I parked haphazardly, before I stumbled out.

I knew I looked like a mess...hair tangled, makeup smeared, wearing last night's clothes...but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Mom, what's going on?" The words tore out of me as I ran toward her.

Her eyes looked devastated. " Why didn't you tell me things were this bad?"

She collapsed on my shoulder, her sobs soaked into my shoulder, hot and desperate.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Her voice was muffled against my neck. "I really tried to keep up with the loan payments ever since your dad died. But after I lost my job..."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Mom, you lost your job? When?"

"Three months ago."

"But why didn't you say anything?" My voice cracked.

"I didn't want you to worry. I thought I could figure something out before they foreclosed."

Three months. She'd been struggling for three months and I hadn't noticed. I'd been too wrapped up in Troy...his parties, his drama, his bullshit. Too focused on school and chasing my photography dreams to see my own mother falling apart.

One of the bank officials cleared his throat, cutting the moment short. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you really need to leave the premises. We are on a tight schedule."

Mom pulled back, wiping uselessly at her tears. "I know. We're going."

"Where are we supposed to go?"

Her face shifted, something almost like relief crossed her face. "Gavin. My fiancé said we could move into his penthouse. He has plenty of space, and it's temporary. Just until I get back on my feet."

Gavin. Her fiancé of three months. A man I'd deliberately avoided meeting because the whole thing felt wrong.

"He's been so kind to us, Melissa. So generous." Her voice made my chest ache. "When I told him what happened, he didn't hesitate to help us"

I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms.

The truth was, my father's death twelve years ago broke something inside me. Something that couldn't be fixed or replaced. Yes, he'd left us drowning in debt. His gambling and bad decisions got him killed because he owed money to the wrong people.

But he was still my dad.

No stranger could replace that. I didn't care how rich or generous he was.

But I wasn't dumb enough not to know we didn't have any other option right now. We had nowhere else to go.

We were out of choices.

"Okay," I said quietly, the word tasting like defeat. "Okay, we'll go."

Relief flooded Mom's face, and she grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. "Thank you, baby. Thank you. This is going to be okay. You'll see. Gavin is wonderful. You're going to love him."

I doubted that. But I didn't say anything.

Gavin's building was downtown, It screamed wealth and power in a way that made me feel small and out of place.

"He never mentioned he was rich," I muttered, my voice echoing in the space.

"I told you he was successful," Mom said, but even she looked slightly overwhelmed.

Judging by what I was seeing, "successful" was an understatement. This man was loaded.

A woman probably in her mid-fifties, with perfectly styled gray hair. She was probably the house keeper.

"Mrs. Parker, please make yourself comfortable. Mr. Gavin will be with you shortly." Her smile was warm but professional.

"Thank you," Mom said.

We stepped inside the penthouse, and I had to force myself not to gasp.

If I thought the lobby was impressive, this was something else entirely. A floor to ceiling window,with a beautiful view. Beautiful furniture . Abstract art that probably cost more than a house. And everything was in black and white.

"Should I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" the housekeeper asked.

"No, thank you. We're fine," Mom said, smiling.

The woman nodded and disappeared down a hallway, leaving us alone.

Mom immediately grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. "See? This is going to be wonderful. We're so lucky..."

Mom released my hand, smoothing down her hair one last time, pasting on a bright smile on her face.

A man walked into the living room.

He was tall and broad-shouldered. His dress looked simple but it fit him perfectly like it was tailored just for him.

And he looked terribly familiar.

My breath caught in my throat.

No. It couldn't be.

He walked closer, and I saw the exact moment recognition hit him. His ice-blue eyes widened a little bit, before becoming perfectly neutral as though it was my imagination.

My entire world shattered into a million pieces.

The man was Ben. The stranger I kissed last night .

"Gavin!" Mom threw herself at him , not noticing the tension between us. "Thank you so much for this. I don't know what we would have done without you."

He wrapped his arms around her , but his eyes...those impossibly blue eyes...never left mine. They burned into me with an intensity that made my skin burn.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Melissa, come here." Mom's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Let me properly introduce you."

I couldn't move. My lungs had forgotten how to work.

"Melissa," Mom said again, more insistent. She grabbed my arm, pulling me forward.

