Sleeping With My Ex's Dad

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After my cheating ex dumped me, I got blackout drunk and stumbled my way into his luxury penthouse. When I woke up this morning, the man lying next to me wasn't him. It was the ruthlessly powerful, ice-cold billionaire tycoonhis father.

Scattered across the floor was my torn lace camisole, tangled up with a few ripped ultra-thin condom wrappers.

The man opened his eyes. His gaze pinned me down like a criminal on trial. "Do you remember what you said last night?"

"What did I say?"

"You said it's only right for a father to pay off his son's debts."

Jesus Christ.

My nails dug hard into my palms. How could anyone screw up this monumentally?

Chapter 1

I was woken up by the shrill ringing of my phone.

"Josie, are you out of your mind? You called me 108 times last night!"

The familiar voice blasted through the receiver. My throat tightened. When I spoke, my voice cracked. "Pierce, you finally called me back."

"Josie, we're done. My family is high society. A broke girl like you who has to work just to pay tuition could never step foot through our doors. Face reality and stop clinging to me."

"What did I do wrong? I can change, I swear. I'll change until your dad is satisfied. You know I can't live without you."

"Uh, I just don't feel it anymore."

Don't feel it anymore. How was I supposed to make him feel it again? I covered my face, my chest heaving, but instead of the mattress, my hands pressed against a row of rock-hard abs.

A deep, gravelly voice rumbled right beneath me. "If you want to get back together with him, it might be more convincing if you got off me first."

My eyes snapped open. I was sprawled directly on top of a strikingly handsome man. My brain short-circuited. Before I could process who he was, Pierce's voice echoed from the phone speaker.

"Dad?"

Dad? The man pinned under me was his father? The alcohol evaporated from my system instantly. I hit end on the call in a millisecond.

"Are you going to get off?" The man's dark eyes locked onto mine.

"Right away. Sir."

It was, technically, the first time I was meeting my ex-boyfriend's father. I wanted to at least appear polite.

But being naked deflated that plan. Pierce had never mentioned his father was this young. Or this sinfully gorgeous.

"'Sir'? Now you know how to play nice?" His lips curved into a dangerous smirk. "You weren't this well-behaved when you were biting me last night."

Oh my god. My blood ran cold.

I scrambled off his body in a blind panic, my hands shaking as I frantically grabbed my clothes. He watched me the entire time. He waited with predatory patience as I yanked my clothes back on.

Then, he asked, "You're Pierce's girlfriend?"

"Ex ex-girlfriend," I stammered, correcting him.

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

"I forgot." I stood stiffly by the edge of the bed, feeling like a grade-schooler called into the principal's office.

"Hmm. And how do you plan to handle this?"

I didn't know. The sky was falling. Yesterday, I heard Pierce's dad was sick.

I just wanted to kiss up, visit him, and maybe get him to talk his son out of dumping me. I had a few drinks first for liquid courage. How was I supposed to know I'd screw up this astronomically?

"Dominic, last night was just an accident. I'll pretend it never happened."

He closed the distance between us with aggressive, predatory steps, his gaze darkening. "You think you can sleep with me and just run? You think my bed is something you can crawl into and walk away from whenever you please?"

"No! I mean" I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I messed up."

He stood up and began putting on his clothes with deliberate, unhurried movements. Even though his back was to me, the flex of those sculpted muscles sent a rush of heat straight to my face.

"I'll have my driver take you back. My flight leaves in an hour, I'm running short on time"

"No need!" I snapped my eyes away from him.

I turned to bolt, but my eyes caught those ripped condom wrappers in the trash can. The sight was glaringly humiliating. Desperate to destroy the evidence, I snatched the entire garbage bag and made a break for the door.

I yanked the door openand slammed right into Pierce.

"Josie? What the hell are you doing in my dad's room?"

As he barged in, my face was burning crimson, while Dominic was casually buckling his belt. An icy dread washed over me, cold sweat breaking out on my spine. So this was what getting caught red-handed felt like. My brain shifted into overdrive.

"I heard your dad was sick. I came to check on him."

Pierce whipped his head toward his father. "Dad, did she really come to see you? Or is she just harassing you?"

"Hmm. She saw me, and" Dominic let out a low, dangerous chuckle. "She was definitely a handful."

Disgust twisted Pierce's features. "Josie, I know you're having a hard time, but showing up at someone else's house to throw a tantrum after a breakup is pathetic."

"I get it!" I snapped. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

All I wanted was to escape this nightmare. I took a step, but his voice stopped me dead.

"Wait. What is that in your hand?"

"A garbage bag." I instinctively shoved it behind my back.

Pierce rubbed his temples, looking at me like I was a massive headache.

Chapter 2

"Josie, you don't need to try so hard. Coming to see my dad, taking out his trash, bending over backward."

