Liam POV

I carried another box down the hallway. Nicole's things were scattered across the guest room floor, half-unpacked, half-still in their bags.

She sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, looking a bit distracted. "Need help?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

Her voice was soft, but there was steel behind it. I smiled, she always had that stubborn streak. But something about her felt different recently.

I leaned against the doorframe. "Alright. Just... don't hesitate to tell me anything, okay?"

She nodded. Eyes flicking toward the corner, toward the window, toward nothing.

I noticed the way she flinched when I shifted. Her gaze went sharp, alert, like she expected someone else to be there.

I frowned a bit. "Nicole," I said, voice quieter this time, more careful. "Are you thinking about your family? I know it's hard and I won't act like I understand but please know that I will always be here."

She didn't answer immediately. She looked down at her hands, clenched so tight I thought her fingers might crack. Finally, she murmured, "Thank you for everything, for being patient with me."

I nodded. Of course. She has been through a lot lately. I wanted to push, but I didn't. I just made a note to check in later.

"Why don't you sleep in my room tonight? I can't allow you to stay here alone."

"I'm really fine." she dragged

"Do you want me to kneel for you?". I insisted, blinking my eyes like a puppy.

"Fine, I will stay, " she agreed.

Before I could respond, I suddenly got a call from my phone. "Excuse me..." I told her as I stepped outside.

"Why the fuck are you calling me?" I said immediately the call connected

"I miss you Liam," the person voiced out from the other end. "I'm back in the country babe, I miss you, especially when you are inside of me."

Her name was Anna, she was my ex, she broke up with me because she wanted to explore other men but now she was back. Do I still have feelings for her? That I could not answer.

"I have a girlfriend, I have moved on." I spat out harshly, still offended by how she left me.

"That's a fucking lie and you know it. Right now, I know deep down that you want to explore every inch of my body." She chuckled.

"You need help mentally." I scoffed.

"I will text you my address tomorrow, I will be expecting you. Bye my love." She hung up just like that leaving me dazzled.

I joined Nicole back in the room.

"Who called?" She asked me casually.

"It's business." I lied to her.

"So you are staying in my room tonight. Let's go down for dinner, I don't think we can wait for my brother."

_________________

Nicole POV

I woke up thirsty.

I tried ignoring it but I couldn't sleep properly, I could feel my throat burning. So I forced myself up still feeling sleepy, I looked to my right but Liam was still fast asleep, I ended up sleeping in Liam's room after listening to his nagging.

The hallway was quiet when I stepped out. My nightgown brushed my knees as I walked. I didn't bother turning on the lights because I remembered where the kitchen was.

The fridge light spilled out when I opened it, cool and white. I poured water with sleepy eyes.

That was when I felt it, another presence. I turned slowly, only to see Adrian. He was leaning against the doorframe.

I felt like my heart stopped pumping. "How long were you standing there...?" I whispered.

He didn't answer immediately. He just looked at me. Slowly scanning me. His shirt was slightly undone, his hair wasn't neat the way it usually was. Something about him felt... different.

The fridge light shone on me from behind, it then hit me, I realized too late what that meant. The fabric of my nightgown was thin, so right now it felt transparent. I quickly closed the fridge when I followed his line of sight which was on my boobs.

"You're awake late," he said.

My pulse became painfully loud. "I just wanted water."

I should have ran to my room but I stayed asking him questions. "Are you drunk?"

"Do you love him?" His question landed wrong, ignoring mine.

I tightened my fingers around the glass. "What?"

"My brother," he said. "Is he... what you wanted?"

I swallowed. "Yes, he's kind, lovely and softhearted."

He tilted his head, barely. "Really? If what you say is true then my brother has really changed a lot."

The space between us shrank. He stepped closer. I stayed frozen on the spot.

"You think he saved you," he murmured. "Pulled you out of whatever hole you were in."

"You are wrong, I forced out."

My back brushed the fridge, I hadn't noticed I'd stepped back. He was close enough that I could smell his intoxicating scent, he reeked of alcohol.

"You need someone who would break you open," he said quietly. "Not wrap you in softness."

My heart slammed against my ribs. "What are you saying?"

His hand touched the door beside my shoulder. "If you were with me..." he said, voice lower and rougher. "I would fuck you till you forget your name, till you can't even speak properly, I will make you wet just with words."

Before I could even process everything, he leaned in. His breath brushed my skin.

For one terrifying second... I didn't move.

Then his lips brushed my cheek, then covered my lips while his hands worked its way up my thigh.

Something in me snapped back into place. I pushed against his chest. "Stop."

He blinked. Like waking from something he shouldn't have stepped into.

I shoved past him.

My bare feet hit the cold floor as I rushed down the hallway, I didn't look back. I closed Liam's bedroom door quietly but just for me to turn I found him awake.

"Where did you go ?" Liam asked me sitting up

"I was tasty, so I went to grab water."

"You should have woken me."

"I didn't want to disturb you and tomorrow is your first day working at your family's company." I muttered, holding my both hands together.

"Yeah, I'm a bit excited." He gave me a slight smile as he stretched his hands. "Come to me."