I walked like a puppet, my legs moving without conscious thought.

"Gavin, this is my daughter, Melissa." Mom beamed, completely missing the way we were staring at each other. "Melissa, this is my fiancé. Your future stepfather, Gavin."

The word stepfather hit me like a blow.

The man whose touch had made me forget my own name.

Was my mother's fiancé.

"Melissa." Mom nudged me, frowning slightly. "Say hello, honey."

My mouth opened. Closed. No words came out.

Gavin's jaw tightened further. "Hello, Melissa." His voice was the same seductive voice that sent chills down my spine last night.

The way he said my name made my skin burn.

"Hi." The word was barely audible.

Mom looked between us, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," Gavin said smoothly.

God, what have I done?

The thought screamed through my head on repeat.

The room spun around me. My hands trembled at my sides. Nausea rolled through my stomach in waves.

We were completely, utterly screwed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

......

The bedroom door clicked shut behind me and I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

The room was massive...it had a king-sized bed with a beautiful white bedspread, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a walk-in closet bigger than my entire bedroom back home. It should have felt like a dream. Instead, it felt like a trap.

I grabbed my phone with shaking hands. It rang once.

"Melissa..."

"Aria..."

We both screamed at the same time.

"I have something to tell you," we said in unison again.

"Okay, you go first." I pressed my fingers to my temples where a headache was already forming.

"No, you go first."

"Aria, I need to organize my thoughts. Just... please. Go first."

She sighed dramatically. "Okay, don't panic, but this news is huge. Like huge huge."

"Just tell me."

"So that video of you kissing that hot guy while Troy got his face rearranged? It's circulating through the entire school group chat. Girl, you're famous."

I closed my eyes. "Oh God."

"Wait, there's more."

"How could there possibly be more?"

"So I couldn't shake this feeling that I'd seen him before...your mystery man. Something about him was familiar. And not many people drive Audis. Like, only rich rich people drive Audis."

"Aria, where are you going with this?"

"I did some digging." Her voice dropped. "Melissa, he's not just some random rich guy. He's Ben Gavin. Like, the Ben Gavin. He owns multiple professional hockey franchises. He's been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Forbes, everything. Babe, he's a billionaire. With a B."

My legs gave out. I sank onto the edge of the bed.

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. And get this...he's exactly what you've been dreaming about. You want to be a sports photographer, right? Work in PR for a major team? This man is literally at the top of the industry you're trying to break into."

The room tilted sideways.

"Aria." My voice sounded strangled. " You won't believe what just happened."

"What? Did you see him again?"

"Worse." I could barely form the words. "So much worse."

"What could be worse than kissing a hockey mogul and going viral?"

"Gavin is my mom's fiancé."

Silence. Complete, suffocating silence.

"The man I kissed..." My voice broke. "He's going to be my stepfather ."

"No. No, no, no. Melissa, are you serious right now?"

"I wish I wasn't." Nausea rolled through me. "He's engaged to my mother. They're getting married in ten months. And I kissed him. I can still feel his hands on my waist, Aria. I can still..."

"Melissa, breathe. You didn't know."

"How am I supposed to live here? Under the same roof? Pretending like nothing happened?"

"You have to stay away from him," Aria said firmly. "You avoid him. It won't be easy, but for your mom's sake, you have to pretend it never happened."

For your mom's sake. For some reason those words made me angry.

"I'm sorry I have to go."

"Mel, wait..."

I ended the call before she could say any other thing.

I was angry, I was upset and worst of all I didn't know why I felt like this.

I couldn't sit still.

I opened the door cautiously. The hallway was empty and silent.

I crept forward, my heart pounding with every step.

Where is he?

I needed to talk to him. He can't tell my mom what happened, it will crush her.

Then I heard someone talking. I followed the sound to a partially open door...his office, maybe.

I shouldn't eavesdrop. I knew I shouldn't

But my feet stopped moving.

"...so grateful, Gavin." My mother's voice was warm, almost tender. "You have no idea what this means to us. To me."

I turned and walked away before I could hear his response.

But then I saw a photograph on the hallway wall. I'd walked past it without noticing before, but now it stopped me cold in my tracks.

Gavin stood beside a younger man ...maybe in his mid-twenties. The resemblance was striking. Same strong jaw. Same intense eyes, though the younger man's were green instead of ice-blue. Same athletic build.