"It's useless."

"To be honest, you can't even afford a decent evening gown. Taking you to a frat party would only embarrass me. Chanel is different. Her dad just bought her a Porsche."

Me? Three years of him playing the gentle boyfriend, telling me how cute I might be, and now I was a cheap embarrassment? A hot spike of adrenaline shot through my veins. I swung the garbage bag up and smashed it directly over his head.

"Even this trash bag isn't as full of shit as you are. I came here to dump you. And the reason? You're trash in bed."

Pierce ripped the plastic off his face, his jaw working. "Who's trash? Say that again!"

"A dog."

I flipped him the bird and spun on my heel.

"Wait a minute. Why are there condoms in here? Three of them?"

My hand hit the doorknob. My stomach dropped to the floor. Was I really about to get caught?

"Dad, you brought a woman home? And you used the condoms I bought?"

Dominic fastened the last button of his tailored dress shirt. He threw a glacial glance at his son. "Is there a problem?"

"You should handle your own mess first."

"If she throws another tantrum like that, I won't be able to handle it."

Handle it? A shiver ripped down my spine. I yanked the door open and bolted down the hallway.

The second I got back to my cramped apartment, I blocked Pierce on every single platform. I threw every gift he ever gave me into a box and overnighted it back to his frat house.

The moment the courier left, a sharp, stabbing pain twisted deep in my lower abdomen. I called my best friend, Macy, to drag me to the ER.

The ultrasound and exam results were brutal: minor vaginal tearing and a slightly ruptured corpus luteum.

Macy stood by the hospital bed, her jaw hanging open. "Holy shit. You guys went that hard? You got back together?"

"No."

"No? Josie, I swear to God, you need an intervention! Stop being so obsessed with him!"

"He blocked you from his stories, didn't he? He went Instagram official with that homewrecker last night."

Macy shoved her phone into my face. The screen displayed a photo of Pierce and Chanel, their chests pressed together, making a heart shape with their fingers.

A cold numbness spread through my chest. Chanel was the girl who took our couple photos last year. We had added each other on socials and even played Call of Duty together a few times.

I had no idea they were still talking. Two days after dumping me, she was his new girlfriend.

My nails dug into the sterile hospital sheets. I had spent the last forty-eight hours tearing myself apart, begging for him back, and I was nothing but a massive, walking joke.

"So why the hell are you still throwing yourself at him?" Macy crossed her arms, shooting me a murderous glare.

"It wasn't him last night."

"It wasn't him?!" Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. "Good for you."

"As long as it wasn't him, I'm relieved."

"So who was the hot guy? He destroyed you."

"His dad."

Macy's smile vanished. She stared at me in dead silence for a full sixty seconds. "Josie, since when do you play in the major leagues?"

Right on cue, the ER doctor walked in. It was a young male doctorDr. Colin. He paused in the doorway and pushed his glasses up his nose, looking severely traumatized by what he had just overheard.

"No dietary restrictions. Keep the area clean, and absolutely no intercourse for a month."

"I understand you young people have a lot of energy, but in the future, please refrain from overly aggressive activities just to chase a thrill."

Overly aggressive. Heat flooded my cheeks. I genuinely couldn't remember what level of aggressive we reached last night.

The moment Dr. Colin left, Macy pounced on me. "Let me get this straight. You went to beg your ex for another chance and ended up screwing his billionaire dad?"

"I drank too much. I blacked out."

"Josie, I highly suspect you didn't black out from the alcohol. He literally pounded the memories out of you. What kind of old man uses three condoms in one night?"

My jaw hit the floor. I wanted to tape her mouth shut.

"There's just one problem. Where's his mom? Doesn't this make you the homewrecker?"

A rock dropped into my gut. My palms started to sweat. They were rightnothing good ever came from tequila shots on an empty stomach.

After finishing my IV drip at the hospital, I took an Uber back. I spotted Pierce from halfway down the block. He was standing outside my apartment building, smoking a cigarette. He furrowed his brows the second he saw me.

"Are you really this obsessed with me, Josie? We broke up, and you're still mailing me gifts. Stop sending things. My girlfriend isn't going to like it."

Chapter 3

"Then why don't you give the gifts to your new girlfriend? Wouldn't she be thrilled?"

"You"

He was actually delusional. Who was sending him gifts? I just mailed back the trash he gave me. I was sore all over and had zero energy to deal with him. I turned to walk away.

"I still want to know. What did you mean this morning?"

"Mean what?"

Seeing Macy right next to me, he lowered his voice. "When you said I was trash in bed."

Macy practically doubled over laughing. She leaned right into his ear. "Trash in bed. I heard it too."

The veins in his neck popped. "Josie, look at your terrible judgment! What kind of trashy friends are you hanging out with?"

