All Chapters of No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

LilaI woke up with a start, blinking against the sunlight pouring through the window. The first thing I noticed was the time on my phone—9:48 AM. I shot up in bed, my heart racing. “Crap!” I cursed under my breath, immediately noticing the string of missed calls from Liam. He must’ve tried to reach me at least five times this morning. Frantic, I scrambled out of bed, grabbing my phone and dialing him back. My hair was a tangled mess, and I was still in yesterday’s clothes. Fantastic, just the way to start the day.Liam answered on the second ring. “Lila! Finally! I thought you died or something.”I rolled my eyes, already heading to the little lab corner I had set up across the hall. “I’m alive, no thanks to your constant harassment,” I teased. “I overslept.”“Well, you’re lucky I didn’t call Lord Ronan to go check if you were breathing,” Liam quipped, and I could practically hear his smirk through the phone.“Please don’t. He already has enough reasons to annoy me as it is,” I sa

CadenWhat the fuck was I doing here?I’d had enough of the auditions. If I had to sit through one more forced smile and strut from some leggy model who thought that staring at me like I was some kind of prize was going to win her the job, I might just lose it. Sure, they had nice legs, pretty faces—the works—but none of them had anything special. None of them had that spark. And honestly? They were all too busy gawking at me to do their job. New York’s hottest model. I’ve heard it a thousand times, but right now, I was tired of the whole charade.I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair as Peru glanced at me with a knowing smirk. “You look bored out of your mind,” he said, his voice teasing. I sighed, cracking my neck. “I am bored. This is a complete waste of time. None of these girls can walk to save their lives. It’s like they’ve never seen a runway before.”Peru chuckled, leaning forward slightly. “Maybe you’re just too hard to impress, Caden. You’ve set the b

CadenThe moment we sat down at the table, I could feel the tension building inside me. It wasn’t the kind of tension I usually had after a string of boring auditions. This was different. It was like every nerve in my body was on edge, and I knew exactly why. I raised my gaze at her smiling with Ethan. Damn it! Peru leaned back in his chair, his evercasual grin plastered on his face. "So," he said, his tone teasing. "Is she the reason you’ve been so picky with the models? Did you place her as the gold standard over all your high priced sobs?"I shot him a glare that could cut through steel. "Don’t ever say that again," I warned, my voice low and menacing. "You can never compare Lila to some shallow sob. If you even try, you won’t have to worry about Ronan coming after you. I’ll deal with you myself."Peru chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. "Alright, alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "You’ve got me, Caden. Point taken."I forced myself to look

CadenI tried to ignore Peru’s remark, but I was already riled up and needed to let it out. Normally, I would let my wolf take over and go for a hunt, but I couldn't do that now.I glanced at Peru in the rearview mirror. Sorry, man, but you’re about to feel my wrath.I looked away.“Damn it, Peru,” I cursed, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “Why the hell did I let you drag me here?”Peru looked up from the backseat, raising his hands in defense. "Hey, I didn’t know it was going to be this filled with fans. I just thought—"“Just forget it,” I cut him off, not bothering to look back.I pulled up to Peru’s agency, barely slowing down as he scrambled out of the car."Thanks, man," Peru said awkwardly before closing the door. I waved him off and sped away the moment he was out of sight. The car was eerily quiet as I drove, the engine humming beneath me, filling the silence.I kept my eyes on the road, but I could feel Lila’s gaze flicker toward me every few seconds, like she was waiti

CadenAs I leaned back in my chair, phone pressed to my ear, Miss Yaw’s sharp voice filled the room with a tone that could cut through glass. "Caden, you’re trending," she said, her words clipped and direct as always. "Fans spotted you at an Italian bistro, and get this—they’ve already found pictures of you with some young lady. You know how they are. Always on the lookout for any hint of scandal."I could almost see her now, pacing around her New York office, her signature black bob swaying with each step. Miss Yaw was always meticulous, never one to let a detail slip past her. A Chinese-American powerhouse of a manager, she’d built my career from the ground up, making sure every move I made was calculated, every decision premeditated. Despite her professionalism, her personal life was... well, chaotic. She had been married four times to four husbands in a single year—and divorced each one just as quickly. I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Miss Yaw, there’s nothing to overthink. It’s