Ficorpio
Chapter 1
Growing up, I had always listened to my older brother.
And yet, behind his back, I dated his sworn enemy for three years.
Everyone in our elite social circle knew Ethan Sterling was arrogant, reckless, and impossible to tame. I was supposedly the one exception—the only woman he adored.
He simply refused to acknowledge our relationship in public.
When one of his friends asked him why, Ethan laughed as if the answer were obvious.
“Because I don’t love Chloe Bennett.
“I only got together with her to get revenge on her brother and make up for what he did to my sister.
“So on my birthday, I’m going to dump her in front of everyone. I’ll make both Bennett siblings the laughingstock of Northbridge.”
That was why I never appeared at the birthday celebration everyone had been anticipating.
Instead, I left for Harbor City and accepted a dynastic marriage alliance.
On my wedding day, Ethan arrived after a frantic journey and tried to stop the ceremony, only to be barred at the entrance. He begged security to let him in, insisting that he was the bride’s boyfriend.
But no matter how desperately he searched his phone, he couldn’t find a single photograph proving we had ever been together.
“All this just to get even for your sister?” someone asked.
Ethan exhaled a stream of smoke, his expression dark. “She was humiliated after Daniel rejected her. She was so heartbroken that she left the country, and she wouldn’t even accept my confession. You think that wasn’t enough?”
His friend stared at him. “Ethan, have you lost your mind? How could you fall for your own sister?”
“We aren’t related by blood.”
Smoke curled around Ethan, blurring his features. “Why shouldn’t I love her?”
“But what did Chloe ever do to deserve this? Daniel was the one who rejected her. That had nothing to do with Chloe. You can’t punish her for something her brother did.
“And you spent two years pursuing her. You’ve been together for three more. You spoiled her, cared for her—you seemed so happy together. I thought you were planning to propose at your birthday party.”
Silence followed.
By the time the cigarette had nearly burned down to Ethan’s fingers, he crushed it out and gave a derisive laugh.
“If I hadn’t made it convincing, how could I have gotten her to fall so hard?
“The happier she is when it happens, the more devastating the fall will be. She’ll know what it feels like to be destroyed.
“She’ll suffer exactly as much as my sister did.”
I bit down hard on my trembling lip. My eyes burned, tears threatening to spill.
Chapter 2
His friend frowned, regret creeping into his voice. “Are you really going through with this? You won’t regret it?”
Ethan picked up his glass. When he answered, his voice was cold and unwavering.
“Never.”
I lowered my gaze.
A flower petal drifted down and landed on the ground beside a single fallen tear.
No wonder he had refused to make our relationship public throughout those three years.
There had always been someone else in his heart.
What I had believed was a love we had chosen together had been nothing more than an elaborate con.
At that moment, I lost even the desire to go upstairs and confront him.
Questions. Accusations. Arguments. Desperate attempts to hold on.
If I let him see my pain, wouldn’t I be giving him exactly what he wanted?
I turned and walked away, leaving the birthday gift I had prepared for him where it lay.
On my way home, I ran into my brother, who had just returned from a business trip to Harbor City.
“Why are your eyes so red?” Daniel asked, concern creasing his face.
I lowered my head and wiped at them. “It’s windy outside.”
Later, as we sat in the living room, he said, “I heard you’re moving to Harbor City for your doctorate.
“So, will you reconsider the Ashford family’s proposal? Adrian Ashford is a good man. Your brother has thoroughly vetted him—you can trust my judgment.”
Daniel had brought up the marriage alliance several times before.
I had always refused.
Because of Ethan.
Because I wanted to marry for love.
I wanted to choose the man I loved.
But now, I no longer dared to believe in that dream.
Perhaps there was more security in marrying someone whose character and family I knew. Even without love, there would at least be no lies. No calculated betrayal.
And I would have more time to focus on my studies.
Mom and Dad would worry less, too.
My mind was made up.
“Daniel, I’ll accept the marriage alliance.”
“Seriously?”
Excitement surged into his voice. “I’ll call the Ashfords right away.”
Back in my room, I packed every gift Ethan had given me over the years into boxes.
I was about to move them into the storage room when Daniel knocked on my door.
“We’re going to Harbor City next Friday.”
That day happened to be Ethan’s birthday.
The next day, I stayed home organizing the research materials I planned to take with me.
I was still busy that afternoon when Ethan called and asked whether I wanted him to pick me up and take me out.
It was noisy on his end, with the sound of electronic announcements echoing in the background.
He was probably at the airport.
When I turned him down, he seemed to let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Then eat properly while you’re at home. Don’t try to lose weight, all right?”
His concern was convincing. He played the part perfectly.
Later that evening, one of Daniel’s friends messaged me and asked me to come pick him up.
Chapter 3
My car was at the shop for maintenance, so I took Daniel’s instead.
I followed the room number to the right door and pushed it open.
Inside, Ethan was wrapped around a young woman, the two of them playing a game that involved tearing a strip of paper with their mouths.
His hands rested on her waist, and a reckless, carefree smile spread across his face.
The people around them started chanting.
“Kiss her! Kiss her!”
Ethan pulled the paper away and frowned.
The woman leaned toward him. As the distance between them narrowed, their lips were almost about to meet.
Then he turned his head slightly and met my eyes.
Everyone in the room looked toward me.
A flash of panic crossed Ethan’s gaze.
I lowered my eyes. “Sorry. I must have opened the wrong door.”
I closed the door behind them. I had only taken a few steps when Ethan caught me and dragged me into an empty private room.
In the dim light, he pulled me against him and tilted my chin up.
“Jealous?”
I shook my head.
“It’s not what you think. That’s my sister.”
“We’re not involved. It was only a game.”
He gave me a soft laugh and leaned closer. “Come on, sweetheart. Let me give you a kiss.”
His lips were almost on mine when I turned away.
I broke free of his hold and looked aside. “My brother’s waiting for me.”
The door opened before I could say anything else. The woman from earlier stood there, covering her mouth in surprise.
“Ethan… you two…”
She was Victoria Sterling, his adoptive sister, with no blood relation to him.
Ethan’s gaze remained on me for several seconds. Then he walked over to Victoria and explained, “I’d had too much to drink and went into the wrong room.”
“I don’t know this woman.”
Victoria smiled and slipped her arm through his. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”
I said nothing. I didn’t look at Ethan either.
I simply turned and walked out.
As we passed one another, he instinctively reached for my hand.
But his fingers stopped in midair before curling into a fist.
In the car, my drunk brother slipped into one of his endless talking moods.
He rambled from stories about our childhood all the way to five years ago, when I left for Harbor City to pursue my graduate studies.
“I’m sorry, Chloe. I shouldn’t have opposed you back then.
“If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have run so far away and shut everyone out.”
At the time, Daniel had insisted that I study business so I could eventually help him manage the family company.
But business had never interested me. I wanted to keep working in the lab.
I was heading to a place where I knew no one, surrounded by unfamiliar streets and strangers.
Then Ethan Sterling appeared.
He understood me. He knew what I needed. He supported me.
I wanted to take that step toward him.
But then I remembered that he and Daniel had become bitter rivals over a project.
So I turned him down as gently as I could.