"My judgment is definitely garbage. That's how I ended up dating a scumbag like you."

His jaw slacked. He grabbed a paper bag and shoved it hard against my chest.

"My dad told me to give this to you. Said you left it at our place. You're always forgetting things. Leaving your crap around is exactly why my dad will never like you!"

I didn't even want to waste my breath.

His eyes darted to the pharmacy bag in my hand, and the corner of his mouth hitched up in a smug smirk. "You sick? You were so heartbroken over our breakup you had to go to the hospital? Josie, considering we dated for three years, just tell me what you want. I can compensate you."

My fingers twitched. I wished I had a knife in my hand to plunge straight into his chest. "I want you to go home and look in a mirror, you narcissist."

Macy and I bypassed him and headed straight upstairs. Once inside, I ripped open the paper bag. Sitting right on top was the sexy kitten lingerie I wore last night. Pinned underneath it was an American Express Centurion Black Card with no spending limit. Loaded onto it was a solid $200,000!

Absolute social death. Last night, to beg Pierce for another chance, I specifically wore fishnets and brought that lingerie set to his place. I figured I'd visit his dad, slip into the outfit, seduce Pierce, and fix our relationship. When you hit rock bottom, you really lose all self-respect.

"$200,000?!" Macy shrieked. "His dad either wants you in jail or he's into you."

"I'd rather die than have him into me."

"If he doesn't want you as his sugar baby, why did he give you this? Two hundred grand right out the gate?"

"Could it be compensation because his son dumped me?"

"And how much compensation did his son give you when he dumped you?"

"A half-used Starbucks gift card someone else threw away."

On the day we broke up, Pierce handed me that beat-up Starbucks card with a sticky note: Babe, I'm tapping out. Tapping out for life. Disgusting.

Even with zero memory of last night's specifics, it was obvious his father thought I was a high-end escort. I delivered myself directly to his bed dressed like that. I dug my own grave.

A terrifying thought struck me. I immediately opened DoorDash and ordered a Plan B. Even though he used protection, I wasn't taking any chances. Giving birth to a kid who would call my ex-boyfriend their older brotherjust the thought made my skin crawl.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, entirely unable to sleep. I needed to return the money. I unblocked Pierce on iMessage.

[ Pierce, can you give me your dad's number? ]

[ No. My dad doesn't accept bribes, and you're not going to win him over. ]

[ Sigh. Are you really this obsessed with me? What am I going to do with you? But I already have a girlfriend. ]

I blocked him again immediately. If I hadn't just swallowed that Plan B, I would have sworn I was pregnant. Otherwise, why did looking at Pierce's texts make me want to projectile vomit?

Forget it. Sleep. Corporate slaves still have to clock in tomorrow.

I was a senior in college, interning at a marketing firm, pulling the most grueling hours for minimum wage. The constant overtime was the only reason Macy and I rented this tiny apartment together.

I finally fell asleep and slipped straight into a fever dream.

In the dream, the man's dark eyes bore into mine. He asked if it was my first time.

I shook my head.

A low, predatory chuckle vibrated against my chest. "Then why are you gripping me so tight?" His breath seared the skin of my neck. "Relax. It'll feel better."

My head whipped around, and suddenly Pierce's twisted, furious face was inches from mine, interrogating me. "What do you mean I'm trash in bed?!"

I jolted awake, my heart slamming against my ribs. Cold sweat soaked my collar. Why the hell was I having a dream like that?

What was even more horrifying was the missed call from my manager, demanding to know why I wasn't at the office. I was dead. By the time I scrambled out of bed, threw on clothes, and bolted into the office, the morning meeting had been going on for half an hour.

Chapter 4

My manager glared at me like he wanted to unhinge his jaw and swallow me whole. This was a massive, high-stakes meeting. My entire job description as an intern consisted of fetching water, printing documents, grabbing deliveries, ordering takeout, and acting as the corporate punching bag.

I ducked my head and hurried into the conference room, quickly pouring coffee for each of the executives.

As I reached the man sitting next to our CEO, a low voice rumbled. "Is there black coffee?"

"Yes."

That gravelly pitch sent a shiver straight down my spine. It sounded exactly like the voice from my dream. I snapped my head up and locked eyes with Pierce's fatherDominic.

My hand jerked. Boiling hot coffee splashed directly onto his tailored trousers.

"How the hell are you pouring that?!"

My CEO's roar shattered the silence. The sheer volume snapped me out of my trance.

"I'm so sorry!" Panic seized my chest. I immediately dropped to my knees, grabbing a fistful of napkins to frantically blot his pants.

I glanced up. Dominic was looking down at me, his dark eyes entirely unreadable. "Has no one ever told you it's dangerous for a girl to look up at a man from her knees like this?"