I walked towards him, taking his hands. He suddenly pulled me closer to him. "Can I ask you something?" I asked him suddenly, unable to hide my curiosity.

"What is it?" He whispered, touching my body.

"It seems like you and Adrian are not too close to each other." I

"Why do you say so?" he stopped his movement looking at me.

"You guys barely said a word to each other, like everything you guys talked about during lunch rotated around business or me." I voiced out my observations.

"We had some issues but we have sorted it out. It's nothing important." he told me plainly

Clearly, there was more to it but I didn't want to push, especially given the fact that I just got kissed by his brother.

"Babe, can we stop talking about my brother, I'm horny. I don't think I will be able to ignore it." Liam broke my thought, looking at me seductively.

I flirted with him, "Really, I don't know if I can do anything about that." I told him biting my lips. I needed to erase what happened in the kitchen.

He grabbed me, gently laying me on the bed as he kissed me vigorously all over my neck, giving me multiple hickeys, then slowly progressed to my lips, sucking and nibbling it, his tongue slipped into my mouth, slowly exploring. When he noticed I couldn't breathe well he pulled away, smiling brightly as he watched me gasping for air.

"I want you to touch me." I begged him.

He took off my clothes, freeing my boobs which were already standing. He dipped one into his mouth, gently sucking my tit while his second hand caressed the other.

I drown myself in the feeling. He gave attention to my second boobs, his hand slipping down my abdomen, I could feel the wave of pleasure, yet Adrian's words stuck to me.

His hands progressed to my clit slowly rubbing it. I let out a moan, biting my lower lip. He slid in on one finger in my pussy moving at a fast pace, then increased it two thrusting his fingers in and out of me.

I let out a gasp. "It feels so good. Liam go faster."

Before I could grab what was going on, he replaced his hand with his mouth, roughly sucking my clit, his tongue moving to different angles. His tongue penetrated me, slipping in and out of my pussy, slurping up my juice like a thirsty man. He pulls back to flick my clitoris with a tongue.

"Liam..." I stuttered, moving my hips against his tongue.

"I'm going to cum!" I screamed as my orgasms hit me hard and fast, my legs closed around Liam's head involuntarily, unable to help how my body shook from the waves of pleasure which took over me, hot liquid spurting out of my pussy.

Pleased with my reaction, Liam took back my nipple in his mouth, causing me to let out a loud moan. He sucked greedily on my tit while kneading my waist with his hand.

Despite the waves of pleasure I felt, I still couldn't stop thinking about Adrian. I could even imagine him fucking me right now.

"Please...." I begged, rolling my hip in circles to feel Liam's stiff cock against my pussy.

"I want you now." I rasped, giving his cock a slow stroke through his pants. Liam groaned at the way I gave his cock a squeeze.

He stood up taking off his clothes, then laid on me.

I hooked my legs around Liam's hips, pulling him closer to feel the hot press of his cock against my wet pussy, "

He moved his hip forward so I could take his hot throbbing member in my own hand without having to move, "It's so stiff " I rubbed my hand up and down it.

"Give it to me now." I asked with an innocent and curious look on my face.

"Of course." He teased my wet pussy with the head of his dick. "It already feels so good," I gasped.

He positioned himself in between my legs.

He moaned and moved deeper. I was too tight and he was big for me, so he tried his best to do it as carefully, gradually entering her wholly, fitting completely inside me as he gently moved in and out.

"Ahhmm..." I moaned trying to meet his rhythm as the pain subsided a bit.

Are you on birth control?" He questioned.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Good, " He smiled. He moved slowly at first, then he increased his speed, thrusting in and out deeper and faster. We both moaned as our bodies collided with each other.

"More" I panted. Liam grabbed me by my hip to prop me up for better access, building a slow and deep rhythm as he fucked me.

"I fucking love you." Liam moaned as his pace picked up, his hands playing with my nipples. "Oh! God- PLEASE!" I cried with ecstasy and Liam slammed his cock into me with a new kind of urgency.

"Fuck... Nicole... I-" Liam let out the loudest moan, his hips were moving with inhumane speed and his balls slapping against my ass as he reached his climax. Unable to speak, he let loose right inside her- spilling spurts of his warm cum into her eager cunt.

Liam cried when he reached his peak. We were both out of breath.

He gently pulled out of me, then he laid his body against the bed as we both tried to regain ourselves.

"I love it. It was so good." Liam grinned.

"Yeah." I murmured. It felt good but I don't know why I wanted more.

Nicole's POV

Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains, cutting streaks of gold across the Ryder's Mansion.

I hurried down, not wanting to be late to school as this is the start of a new semester but I almost turned back upstairs the moment I saw Adrian.

That was my first instinct the moment I reached the bottom of the staircase and heard movement in the dinning. My hand tightened around the railing, my pulse loud in my ears. Adrian was the one person I wasn't ready to face.

I could feel him before I saw him, his sharp presence surrounding the room. He stood by the counter, dressed in dark slacks and a crisp shirt, sleeves buttoned all the way down as if last night had never happened. As if nothing had cracked open between us.

