you have i
Katherine lets out an audible gasp. Signed, I look up and meet Eason’s eyes in the air. He’s looking at me coldly, expression undetectable.Valerie lets go of him and walks towards me, as people hurry clear out a pass for her. She stands a few inches above me with her high heels. She looks down at me, lips curved into a sarcastic angle.“This is no place for people like you. Drop out now and leave Eason alone,” she mouths a threat.I look straight into her eyes and reply, “I earned my place in here. Fair and square. You can’t force me. And it’s none of your business anyway.”She sneers, “how? By that pathetic transcript of yours? You got in because Eason’s father pulled some strings and wrote huge check to the board. Do you have no self-esteem? Using his family like this?”My face flashes red under her question. On some level, I know she’s right. But I’m already too far deep into the war to back out right now. So I stare her back, while remain in silence.She squints at me, and sudden
“Help! Somebody helps!”I yank the door with all my might and yells. My voices and the sound of door rattling echo in the dark and empty corridor. But only death silence falls upon me.It’s getting dark outside. The tour must have left hours ago. So I’m all alone in this observatory right now. Doesn’t this fancy school have a security guard or something? But on the second thought, this is summertime. Who patrol during summer vacation?I panic a bit at the thought of that. I’m not exactly afraid of ghosts. But the thought of being left alone in an empty building with no food and water terrifies me.Mr. Ramirez said he’ll meet me after the tour. But the tour ended hours ago, and he still hasn’t come and find me. Maybe he thought I left with Eason. Maybe something turned up and he must leave in a hurry.If that’s the case, then I’m screwed.“Fuck!” I pound on the door, feeling more frustrated than ever. Nothing good has happened since I moved back to Boston and met Eason again. Maybe Val
His one hand presses me to the mirror, while the other pulls me impossibly close to his body. His lips mold with mine, taking away every shaky breathes that escaped my mouth. And as if it wasn’t enough, he sucks my bottom lips and bites it, quietly urging me to open my mouth and let him in.My mind is cloudy. All sense is lost. So I shakily part my lips, as he immediately snakes his tongue in and tangles with mine.A sign of pleasure leaves my lips as I find myself melting away in his arms. He groans and travels his hand upwards, longer fingers playing with those thin stripes on my back, causing me to shudder under his touch. The thin layer of clothing becomes nothing, I feel as though I’m naked and my panties felt dam.“Eason…” I gasp and tilt my head to escape from the kiss, trying to call back some senses to us. But he refused to listen. His hot lips trace my check, my neck and down to the upper part of my chest. I cry out as he suddenly bites on my collar bones and suck it hard. I
The clouds are dense and opaque on the first day of my senior year, which kind of mirrors the state of my feelings. In my entire lifetime, I’ve never detested going to school so badly. Mr. Ramirez kindly offered to drive me to school in his Rolls, which I can’t say no to, since he had made it clear that he wants to send me off on my first day. Looks like the secret of me being the Ramirez’s freeloader won’t be kept for long. During the drive, Mr. Ramirez tried his best to easy off my nerve, but I kept tailing off from our conversation. As we approach the front gate of school, my symptom of nausea is getting worse. The parking area is already packed with fancy cars when we get there. In my old school, everyone had limited budget for cars, and as a result it was common to see dingy second-handed Honda and Pirus everywhere on campus. But things clearly work different here. Mercedes and Porsche would still be considered as normal. I just saw a flashy sport car with doors opened like win
I follow the direction of her eyes, and immediately recognize some familiar faces.Walking upfront is no other than the school queen Valerie Vale, and next to her is Eason. She has her arm wrapped around his tightly, like she’s parading him around like a trophy.Eason’s face is calm, a bit aloof even. His eyes travel right pass the crowd, as if no one in this room is worthy of his attention. I’ve never seen him like this before. As far as I can recall, he’s never been scanty in showing his emotions around me. I wonder if he has always been like this in school.There’re six or seven students behind them, including that red-haired boy James I met at the party. They walk towards the only empty table and sit down, while the others admire them in distance.“Wow.” Katherine gasps besides me, “Intimidating, right?”“I’ve seen worse.” That would be partly lying. But I don’t want to cave in just yet.“Ok, enough of them,” Katherine snaps her fingers in front me to get my attention. “Now, the t