He caught my wrist, stopping my frantic wiping. The searing heat of his long fingers wrapping around my skin made my pulse hammer violently against my ribs.

"Josie! Get out here right now!" my manager hissed under his breath.

I was practically dragged out of the room by my collar and chewed out for ten straight minutes. That was when I learned Dominic was the top-tier investor our CEO had spent months desperately trying to court. And I had just dumped a scalding beverage on his crotch.

What kind of sick, twisted coincidence was this?

The CEO was furious. He ordered me to write a formal apology letter and deliver it to his private office to apologize to the investor face-to-face.

An hour later, clutching my typed letter with shaking hands, I stepped into the CEO's office. My boss was laughing, mid-conversation with Dominic.

"So, are things getting serious with that heiress your old man set you up with?"

Dominic chuckled, taking a slow drag from his cigarette, and shook his head.

"Bullshit. Look at all those scratch marks on your neck. You definitely tore into her, didn't you?" my boss joked. "Knowing her family's background, there's no way you're slipping out of that one."

"It wasn't her."

"It wasn't her?!" My boss's eyes widened. "Then who? Dominic, I'm genuinely shocked. Which little wildcat managed to do that to you?"

Dominic didn't answer. He just let out a slow exhale of smoke, his dark gaze locking onto me the second I walked through the door. Why was he staring at me like that?

So, his name was Dominic Zhou. He crushed his cigarette into the ashtray. "Enough with the gossip. I'm leaving."

"Alright, alright, down to business." The CEO finally noticed me standing there. "Josie, right? Get over here."

He pointed a thick finger at me. "If you have a problem with this company, just say it. Do you even know who is sitting in front of you? He is the wealthiest, most ruthless man in New York. He snaps his fingers, and this entire firm files for bankruptcy! And your coffee just miraculously found its way onto Dominic's lap!"

"I'm sorry," I choked out, staring at the carpet.

"Why the hell are you apologizing to me? He's right in front of you!"

Dominic shot him an icy, sidelong glance. "She is under my protection. Who gave you permission to scream at her like that on my turf?"

My boss's jaw went slack. He blinked, clearly thrown off, but quickly tried to recover. "These interns nowadays are nothing but walking disasters. She offended you, so I'll let you handle her. Just don't go too hard on her, for my sake."

I slowly turned to Dominic, gripping the edges of the paper, and started reading. "Dominic, I am deeply sorry. Today, I shouldn't have"

Dominic leaned back against the leather sofa, cutting me off. "Did you burn your hands?"

"No." I instinctively hid my hands behind my back.

"Good. You can go now. It's fine."

The CEO's eyes darted between us, clearly baffled, but he didn't dare argue. "He told you to go, so get out! What are you standing there like an idiot for?"

"Right." I placed the apology letter rigidly on the coffee table in front of Dominic and practically sprinted out of the room.

The second I clicked the door shut, I heard the CEO's muffled voice through the wood. "Dominic, what the hell was that? Don't tell me you've got your eye on our intern?"

My heart leaped into my throat. I bolted back to my desk.

Under the desk, I frantically texted Macy a play-by-play of my disastrous morning.

[ Wait, so Pierce's dad is going on blind dates? You're safe! That means he's divorced. You're not a homewrecker. ]

[ Probably. ]

[ Was the sugar daddy hot in the daylight? ]

Always focusing on the important things.

[ Hot. ]

[ Are you absolutely sure you don't want to be your ex's stepmom? Just think about the sheer revenge. The power. ]

[ It's illegal how good that sounds. ]

For the rest of the day, I couldn't get Dominic out of my head. Mostly because seeing him fully dressed for the first time was genuinely jarring. Putting on a tailored suit, the man turned into a completely different, dangerous beast.

Chapter 5

Serious. Reserved. A sharp Adam's apple, and long, sinfully sexy fingers. Stop. What the hell was I thinking?

A ruthless corporate shark like him was calculating down to his bones. If I didn't give that Centurion card back, I'd probably be eating prison food by the end of the week. The next morning, I packed the black card in my bag, fully prepared to return it.

But for the entire following week, Dominic never showed his face at the office.

While dropping off a sweetgreen salad in the CEO's office, I finally couldn't hold back. I asked where our top investor had been.

"Why are you asking? Got your eye on Dominic?"

"No!" My jaw practically unhinged. "I made a huge mess the other day," I explained quickly. "I was just worried it might have ruined the firm's partnership with him."

My boss let out a loud snort. "I know how you young girls operate. One look at a billionaire and your brains fall right out. Hold on."

I had no idea what 'hold on' meant until he picked up his cell phone and dialed Dominic's number right in front of me.

"Don't hang up," my boss practically yelled into the receiver. "When are you coming in to sign the paperwork? Our intern is desperate to see you."

