LUCAS POV

Once the crew I’d hired to furnish my apartment to my taste told me they were done, I paid them and drove over with a few boxes of personal items. One by one, I hauled them up until the last box was finally inside.

I stood there, eyeing them, debating whether to start unpacking. But exhaustion won. I still had a dozen other things to deal with, and I needed to be up early for tomorrow’s lecture.

The main reason I’d moved here so abruptly in the first place.

And quite frankly, I figured I’d make a better male stripper than a lecturer. But that wasn’t one of the options my father had given me.

The choices were: get married, give him a grandchild within the first year, and inherit the golden empire of businesses and billion-dollar assets that came with it or work at the very place where his rise to fame had begun.

I wasn’t proud of choosing the latter, but it was the only option that didn’t involve being pestered into a marriage I didn’t want.

I took off my shirt, finally deciding on what to do. Shower first, wash off the road dust and some of the tension knotting my shoulders, then grab something cold to drink before figuring out the rest of the night.

I stripped off the rest of my clothes, tossing them carelessly onto the nearest chair before grabbing my toothbrush, bathing essentials, and towel. The bathroom mirror greeted me with a reflection that looked more tired than I’d like to admit.

A hot shower was exactly what I needed to wash off the fatigue clinging to my skin. Steam curled around me as the water hit, loosening the tension in my muscles, and for a moment, I almost forgot why I’d been so wound up in the first place.

By the time I stepped out, toweling my hair and thinking about the best bottle of alcohol I had waiting, my phone rang. One glance at the caller ID told me it was my sister.

I picked up the call. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice rough from the shower.

“Is that how you talk to your favorite sister?”

“You’re not my favorite sister,” I shot back, pouring myself a glass.

“As far as I know, you don’t have any other sisters, so I’m it.”

I sighed, knowing there was no winning this one. “Fine. What do you want, then?”

“Just checking in. Have you toured the place yet? Met anyone interesting?”

“No, and I don’t plan to. But don’t worry, I’m meeting students tomorrow. That’s interesting enough.”

“You know what I mean, Lucas…”

I gulped down the last of my drink before answering. “Honestly, I’m starting to think you’re on Dad’s side.”

“I'm not. I just think this is an opportunity for you to loosen up and I want you to grab it. Remember how Dad and mom met in that same school you're going to be lecturing at? And as Fate would have it… you are a lecturer now, just like Dad once was.”

I understand the point she was trying to make but I didn’t respond. Mentioning my mother always hit a nerve. At first, the story behind how my parents met sounded sweet and full of promise… like something out of a fairytale. But then I realized no one really stays together forever. That’s why I was scared of marriage.

To the point, I didn't mind losing my inheritance to avoid it. I wasn’t ready to fully commit or settle down. I didn’t want to hurt someone by walking away or falling out of love, just like my parents did… a wound that still haunted me.

After a pause, my sister must’ve sensed my silence because she said, “We’re not our parents, Lucas. We’re not going to end up like them.”

“Good for you. You found a loophole, you’re not dating the opposite gender,” I shot at her.

I could almost hear her roll her eyes through the phone, followed by a grunt.

“So… Where exactly are you living now?” She asked, changing the topic.

I grabbed my glass, took a slow swig, then leaned my head against the wall, using my shoulder to hold the phone. “So you can go tell Dad to send some pretty girls over here to feed me and play house? Not a chance.”

I chuckled, hiccupping slightly before continuing, “And don’t even think about trying to track me down. I made damn sure no one can.”

I’d already told the crew I paid off to say it was a girl moving in if anyone asked. The landlord was well compensated too so no one would give up my name. I even went out of my comfort zone buying the plainest, least flashy things I could find. No attention, at least for the next year.

“Are you sure about that?” my sister asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Before I could answer, a sharp knock sounded at the door, followed by the bell. I straightened immediately. I wasn’t expecting anyone.

“What did you do?” I asked my sister, my voice low as I reached for the security monitor on the wall to see who was outside.

“I didn’t do anything. And I don’t think Dad has either,” she replied over the phone.

I opened the door’s video feed and spotted a brunette standing there. Her hair caught the light just right, and something about her made me hold my gaze a moment longer than I intended.

Then my sister’s voice came again through the phone.

“Hello?”

“Then why is there a woman at my doorstep holding a plate?” I asked, still not taking my eyes off her on the screen.

“Maybe just a friendly neighbor…” she started to say, but I didn’t buy it for a second.

I ended the call and headed to the door. With a steady breath, I opened it.

She didn't say anything but stared at me for a hot minute. Her eyes that seemed to be siren… seem to widen the more her eyes trailed down my body taking the shape of a doe eyes. This was definitely my father’s doing.

“Is this what you do? Go around eyeing what’s under people’s towels? My eyes are up here, Miss.”

Her eyes finally settled back on my face and they returned back to their siren state.

She started to apologize, but I was used to this game. It wasn’t the first time my father had pulled moves like this on me. He usually sent girls I’d call cheap sluts to handle these deals. But this girl standing in front of me didn't seem like one of them. Then again… maybe Dad had just stepped up his game.

“But of course,” I said with a smirk. “You see a good-looking man move in and just can’t wait to show how thirsty you are. Tell me—money? Is that why you’re here? Well, I don’t hand it out to cheap sluts, so run along.” I made a move to close the door.

Better to be brutally honest. That way, they know there’s no chance, and maybe they’ll stop bothering me.

Just as the door was about to shut, something stopped it. I looked down. Her foot was blocking it. I opened the door slowly, about to shun her again, when the plate she was holding got shoved into my hands. Before I could say anything, I felt a burning sting on my cheeks.

“Bet you’ve never met a slut as crazy as me, dumb fuck,” she said before storming off.

I stood there a moment longer, stunned. Something inside me stirred. I thought it was anger—but then I looked down. My little man had just lifted my towel.

I stepped back inside, plate in hand, and shut the door before anyone else saw.

I couldn’t even process what was happening, why my body would react to her fierceness. I laughed to myself, deciding I’d had enough for the day.

I opened the plate. Cookies. I sniffed one and was stunned at how heavenly they smelled.

I dropped the plate on the counter and made my way to my room. I have History lecture in the morning and need to preserve my energy.

But sleep wouldn’t come. Her image kept creeping into my mind…those doe eyes, that siren stare. Not many could pull off both looks, but she did. Suddenly, I regretted not indulging her.

This was the first time in a long while I didn’t mind indulging one of the girls Dad sent my way… and it left me unsettled.