Alex’s eyes widen immediately at that. His mind must be spinning with confusion right now. I felt queasy, partially because of Alex’s hesitated reaction, but also Eason’s deathly glare at us.I can see from the corner of my eyes that Eason’s hands are clenched into a tight fist, as if the next second he’s going to throw a punch at Alex. Why he hates Alex so much is beyond me, and I try not to be so self-conscious to think that this is all about me, but it’s always nice to see him get pissed off.But if Alex turns me off right on the spot, it’s going to be a huge price for me to pay.I hold my breath, while waiting for Alex’s response.“This is ridiculous,” Eason’s tone is cold and jeering, “Why do you think he’d be willing to go with you?”I sniff. “I’m not asking you, aren’t I?”“Just saying the obvious. You can’t just grab someone randomly from the street and ask him to—”But his sarcastic comment is interrupted by a simple word from Alex.“Yes.”My heart race dramatically increases
There’s a deathly silence. From the corner of my eyes, I can see how astonished both Alex and my mom are. Sure, Eason didn’t do things like giving me a French kiss or grabbing my ass, but his behavior was still outrageously inappropriate.Who would rip off a tag using his teeth?!“Let’s go.” I said sharply, trying hard to suppress the anger in my chest.Alex follows me out of the yard, as I can feel his eyes are tracing me, apprehensively. I have a strong feeling that he’s going to ask me what happened between me and Eason, and I don’t blame him for that, but I internally pray that he would just let everything slide.The first 3 minutes of the drive is nice and quiet, with both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts. Then finally, he opens his mouth, “Nat, what’s wrong with—”“Nothing!” I cut him off, before he can finish the sentence. Irritation flares up in my heart. Great, now my ball night is officially ruined. I know Alex’s curiosity is not the one to blame, so everything’s on Easo
A large group of people escort me downstairs. Because it is absolutely impossible to move in this dress by myself. The delicate lace of my gown sweeps along the polished wooden steps. I must move very slowly and carefully to avoid any mishaps. I grip the banister, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.At the bottom of the staircase, servants hold open the grand double doors leading to the garden.The scent of fresh flowers wafts in, mingling with the warm early summer breeze. I take a deep breath, letting myself savor this magical moment.And there my dad is, tall and dignified, dressed in his sharpest suit, waiting for me just by the doors.“Dad.” I whisper, reaching out to hold his hand.He turns, his eyes softening as they meet mine. “Nat, you look absolutely—”“Stunning.” I smile, “I know. Mom told me the same thing earlier in tears.”Then I am shocked to find that there are tears gleaming in his eyes as well.My dad is never a man of emotions. This is literally th
The next morning, I am woken up by the early sunlight and a series of noises.Still half-asleep, I groan and rub my eyes, frustrated.What is going on…Who is out there screaming and yelling…Somebody is trying to get some sleep here…Then something snaps me back to reality like a whip—Fuck! Today is my wedding day!!!Then I hear my mom’s shrieking in the living room, “Is she still asleep? She should be up half an hour ago!”“She is probably in the bathroom. Let me go check on her, Mrs. Ramirez.” That is Jenna’s voice.“Oh thank you darling. You are a life savor…”Light footsteps approach the bedroom door. I only have one quick second to grab the sheet and cover up my naked body before the door flies open.“Morning Nat—OMG, you ARE still in bed!”“…I couldn’t sleep last night.” I swallow, pretending to be calm.Meanwhile, I quickly scan the room—Good, Eason is gone already. I can’t imagine what kind of temper tantrum mom would throw if she finds out that we spent the night together.“R
Today is the last night before my big day tomorrow.Everything is under control. All the guests have checked into the mansion already. Through the window on the 5th floor, where my bridal suite is located, I can see workers working on the final decoration of the wedding venue in the garden.Everything is on the right track. Except for one.My mom.“Natalia, have you seen the seating chart?!”I stand in the center of preparation room, seeing my mom bustles around with a fervor that is both impressive and exhausting.Dresses hang from every available hook, shoes and accessories are scattered across the floor, and my mother’s meticulous lists cover the desk. The room buzzes with pre-wedding chaos, a stark contrast to the calm I crave.I sigh, “Mom calm down…”“I can’t find the seating chart anywhere! And we need to make sure the caterer knows about Uncle Frank's shellfish allergy!”“Mom—”“And where the hell is your wedding planner!!!” mom raises her voice and cries, “We paid him 1000 buc
Eason and Mr. Ramirez heard about what happened later that day.“Katherine?” Eason’s voice darkens immediately. “She is a fucking nobody. Her family went bankrupt. Their reputation stinks! How dare she fight you on this venue?”“And I hate it when people go behind my back and bother my family with things from work.” Mr. Ramirez says with a frown. “I will give my people a heads-up, telling them to cut off any connections with her and her husband immediately.”Looks like Rosa’s husband’s proposal will go down the drain even before it got a chance to be presented to Mr. Ramirez.It feels so great to be protected by your own family.Eason still seems mad, “I can’t believe anyone is still willing to marry Katherine! Don’t they know that this woman is crazy?”“Rosa’s family is new to the town,” mom says.Eason lets out a snort, his green eyes gleaming icily, “Maybe they will be interested in Katherine’s history.”I know what he is thinking.If he finds a way to leak Katherine’s history to Ro
