Childhood Bully, Adult Daddy

Perdita Blackwood had always been known for capitalizing on a good opportunity. Growing up, she endured years of relentless torment from her older brother, Orion, and his two nearest, dearest cohorts, Caspian Harrington and Ambrose Oakes.

Their antics spanned from stomping on her sandcastles as a child to mocking her braces when she was ten, and even sabotaging her first kiss at thirteen. That first kiss lingered sharply in her thoughts now. While Orion and Ambrose habitually teetered on the line of decency, it was Caspian who blew past it entirely, taking things to extremes that left her in tears more often than not. For Caspian, if Perdita wasn’t crying, the joke hadn’t landed—and he never failed to find joy in it.

Sitting in a chic Vancouver restaurant with her friends Sabine, Ambrose’s younger sister, and Hadley, Perdita tilted her head thoughtfully. It might have been easy to chalk up their current predicament to mere coincidence—sharing the same dining space as Caspian Harrington—but Perdita didn’t buy it. This had to be fate.

“Six years,” she remarked, her gaze set firmly on the man across the room. “I haven’t seen him since he skipped town. Ambrose mentioned he’s back in Vancouver now, though—moved back two months ago. But this is my first glimpse of him.”

Sabine nodded in agreement. “He’s massive now. I swear, he’s grown even bigger.”

“Like a walking, talking silverback gorilla,” Hadley muttered with a grunt.

Perdita smirked. “Knuckle-dragging and all,” she quipped. Her attention shifted to Sabine. “Any luck getting into your brother’s group chat yet? I want to know if this date of his is serious.”

Hadley shot an irritated glance at the couple seated across the room, clearly deep into their intimate dinner. “Does it even matter? His body language screams they’re hooking up tonight.”

Perdita didn’t answer immediately, her mind spiraling back to that eighth-grade dance and her ill-fated first kiss with Jasper Winters. She could almost feel the mortifying humiliation as Caspian, assisting her brother as DJ for the event, threw a spotlight on her and Jasper mid-kiss. Grabbing the microphone, Caspian mocked them openly, giving her a nickname that clung to her like a stubborn stain through college.

Sabine brought her fork up, imitating a microphone, and mimicked Caspian’s old taunt with an exaggerated voice. “‘Aww, look! Little Red Lark’s locking lips with the nerd! Shouldn’t someone make sure their braces don’t get stuck together?’”

Hadley let out a low growl. “And then that damn whistle, alerting the teacher. Total bastard.”

“As if that wasn’t bad enough,” Sabine added, “their stunts at your graduation were next-level obnoxious. Bright red wigs and yelling from the stands? I thought your mom might actually commit murder that day.”

“They were grown men acting like frat boys!” Hadley threw in, still incredulous. “They were twenty-five years old; no shame at all.”

Perdita scoffed, her focus narrowing back on Caspian. “Well, the tables have turned—now they’re all thirty-two, stuck in this purgatory where none of them can hold down a serious relationship. Serves them right.” Around them, murmurs and whispers filled the restaurant as patrons unabashedly gawked at Caspian. With his commanding presence and billionaire status, he had the aura of a Hollywood star on a red carpet. Paparazzi-like, people angled their phones for glimpses and photos.

“Oh, hold up!” Sabine giggled mischievously. “I’m in! I cracked the idiot’s password. It’s "eightinches"—one word. I swear, I’ve seen Ambrose naked more times than I care to, thanks to all the skinny-dipping with girls at our parents’ pool. Eight inches? Wishful thinking.”

Perdita chuckled darkly. “Maybe he’s dreaming about Caspian’s eight inches. That guy radiates Big Dick Energy in spades. Too bad it’s wasted on him.”

“Anyway,” Sabine continued gleefully, “it’s his third date with this girl. Apparently, her dad’s an important client, and he’s dead set on sealing the deal—with her and the business.”

“God, what a tool,” Perdita said, licking her dessert spoon one final time, savoring the last of the mousse. “Okay, settle the tab, call the Uber, and be ready to make a quick exit.”

Hadley squinted at her suspiciously. “What are you planning, Perdita?”

“I’m about to derail this date so badly he’ll spend the rest of his life regretting ever messing with me.”

“What was even his problem with you, anyway?” Hadley burst out, frustration lacing her tone.

“He took his cues from Orion.” Perdita leaned back in her chair, arms folded. “The second Orion decided he hated me—thanks to my dad getting my mom pregnant before divorcing his first wife—Caspian leapt into action. Orion’s vendetta became his own personal mission, dedicating their lives to making me miserable.”

Sabine nodded. “We’ve heard it all before. But seriously, what’d you ever do to Caspian directly?”

“Well,” Perdita began with faux innocence, “maybe there were a few incidents…”

“Oh, God,” Hadley groaned. “Here we go.”

“When I was six, there was the whole itching powder fiasco in their rugby jockstraps...”

Sabine snorted. “That was only after they shredded all the artwork on your mom’s fridge.”

“Then, when I was eight,” Perdita continued, feigning deep thought, “I may have poured sugar into Caspian’s dirt bike gas tank after they burned my dollhouse in the fire pit.”

“That was justified!” Sabine pointed out. “Your dad bought you a newer, nicer dollhouse afterward, anyway.”

“And the ghost pepper shampoo incident?” Hadley pressed, her grin widening.

“Ah, yes,” Perdita purred. “Fifteen and brilliant. My masterpiece! It ruined their cabin weekend, courtesy of major eye burns. Probably ruined all romantic plans with their girlfriends, too.” She flashed a wicked smile, basking in the memory. “They deserved every bit of it.”