They stood in front of a race car, both wearing racing suits. The younger man had his arm slung around Gavin's shoulders, grinning widely. But Gavin's expression was plain.

My stomach dropped.

A son. He has a son.

The realization hit me like cold water. Of course he did. A man his age, this successful, this established...why wouldn't he have children?

Which meant I didn't just have a stepfather. I also had a stepbrother.

The thought made my skin crawl.

......

Hours passed. Mom left to pick up more of our things from storage. She asked if I wanted to come.

I told her I was tired, and had a headache.

I was in the kitchen pouring myself a glass of water when I felt his presence behind me.

I spun too fast, nearly dropping the glass. Wetting my hands a bit.

He stood there in his white dress shirt...sleeves rolled to his elbows now...and black slacks. His ice-blue eyes locked onto mine.

"I..." My voice came out high and strangled. "I didn't see you there."

Heat flooded my face. My cheeks were burning...probably red as a tomato. I could feel the flush spreading down my neck.

"I'm sorry. I was just..." I set the glass down with trembling hands, nearly knocking it over.. "I didn't mean to... I"

He said nothing. Just watched me with those unreadable eyes.

My fingers twisted together, knuckles white. "Last night. I didn't know who you were." The words tumbled out in a rush. "I swear I didn't know . If I had known you were my mother's fiancé, I never would have... "

My voice cracked.

"Please don't tell my mom." The whisper came out broken, and desperate. "Please. She can't know. It was a mistake. A stupid, horrible mistake "

A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.

I wiped it away with the back of my hand, but another followed.

"I didn't mean to..." My breath hitched.

He moved.

Each step made my heart pound harder until he stood right in front of me.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

His hand lifted slowly .

I flinched.

But he only tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers barely grazing my skin.

His eyes searched my face...lingering on my tear-stained cheeks, my trembling lips, the pulse hammering in my throat.

"A mistake," he said quietly.

"Yes."

He looked at me for a short while before a faint scoff broke the silence.

"You really don't think before you act, do you?"

My head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

Anger flooded through me, fast and hot. "That's not fair."

His jaw flexed. "Life isn't."

My cheeks flushed pink, and my hands trembled at my sides.

"You don't even know me."

"Don't need to."

I stared at him, furious ... more at myself than him. "Go to hell."

"Already there," he said quietly, turning away.

He left before I could think of a reply.

(Third person pov)

The house was quiet when Gavin returned home at half past nine.

Vanessa walked closely behind him, with her red heels clicking against the marble floor .

She hadn't stopped talking since they left the arena....something about tomorrow's press conference, the new sponsorship deal, adjustments to the training schedule that apparently couldn't wait until morning.

He wasn't listening.

His mind was elsewhere, a young hazel eyes someone had been stuck in his head and it was exhausting.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to weasel the tension building up there.

"...and I thought we could finalize the roster changes over dinner tomorrow? There's that new Italian place in Midtown everyone's been raving about. Supposed to have the best..."

Vanessa suddenly stopped talking. Noticing Gavin wasn't paying attention to her in the slightest she followed his eyes to the sitting room where a young pretty girl sat with her laptop.

Melissa sat on the leather sofa, her laptop was balanced on her knees.

She wore an oversized sweater that slipped off one shoulder, exposing the delicate line of her collarbone, and cotton shorts that showed her cute legs . Her chestnut hair sat messily on top of her head, a few loose strands framing her face.

She looked beautiful just by simply existing.

Their eyes met and the way her fingers tightened on the laptop. And he saw the anger in her eyes directed towards him.

She closed her laptop and began gathering her things scattered over the chair.

Vanessa's smile vanished. Her voice immediately turned professional. "I'll just leave these files in your study, Mr. Gavin."

He walked passed her without saying anything

When she was done she walked toward the stairs without looking back.

It has been like this between them ever since what happened in the kitchen three days ago.

He told himself he liked it this way.

......

On getting to his study he took off his jacket, draping it on the back of his chair. He took off his tie, then rolled his sleeves revealing his tattooed forearm.

Vanessa poured him a whiskey into a crystal tumbler from the bar cart at the corner of the room, she didn't wait for him to as,

She has been his assistant for more than three years now, and she learned to read his mood all the time.