I stare at Katherine with shock.Seriously, I am the thief?!She is the one who tried to steal Eason’s inheritance!She doesn’t look at all like the sweet and kind girl I first met, the one who exuded elegance.Now she is sharp and bitter, but her expression gives away how weary she really is. Her cheeks are pale, and her hair is dull and split. It must have been a long time since she last visited the salon.The bankruptcy really taken a toll on her. She doesn’t need me to make her more miserable. She has taken care of that herself.“Mom, let’s go.” I give Katherine a look of disgust. “Don’t waste our time talking to her.”I grab my mom and try to walk around Katherine.But Katherine blocks our way again.“Why are you leaving? Are you afraid? Afraid of facing me?” her voice is sharp and shrill. “Do you know what people have been saying about you? You are a slut, Natalia! You steal other people’s fiancé because you can’t stand them living a happier and more wealthy life than you are! Lo
I widen my eyes slightly in shock.That is the last thing that I expect.Honestly, where does that come from?“What letter?” my dad asks with a frown.“Oh, there is a letter that Eason wrote to Nat years ago, when they first met. He chose to do ask her out in the most traditional way—by putting it down on the paper. Don’t you think it would be so romantic and meaningful to read that letter on the wedding? You know, to commemorate the beginning of this relationship?”“What does the letter say?” Hallie asks curiously.“Well that is the main thig—none of us know, except for the two of them.”I let out a dry laugh.My mom doesn’t know about this but the letter actually means more than that. It not only marks the beginning of our love, but also the years-long prejudice and misunderstandings between us.It is literally the start of everything.I look over to Eason and want to see his reaction toward this.…He is blushing like a red ballon.I am so damn shock.Eason is the most barefaced, ego
I am too stunned to say anything.“We are in Fiji? How??”The last thing I remember from yesterday is drifting into sleep in Eason’s arms. So did we take a flight after that? How come I didn’t have any memory of that?!“Did you drug me?” I eye him suspiciously.He laughs heartly, “I didn’t. It all thanks to your own magic potion. Two bottles of them.”I rub my forehead embarrassedly. I was really hammered last night. I should have known that Eason was up to something to get me drunk.“So,” he smiles. “Do you like my surprise?”I stand on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips, “I love it.”Nothing is better than a getaway trip to Fiji after an exhausted month.Eason knows exactly what I need.The smile on his lips gets wider as he says, “Well, wait till you see this.”He holds my hand and leads me down the stairs, through the villa’s back yard and out to the beach.The sand is white and warm. The ocean is turquoise-blue. And there is a long table set on the beach, surrounded by roses and lilie
Our lives go back to normal after we return to New York.I have my school work and job hunting to do. And Eason has his company. We all have our own ways to stay busy and occupied. Yet since we already live in the same apartment now, we still get to spend plenty of time together.And living with Eason…is such a magical experience.He has lots of works to do, and yet he still manages to find time to buy me flowers, make us dinner and pick me up from school.He also sent away the cleaning lady. Because I didn’t like a stranger walking around in our apartment. And he was eager to share the duties.He broke a glass the first time he did the dishes, since—apparently—someone like him has never washed anything in his entire life.But he is a quick learner.Now every time I come back to our apartment, the laundries are done, the sheets are changed and all the dishes are nice and clean.I felt bad that he needed to find time after work to do those chores when he could easily hire someone to do
Natalia’s POVThe rest of my Christmas holiday is amazing.Eason and I get to cuddle on the couch all day watching our favorite movie or reading books together. Now that everyone in this house knows about us, there is no need for us to hide anymore.The only people I am still worried about are Mr. Ramirez’s friends and business partners. Those upper-class people can gossip.I just gave them one huge scandal to chat with when I exposed Ms. Griswold in front of a room full of guests. If they find out that the Ramirez heir is dating his stepsister now, God knows what more vicious words will come out of their mouth.Yet my deepest fear is bound to come true.One day, Eason and I are in the living room. He was playing his guitar. And one thing led to another. We start making out on the couch.No one is around. Our parents won’t come back until after dinner. We both let our sanity slip away.None of us notice the front door opening.And when we hear a horrified cry, it is too late.I jump o