I froze. How could a CEO be this incredibly unprofessional?

"Boss!" I hissed, waving my hands frantically.

"Don't thank me. Get back to work."

Thank you? I want to strangle you.

I scurried back to my cubicle, my knee bouncing violently against my desk for the rest of the day. Dominic finally walked through the glass doors right before quitting time. Naturally, because he showed up, I was forced into overtime.

Whatever negotiations he had with the boss must have gone well, because right as the clock hit seven, the CEO dragged him straight over to my cubicle.

"Great work today, everyone. Dominic is treating us to dinner." The boss clapped his hands. "Everyone is required to attend. No exceptions."

When the CEO gives an order like that, you don't decline. We ended up at an absurdly expensive, dimly-lit Izakaya downtown.

All the executives lined up to brown-nose and toast with him. Every time I snuck a glance at Dominic, he was downing another glass of sake. His face only grew paler the more he drank. How high was his tolerance?

I didn't dare touch a drop of alcohol. Halfway through the dinner, I slipped out to the restroom, leaning against the hallway wall to scroll through TikTok and kill time. Judging that the toasts were probably wrapping up, I finally shoved my phone into my pocket and headed back.

I turned the corner and slammed face-first into a solid chest.

"MDominic."

"Hmm." His voice was a low rumble. "What did you need me for today?"

Need him? Right. My hand shot into my bag, pulling out the heavy black card.

"I'm returning this to you."

He didn't take it. His dark gaze locked onto my face. "Are you still in pain?"

My breath hitched.

"Pierce told me you went straight to the ER after you left."

My face instantly ignited, burning hot all the way to the tips of my ears. Pierce and his massive mouth! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the CEO and two senior managers walking down the corridor toward us. If they saw us standing together like this, I was entirely dead.

Pure panic took over. I grabbed Dominic's lapels, yanked him into the pitch-black private dining room right next to us, and kicked the door shut.

He opened his mouth to speak. I slammed my palm flat against his mouth.

"Don't say a word."

I held my breath, my chest heaving against his suit, waiting until the heavy footsteps echoed past our door and faded away. Slowly, I dropped my hand.

"It doesn't hurt. I went to the ER for something else," I snapped in a furious whisper.

"It doesn't hurt?" His deep voice vibrated in the dark room, pinning me in place. "But you cried for a long time."

Jesus Christ. Was he actively trying to kill me?

"Can we please not talk about this? I don't want this." I shoved the black card blindly into his chest and spun on my heel to escape.

But the room was completely dark. My foot hooked on the edge of a low wooden table. I pitched forward with a gasp, tumbling backwardstraight into his chest.

His arm whipped around my waist like a steel vice, catching me mid-air. The physical distance between us vanished. I could feel the heavy, rhythmic thud of his heart against my spine. His breath, scalding and laced with expensive liquor, washed over my neck. My lungs completely seized.

"Dominic"

"Careful."

I snapped my head up in the dark, and my lips brushed directly against his. It wasn't a kiss. Just a fleeting, electric graze of skin that sent a violent shockwave down my spine.

I bolted backward like I'd been burned, but his massive hand remained locked firmly on my waist, keeping me anchored to him.

"Dominic, you're drunk."

"Hmm." A low vibration rumbled in his chest. "I am definitely highly intoxicated."

He finally uncoiled his arm. His pitch-black eyes burned into mine through the shadows. My heart was beating so hard it hurt. I scrambled backward, threw the sliding door open, and sprinted out of the room like a terrified rabbit.

"Josie! Josie!" My boss's shout echoed from down the hall.

I ran even faster. When I finally made it back to the table, dinner was wrapping up. My manager ordered me to head outside and hail the black cars for the executives.

A few minutes later, Dominic and the CEO walked out of the restaurant together.

"You look miserable. If you've got a problem, just ask!" the CEO's voice boomed.

"What do young girls actually like these days?" Dominic's voice was flat, unreadable.

"Money, obviously."

"She didn't want it."

Chapter 6

"If she didn't want it, you just didn't offer enough. Who is she anyway? I can't believe the ruthless Dominic Zhou is finally thawing out."

The CEO's face lit up. His eyes instantly darted toward the passenger seat where I was sitting. "Josie, why don't you tell Dominic? What do young girls like these days?"

I stiffened. They were discussing something completely private. They could have just treated me like invisible air.

Dominic looked up, as if just noticing I was in the car. His dark gaze pinned me down, heavy and unreadable.

"They like Can I tell the truth, boss?"

"Go ahead. If it's a good answer, I'll give you a bonus."

"We like not having to work."

The CEO's smile vanished instantly.

"Was that a bad answer? You told me to tell the truth."