Her fingers brushed against his longer than necessary when she handed it to him. "You've been working too hard, Gavin. You need rest."

He took the whiskey but said nothing.

She moved to his desk and began organizing the files she'd brought. She moved in a seductive way that exposed her tight breasts .

Gavin walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows,holding his glass and looking at the city below.

Manhattan glittered like diamonds, it was one of the reasons he purchased this very building because of the view,

He pressed his free hand against the cool glass and tapped his fingers slowly against the surface...it was a habit he had never been able to break when his mind was filled with problems he couldn't solve.

His phone rang in his pocket.

He pulled it out and looked at the screen. The name glowing there made his stomach tighten.

Father

He stared at it for a long moment, he almost declined the call.

But then he answered.

"What."

"Benjamin." His father's voice was smooth and controlled.

He didn't say anything.

"It's been long since we spoke," his father said, his accent still carrying traces of the old country despite decades in America. "Three months, I believe. One might think you're avoiding me."

"One would be correct."

His father chuckled, dark with amusement. "Still so hostile after all these years. You are truly my blood ."

Gavin's free hand moved to the back of his neck, rubbing at the tension gathered there. "Get to the point."

"Very well." A pause. "I hear congratulations are in order. A wedding. You're playing house with a widow now. How... conventional of you."

"Things change."

"Do they?" His father's voice hardened almost imperceptibly. "Or do they simply come full circle? Come home, Gavin."

"No."

"Come home. Take your rightful place in the family. You've had your little rebellion...your hockey career, your franchises, your billions earned through legitimate means. Very impressive. Very noble. But it's over now. It's time to accept who you really are."

Gavin's jaw tightened, the muscle jumping beneath his skin. "Or what, Father?"

Silence.

The kind of silence that made his instincts scream.

When his father spoke again, his voice dropped to barely above a whisper, but each word landed with the precision of a surgical strike.

Gavin's vision tunneled. The city lights blurred.

" You have one month to come home, Benjamin. One month to take your place where you belong. Or I will make your life hell."

The line went dead.

Gavin stood frozen, phone still pressed to his ear.

His hand began to shake.

The rage he has been suppressing for years broke free.

Gavin turned and hurled the crystal tumbler across the room.

It exploded against the far wall shattering into a thousand glittering pieces.

Vanessa screamed.

She had been standing near the bookshelf arranging files, and the glass had missed her by inches. Shards glittered at her feet like fallen stars. Her hand flew to her chest, eyes wide with shock.

"Jesus Christ!" Her voice pitched high. "What the hell was that? You could have..."

Gavin didn't look at her.

HHis fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, knuckles white. He stared at the wall where whiskey dripped down.

Vanessa recovered quickly.

She stepped carefully over the broken glass, her heels crunching on crystal, and moved toward him.

"Gavin." Her voice softened, turned breathy and intimate. "You're stressed. I can see that. Let me help you."

She raised her hands slowly, placing it on his chest .

" You are always tense," she murmured, sliding her hands toward his shoulders. "Always carrying the weight of everything alone. The team. The businesses. Your family. You don't have to do that. Not with me."

She moved closer. Pressing her breast against him as she stood on her toes, bringing her lips close to his jaw.

" Please let me take care of you," she whispered. "Just for tonight. Let me make you forget whatever's bothering you. Let me..."

He grabbed her wrist firmly.

"Don't."

The temperature in the room dropped by ten degrees.

Vanessa froze, her breath catching audibly in her throat.

Gavin looked at her , His eyes were as cold as winter. It made all the colour drain from her face.

"If you touch me again, I'll fire you ," he said, his voice was barely above a whisper but it carried absolute, unquestionable authority, "Do you fucking understand me?"

Her face went white. " I...I was just trying to help. I thought you needed... "

"Do you understand ?"

"Yes." Tears slipped down her cheeks smudging her mascara. "Yes, I understand. I'm sorry. I didn't mean... "

He pushed her away from him as if her skin burned him.

She stumbled backward, clutching her arm against her chest.

"Get out."

Grabbing her bag she ran out of the room, as the door slammed shut behind her.

He ran his hand over his hair, pushing the dark strands back from his face.