She thought their friendship was unbreakable. She thought their love was real. But when she caught her best friend in the arms of the man she loved, her world shattered. Betrayed and humiliated, she walked away, vowing never to trust again. Then came him-her best friend's older brother. Mysterious, powerful, and dangerously irresistible. He wants her, and he'll do whatever it takes to claim her. Revenge was never part of the plan... but neither was falling for the one man who could make her forget her pain.
SERENA
"I love you so much, Serena."
Liam's voice was soft, his fingers tracing slow, lazy circles on my bare shoulder. I turned my head, searching his face for something-anything-that made the words feel real. But love? Love wasn't just whispered in the dark. It wasn't uncertain or fleeting. Love was supposed to feel safe.
I forced a small smile and pressed a kiss to his jaw. "I love you too, Liam."
His lips curled into a grin as he pulled me closer. "You don't sound convinced."
I let out a soft laugh, tucking myself against him. "We just finished having s*x Liam,I'm just tired, you fucked the hell outta me."
He smirked. "Then sleep," he murmured, running a hand through my hair. "I'll be right here by your side."
And I did. I closed my eyes, let the warmth of his body wrap around me, and pretended-for a little while-that everything was okay.
But peace never lasted.
A sharp vibration cut through the silence, jolting me awake. My eyes flickered to Liam's phone, its screen glowing on the nightstand. My heart slowed. Then stopped.
Unknown Caller.
My stomach twisted. I hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen. A part of me knew I shouldn't. I should have just ignored it, gone back to sleep. But something-instinct, fear, or maybe just the quiet nagging of doubt-made me swipe to answer.
"Liam, I've been trying to reach you," a woman's voice-breathless, urgent-filled my ear. "You can't keep ignoring me. I told you, I am pregnant and you are going to be a father."
My blood ran cold.
Pregnant.
The word echoed in my head, louder and louder, until it drowned out everything else.
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
Silence stretched between us before the woman hesitated.
"Liam?"
I hung up.
The phone slipped from my fingers, landing on the bed with a dull thud. My chest tightened, my breathing shallow. My mind spun, trying to piece together the truth I already knew but refused to accept.
Another woman was carrying Liam's baby.
And he had never told me.
I turned my head slowly, my gaze landing on him. Liam-still fast asleep, his breathing even, peaceful. Oblivious.
I could have woken him. Could have shaken him awake, demanded answers, screamed, cried.
But I didn't.
Instead, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, willing myself to feel nothing at all.
By morning, Liam was gone.
I stood in my kitchen, hands wrapped around my coffee mug, exhaustion pressing heavy on my shoulders. A part of me still hoped I had dreamed the whole thing. That I had imagined the voice on the phone, the sickening twist in my stomach.
But the truth sat like lead in my chest.
Liam was cheating. And worse-he was expecting a child with someone else.
I let out a slow breath, trying to push back the creeping numbness. My fingers tightened around my mug as I moved toward the counter.
And then I saw it.
A wallet.
Liam's wallet.
My brow furrowed as I picked it up. He must have left it behind in his rush to leave. I flipped it open, expecting to see the usual-cards, cash, maybe a receipt or two.
But tucked neatly behind his ID was something I hadn't expected.
An address.
My stomach clenched.
Liam had always been weirdly secretive about where he lived. He never invited me over, always insisting his place was a mess or that he preferred staying at mine. But now, here it was-his address, sitting right in my hands.
For a long moment, I just stared at it.
I could have ignored it. Could have waited for him to realize his mistake and come back for it.
But a bitter, reckless part of me-the part that needed proof-pushed me forward.
Grabbing my keys, I made a decision.
I was going to return his wallet.
Liam's house was nothing like I expected.
A sleek, modern mansion hidden behind towering gates. Cold. Expensive. Deceptive.
I parked my car outside, gripping the wallet like it held all the answers I was searching for. My heart pounded as I climbed out, my heels clicking against the pavement as I stepped toward the front door.
And then I saw it.
A familiar car parked in the driveway.
My breath caught.
Ava's car.
My best friend's car.
A sharp chill crawled down my spine.
I froze, fingers tightening around the wallet, nails biting into leather. What the hell was Ava doing here?
My mind scrambled for an explanation. Maybe she was here for something innocent. Maybe she had some business with Liam I didn't know about. Maybe-
But then the scent hit me.
Perfume.
Not just any perfume-Ava's perfume.
The same perfume I had helped her pick out last month. The same perfume I had smelled on her a hundred times before.
I took a step inside, heels clicking against the marble floor. My pulse roared in my ears as I took in the scattered evidence-the jacket tossed over a chair, a pair of heels kicked off near the stairs, a woman's laughter drifting from down the hall.
The air turned suffocating.
My fingers brushed against a handbag sitting on the table-the same handbag I had gifted Ava on her last birthday.
Cold dread pooled in my stomach.
I moved before I could stop myself, feet carrying me toward the slightly open bedroom door.
I reached it, my hand trembling as I pushed it open just a fraction more.
And then-
My world shattered.
Through the narrow gap, I saw them.
Liam. Ava. Tangled together, bodies pressed too close, too familiar.
Ava's fingers traced slow circles on Liam's bare chest, her lips brushing against his neck as she whispered something. I couldn't hear it. But Liam's response was loud enough to cut through the suffocating silence.
"God, I love you."
A strangled breath escaped me. My vision blurred, nausea clawing up my throat.
My best friend. My boyfriend.
The two people I trusted the most.
Betrayal had never tasted so bitter.
Chapter 1 001
20/04/2025
Chapter 2 002
20/04/2025
Chapter 3 003
20/04/2025
Chapter 4 004
20/04/2025
Chapter 5 005
20/04/2025
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