A low, rich chuckle rumbled from the backseat. Dominic leaned back. "Actually, I think that's a perfect answer."

"Right, right. Great answer, Josie. I'll think about how to reward you when we get back to the office."

The boss gritted his teeth, looking like he wanted to bury me alive.

It was a company car. After dropping off the CEO, the driver was supposed to drop off Dominic, and then take me home. But the moment the boss stepped out, Dominic insisted on having the driver take me back first.

With just the two of us left in the heavy silence of the backseat, the air in the car turned suffocatingly awkward. I only dared to sneak glances at him through the rearview mirror when he closed his eyes to rest. Even when he was asleep, his features were strikingly handsome, wrapped in an undeniable aura of quiet power.

Maybe the overtime was finally catching up to me, but as the car glided through the city, my eyes fluttered shut and I drifted off.

I slipped straight into a fever dream.

In the dream, I was crying. His large, hot hand smoothed over my skin, his deep voice vibrating against my ear. "Good girl, stop crying. You're squeezing my fingers too tight."

I jolted awake, my heart slamming violently against my ribs. I instinctively shot a look at the rearview mirror. Dominic's pitch-black eyes were already staring right back at me. His long, sculpted fingers were resting casually on his phone screen.

"What's wrong with my hand?" he asked, his voice smooth and dangerously calm.

"Nothing!" I snapped my gaze away, my face burning crimson.

Because my academic advisor had scheduled a mandatory class meeting for tomorrow morning, I was heading back to my college dorm tonight. When the Maybach pulled up to the campus gates, Dominic, who had been staring at his tablet, suddenly looked up at me.

"Will you be able to get inside at this hour? Do you want me to speak to campus security?"

"No need!"

He didn't push it. I scrambled out of the heavy car door as fast as I could.

The second my feet hit the pavement, a sleek Porsche roared up to the gates. Pierce and Chanel were sitting inside, waiting to scan their student IDs. Chanel spotted me. A sweet, completely fake smile spread across her face.

"Josie, why are you getting back to campus so late?"

"Aren't you out at the exact same time?" I shot back. What kind of innocent act was she trying to pull?

"Pierce was just going to drive me to my dorm. Do you want to squeeze in and ride with us?"

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Your Porsche is a two-seater. Where exactly am I supposed to sit? On his lap?"

Cut the fake sympathy. Back when she took our couple photos, she kept raving about how Pierce and I were the most perfect match shed ever seen. Now, she was sitting in his passenger seat. Hilarious.

Chanels face flushed with engineered embarrassment.

Pierce immediately jumped to her defense. "Josie, get it through your headwe're done. Chanel and I are together. Nobody wants you on my lap!"

"Chanel is just trying to be nice, why do you have to be so ungrateful?"

Wow. She hooks up with my boyfriend before we even break up, and now shes playing the concerned saint?

"Did I ask for her help? Who is she to me? And who the hell are you?"

Pierces jaw tightened. He glanced past me, his eyes landing on the idling luxury car in the distance. "I don't have time to deal with your attitude right now," he sneered. "I'm just giving you a warning."

"Don't go getting into cars with sketchy older men. Half the guys driving luxury cars out here are just chauffeurs for actual rich people. They specifically target naive, broke college girls like you."

Right as the toxic air peaked, the heavy black Maybach glided smoothly forward and pulled up directly beside us. The tinted window slowly rolled down.

"Perhaps the sketchy man you're referring to is me?"

"Dad?!" Pierce's smug expression shattered. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Dad, what are you doing here? Weren't you in Singapore today?"

"I came back early. Had some business to handle."

Chanel scrambled out of the Porsche, clinging tightly to Pierces arm. She offered a shy, sickeningly sweet smile. "Hello, Dominic."

Dominic didn't even spare her a glance. His dark, suffocating gaze bypassed them entirely and locked straight onto me. My stomach twisted into a hard knot. I was absolutely terrified he was going to speak to me.

Chapter 7

I desperately wanted to pretend I didn't know him. But the universe hates me.

"You left your scarf in the car." Dominic reached out, holding a red cashmere scarf through the rolled-down window.

I touched my bare neck, suddenly hyper-aware of the midnight chill. I took it, keeping my eyes fixed on the pavement. "Thank you."

"Dad, what is this?" Pierces head snapped back and forth between us, realization twisting his features into an ugly scowl. "Josie, did you go harassing my dad again?!"

"She came to me." Dominics voice was a low, glacial drawl. "And I brought her back. Is there a problem?"

Me? Pierce? Chanel? The tension in the air was so thick it was suffocating. But that was the terrifying thing about a man with absolute powerhe accepted the interrogation, but he never bothered to actually explain himself.

Panic clawed up my throat. I blurted out an explanation. "Your dad is an investor at my firm. We had a company dinner tonight, and he just dropped me off on the way back."