He didn't even look at me, not once.

No pause, flicker of recognition. Just the quiet clink of a mug as he poured coffee, his posture calm and distant, impossibly composed. The lack of acknowledgment unsettled me more than any lingering stare would have.

"Could it be that he was too drunk to remember what happened?" I thought silently to myself.

I forced myself to move fully into the room. My body shivered a bit as I took a seat at the table, smoothing my hands over my lap.

Moments later, Liam walked in, his presence lighter. "Morning," he said casually, pressing a quick kiss to my temple before grabbing a plate.

Neither brother responded to the other.

I noticed it then, the way I always seemed to lately, the distance between them. No greetings or shared glances. Not even irritation, just... absence. Like two men occupying the same room while living in completely different worlds.

Breakfast was simple and light. Toast, fruit and coffee.

I took small bites, I didn't really have any appetite and aside from that my thoughts were anything but quiet, maybe it was because I felt guilty.

Across the table, Adrian scrolled through his phone, his attention fixed anywhere but me. It felt intentional as if ignoring me was easier than acknowledging the tension coiled tight between us.

"Why I'm I bothered? Nicole, you should be happy that he's ignoring you." I scolded myself.

Liam chatted about his plans for the day, filling the silence.

"Enjoy your classes Nicole, make new friends, socialize, have fun." he said casually.

"Yes, yes, I will." I smiled lightly. That's why I love Liam, he is so caring and intentional.

"You look very pretty when you smile." he smirked in a seductive way.

"Please focus on eating." I shook my head at his nonchalant behavior.

"I want to eat you," he teased.

"Pervert." I felt so shy.

Adrian didn't respond to whatever that was happening, he just stood up suddenly. "I've got work, and Liam make sure you come early." he said calmly, already adjusting his watch.

That was it.

No goodbye, he walked out without turning back, leaving the room colder than before.

I stared at the doorway long after it closed, my heart racing for reasons I refused to name.

________________

Adrian's POV

The building looked the same since he left, the cold glass, sharp edges, pretending to be clean while hiding rot beneath it.

I stepped out of the car just as another pulled in beside mine.

Ethan. He's the only closest and trusted friend I have.

He got out, adjusting the cuff of his shirt like everything in his life needed to be precise. Same calm posture. Same serious eyes that missed nothing. I was the one who begged him to come work here, dragged him out of a comfortable job into this mess and he still showed up on time, unbothered.

"Morning," he said simply.

"Morning," I replied, falling into step beside him.

We walked in together.

The elevator ride was quiet, not awkward. He glanced at me once, the way he always did when he sensed something off.

My office door closed behind us with a soft click.

He dropped into the chair across from my desk without being asked, crossing one leg over the other. "You look like shit," he said flatly.

I huffed. "Nice to see you too."

"That wasn't an insult. It's an observation."

I loosened my tie, pacing instead of sitting. The memory hit me without warning, dim kitchen lights, the hum of the fridge, the way Nicole froze when she realized I'd been there all along.

I stopped walking.

"I'm attracted to her," I said suddenly.

Ethan didn't react, not even a blink.

"My brother's girlfriend," I added.

"That part is implied," he said calmly.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Last night... She came into the kitchen. Didn't know I was there. She was wearing-" I stopped myself, jaw tightening. "Doesn't matter. I was drunk. She was half-asleep. Things crossed a line."

Ethan leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing like he was calculating something.

"Did you touch her?"

"Yes."

"Did she stop you?"

"Yes."

"Then stop romanticizing it," he said. "You didn't lose control. You tested a boundary."

The words landed harder than I expected.

"She's with him," I muttered. "And yet-"

"And yet you want what you can't have," Ethan finished. "That's not new for you. What's new is that this one isn't a distraction."

I finally sat, elbows on the desk, staring at nothing.

"She looked at me like I was a mistake she almost made," I said quietly. "And like she hated that she didn't regret it completely."

Ethan exhaled slowly. "That's dangerous."

"I know, that was why I pretended like I didn't remember what happened yesterday."

He leaned forward now, his voice steady and grounded. Ethan was always the anchor when my thoughts spiraled.

"Listen to me," he said. "You're here for a reason. Your mother didn't die for you to ruin yourself over desire. If you go after her, you don't just hurt Liam, you give him leverage."

I clenched my jaw at my brother's name.

"And Nicole?" Ethan continued. "She's already standing in the middle of a war she didn't sign up for. If you care about her, even a little you don't pull her deeper."

Silence stretched between us.

"What if she's already falling?" I asked.

Ethan's gaze softened, just a fraction. "Then you protect her by staying away until the truth comes out. After that..." He shrugged lightly. "Choices are cleaner when blood isn't on the floor."

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

Ethan was always three steps ahead.

"Welcome to the family hell," I said dryly.

He stood, straightening his jacket. "I didn't come for the family. I came for you. Don't make me regret it."

As he walked out, I knew one thing with brutal clarity:

Nicole wasn't the problem, she was the trigger and everything I had buried was already rising to the surface.