Pierce scoffed, taking an aggressive step forward. "Josie, you are unbelievable. You really know how to leech off people, don't you?"

"Are you insane?" My hands balled into tight fists. "It's a company car. I took a company car back to campus. How is that a problem?"

Since when did I bother his dad?

"Save the excuses." Pierce pointed a finger directly at my face. "I'm warning you for the last time. Stop throwing yourself at my dad. We're done. You have zero right to be anywhere near my family."

He sneered, his eyes turning vicious. "Learn some damn boundaries. Honestly, no wonder your own dad abandoned you when your parents divorced."

A high-pitched ringing pierced my ears.

The blood drained from my face. My breath hitched, trapping shards of ice in my lungs. When my parents split, my father chose my younger brother over me. It was a rotting, festering wound I kept buried deep inside. I had only ever trusted one person in the entire world with that secret. Pierce.

I never imagined the absolute, unconditional trust I placed in him would be weaponized into a blade, shoved directly into my chest.

My vision blurred. I dug my fingernails into my palms until the skin broke to stop my chin from trembling.

Seeing the fallout, Chanel stepped up, clinging to Pierces arm to play the sweet, innocent peacemaker. "Pierce, don't be so mean. She's still our senior, even if you guys broke up." She batted her eyelashes. "You're going to embarrass yourself in front of your dad."

She turned a sickeningly sweet smile toward the Maybach. "Hello, Dominic. I'm Pierce's girlfriend, Chanel."

Dominic didn't even acknowledge her existence. His dark, heavy gaze swept over Pierce, before landing squarely on my shaking shoulders. The heavy car door clicked open.

Dominic stepped out, towering over the pavement. "Take your girlfriend back to her dorm. I will walk her."

"Dad, why the hell are you walking her?"

Dominic stopped in his tracks. "Shut your mouth."

The command was soft, but the absolute authority dripping from his tone made the air freeze. "Leave the Porsche here. The driver will take it back."

"What? Why?"

"Because I said so." Dominic adjusted his cuffs, his expression devoid of any human warmth. "You are stripped of your driving privileges for my vehicles. And your black card is frozen for the rest of the month."

"Dad!" Pierces voice cracked in sheer panic.

I didn't stick around to watch the rest of the execution. I turned and walked straight onto campus. Halfway down the dimly lit path, I realized the steady, heavy sound of expensive leather shoes was trailing right behind me.

Dominic was following me. He didn't call out to stop me. He just kept my pace. I stopped abruptly and spun around.

"You don't need to walk me."

"Hmm."

"Pierce was right." My voice shook slightly. "I have no right to go looking for you. I definitely don't have the right to bother you."

"Hmm."

"I'm sorry about everything that happened before. I won't ever cross paths with you again."

He stopped under the halo of a streetlamp. I turned my back and kept walking. I walked another full block. The footsteps were still there.

My chest heaved. I spun around, my defenses completely shattering. "Why are you still following me?! Was I not clear enough?" My voice cracked into the quiet night. "I gave the card back. You got to watch me make an absolute joke of myself. You wanted your son to dump me? Fine, we're done! What else do you want from me?!"

The sheer humiliation of the entire day crashed down on my shoulders, crushing the air out of my lungs.

Dominic stood there, unfazed. Slowly, he reached into the inside pocket of his tailored suit jacket and pulled out a small object.

"Do you want a piece of candy?"

I froze. Sitting in the palm of his large, ruthless hand was a ridiculously cute, oversized cartoon-character lollipop. My brain stalled. How on earth did a billionaire titan carry a children's lollipop in his suit?

I stared at him in dead silence. A faint, almost helpless smile touched the corners of his mouth. "I'm not very good at comforting people." His deep voice was remarkably gentle, stripping away his usual armor. "I am apologizing to you on Pierce's behalf for what just happened."

"Not necessary," I clipped, averting my eyes.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but held back. "Wait here."

He bypassed me with long strides, walking directly to the locked glass doors of the dorm building. He tapped on the glass, catching the attention of the grumpy night security guard. I couldn't hear what he said, but the guard immediately unlocked the doors, practically bowing as she pulled them open.

Dominic walked back toward me. I crossed my arms defensively, throwing my walls right back up. "Are you doing all of this just to make up for him? Because I will never forgive him. Not even if I die."

Dominic stopped inches away from me. His pitch-black eyes locked onto mine. "I never asked you to forgive him."

Chapter 8

"Go on up," he said, his deep voice cutting through the chill. "I'll leave once you're inside."

My fingers tightened around the stick of the candy. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I spun around and bolted into the dorm building.

Upstairs, I stood on the balcony brushing my teeth. I glanced down. He was walking away, the tailored suit cutting a sharp, lethal silhouette in the dark, a cigarette pressed between his lips. My brain was spinning. Why the hell was he apologizing for Pierce?

He was the one who vehemently opposed Pierce dating a broke girl. Now he was handing me candy and apologizing? Was this pity?

"Who are you staring at?" Macy leaned over the railing next to me. "Holy shit. Who is that? That back profile is lethal."

I shoved her shoulder. "Don't look."

"Why?"

"It's his dad."

"Pierce's dad?!" Macy's eyes lit up like fireworks.

Before I could stop her, she spun around and sprinted out the door.

"Macy!"

Too late. I watched in absolute horror as she dashed right up to Dominic, did a blatant 360-degree sweep of him, and bolted back inside. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

Macy burst back into the room, panting. "Josie, I fully approve of you becoming Pierce's stepmom! The man is ridiculously hot. You told me he was forty! He looks like he's in his absolute prime."

I had just done the math. Pierce was twenty-two, so his dad had to be in his forties. Though honestly, looking at him, it was hard to believe.

"Wait, are you guys actually hooking up? Why else would he drop you off?"

"No!" I gave Macy a play-by-play of the entire disastrous evening. I conveniently left out the part where my lips grazed his in the pitch-black room. Why I hid that detail, I didn't even know myself.

"Pierce is literal trash," Macy snapped, crossing her arms. "He knows your dad abandoning you is your biggest trigger."

"He was just mad."

"When men are mad, they show you exactly who they are."

She had a point.

"But seriously, how is this any different from dating?" Macy pressed. "A billionaire CEO drives you to your dorm, handles security for you, publicly strips his son of his allowance to defend you, and buys you a dollar-store lollipop to coax you? He even stood outside smoking just to make sure you got in safely. The man is obsessed."

"He's going on blind dates with heiresses," I shot back.

I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. Dominic was meeting society girls for marriage, but acting like this with me? Was this just how wealthy, powerful men played their games? I couldn't even handle the son. Playing against the father was a death sentence. Forget it.

In the middle of the night, a friend request from Pierce popped up on my phone.

Attached note:

[ I'm sorry. ]

I hit ignore. Another request popped up a minute later.

[ If you don't forgive me, my dad is freezing my allowance for next month too. ]

I scoffed. Deserved.

Another weekend passed. What used to be a three-year relationship had fermented into pure, concentrated hatred. Whenever anyone on campus gossiped about me, Pierce, and Chanel, I only had one response.

"Don't mention him. He makes me sick."

Somehow, that made its way straight back to Pierce. He cornered me on the walkway between classes. "I thought we had an amicable breakup," he sneered, blocking my path. "Why are you dragging my name through the mud all over campus? Saying I make you sick?"

"Because if I swallow the trash, my mouth gets dirty," I shot back.

Pierce pointed a finger at me, his face twisting in exasperation. "Stop acting so high and mighty! Without me, you can't even afford this month's rent!" He took a breath, trying to regain his smug composure. "Josie, I already apologized for what happened the other night. I was just pissed off. The fact that you still hate me this much I seriously doubt you're over me."

"You want to know why I hate you this much?"

"Why?"

"Because you're tiny, and it's pathetic."

Silence. His fragile ego shattered. His face turned a dangerous shade of red. Unable to form a single sentence, he spun around and stormed off.

That afternoon, during a five-minute break at the corporate strategy meeting, I was sitting in the bathroom stall when a text from Macy lit up my phone.

[ Huge news! Pierce and the homewrecker just got into a massive screaming match. Guess why? ]

[ Why? ]

[ He actually regifted the stuff you mailed back to him! Chanel was showing off her 'new gifts' in her dorm. She was drinking tea out of that expensive mug he gave you last year. Her roommate recognized it and told everyone you used to use that exact mug as a spittoon when you were sick. She completely lost her mind! ]

I covered my mouth to muffle my laughter. Karma.

Chapter 9

Back when I had the flu, my chest was totally congested. I was too weak to keep getting out of bed, so I just used the mug Pierce gave me as a spittoon. It was absolutely hilarious.

[ Did Dominic come to your office today? ]

[ Yeah. ]

[ How's 'Operation Stepmom' coming along? ]

I rolled my eyes.

[ Terrible. ]

[ Wanna try out the 69 position when you get home? I just learned how to do it. ]

She was talking about acro-yoga. We had been doing home workouts recently.

[ Can't tonight. Overtime. ]

[ Overtime again? Your boss is a total psycho. ]

After washing my hands, I hurried back into the conference room. The second I walked in, every single person at the massive oak table was staring at me. Their expressions were completely twisted. I pulled out my chair, sat down, and looked up at the massive projector screen. My iMessage chat with Macy was mirrored in 4K resolution across the wall.

The sky crashed down on me